Is It Legal to Have Tinted Window in India?

1. What is a tinted window?

Tinted glass is mostly used on vehicles for blocking the sunlight from entering the cabin. During hot summer days, seating inside a car, even when it is ventilated by the air conditioning system, the summer heat is still irritating for many. To escape from the direct sunlight, some people choose to use tinted glass for car windows. However, in India, most car models do not come with tinted window from the get-go. Instead, car users usually get sun film as additional accessories to limit sunlight transmission. Along with the major purpose of lowering the interior temperature, the tinted glass also plays a role in keeping the interior from being worn out from sunlight exposure. Moreover, one of the benefits of the tinted glass is to keep privacy for the car occupants.

Tinted windows can help to block the sunlight and keep the privacy for the car occupants

Some of the manufacturers are providing a factory-fitted tinted window in India include Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai. However, these car manufacturers provide tinted windows on the selected variants, mostly for top-spec variants.

2. Why the tinted window is banned in India?

According to the Motor Vehicles Act 1988, the front and rear windshield should be more than 70 per cent VLT (visual light transmission) while the allowed VLT per cent for other window is 50 per cent.

Tinted windows are not allowed according to the Motor Vehicle Acts

In 2012, the Supreme Court has passed the rule which prohibits using tinted glass as well as other alternatives like sun film. The ban of tinted glass was approved in fear of crimes since there were several criminal cases that took place inside cars with heavily tinted window. Moreover, another reason for banning sun film is to ensure good visibility for driver and lower the risk of car accidents caused by limited visibility.

However, this law is detested by many car users in India. According to Indian car users, the summer weather in India is almost unbearable for them without tinted glass. Especially for people who are driving the older-gen car model without functioning AC. The good news is that with the new invention of tinted glass, car users can enjoy the comfort of tinted glass without breaking the law. It is also a solution for people with skin diseases who should avoid exposure to direct sunlight.

3. How much tint on car windows is allowed

Basically, the usage of the tinted glass is not entirely prohibited by the Government. In other words, the Government puts restricts on the certain types of sun films you can apply for your car window. It is still acceptable if your windscreen conforms to the Government’s guideline, which means it should be at least 70 and 50 per cent VLT for the front/rear windshield and side window, respectively.

Limited use of tinted windows can be acceptable in India

It should be taken into consideration that the window film would not have to be dark in order to block UV ray and sunlight. There are a couple of light tint products that can ensure good visibility while still providing essential benefits.

It should be noted that before applying window films, you should check if the products come from a reliable brand and meet the standard proposed by the Government.

4. How to remove tinted window from your car?

To remove tinted window from your beloved car, you need to follow this instruction carefully, unless you want to scratch your window glass.

- Use your heat gun:

You need to use a heat gun to melt the glue of tinted foil. Then you could remove the tinted foil from your window. If you don't have a heat gun, use a hairdryer instead.

- Use soapy water

Soapy water is also a choice for you to remove the remaining glue on your window.

You could check for more methods of removing tinted foild from your car window on Philkotse.com (Source: https://philkotse.com/car-maintenance/how-to-safely-remove-your-cars-window-tint-6653)