Tinted vehicle windows - the rules

If you have a vehicle that has heavily tinted windows at the front, you are risking prosecution by the police. The windows that must have the right amount of tint are the front windscreen and the two windows to either side of the driver.

The windows that matter

The law requires that the windows on the vehicle allow at least:

  • 75 per cent of light through the front windscreen
  • 70 per cent of light through the front side windows

In most modern vehicles there is a slight tint added to the windows when they are made. If you add any more tint it’s likely to result in the windows failing to meet the legal requirements.

The rules on tinted windows don’t apply to the rear windscreen or the rear passenger windows.

Make sure you can see where you're going

Window tints will restrict your ability to see the more vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians and cyclists, especially in low light conditions. Visibility problems are particularly bad around dawn and dusk, or the sudden onset of bad weather when light levels change quickly.

Penalties for having wrongly-tinted windows

The police and vehicle examiners from the Driver & Vehicle Agency use light-measuring equipment to measure window tints.

If you drive a vehicle with increased tinting to the front windows you may face enforcement action. This could be a prohibition notice, stopping you from using your vehicle on the road until you have had the extra window tint removed, a fixed penalty notice or a court summons.

Selling your vehicle

It is an offence to sell a vehicle with heavily-tinted front windows. The police or trading standards could prosecute you for doing so.

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