Tinting rear and headlights: fine size in 2021

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Published: 03/31/2021

Reading time: 7 min

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Why tint the taillights on your car?
What is needed for tinting
Advantages and disadvantages
How to choose a tint film
Tinting process

Tinting taillights is a simple process, but it requires care and compliance with all recommendations for carrying out the work. In order not to receive fines for violating traffic rules, you need to choose a film of not very dark colors. We must remember that the brake light should always be red and the turn signals should flash yellow or orange.

Headlight tinting: types of monetary penalties

You can tint the front or rear lights, or all at once. The color of the coating can be bright red or match the tone of the car. The headlights can simply be covered with a colorless film, protecting the surface of the device.

The following sanctions are provided:

penalty for incorrect tinting of headlights - 3,000 rubles (more than 15% of light transmittance);
penalty for tinting rear lights - 500 rubles.

And then we will consider the various options.

Let's turn to GOST

You probably know that there are rules and laws regarding tinting car windows. Just recently I talked about removable tinting, and we also discussed the issue of curtains for a car. I advise you to refresh your memory and read the materials again.

In addition, I would suggest that you familiarize yourself with removable tinting on a rigid base, the link to which will be here, and removable silicone tinting with a link here.

Now let's talk specifically about the rear lights. There are no requirements for their tinting. There are only regulations for the operation of automotive lighting equipment. Regarding the rear optics, it states that only yellow, red and orange light can be used. All others are prohibited.

Headlight Coverings: When is Covering Appropriate?

To be honest, tinting is an absolutely useless procedure from a practical point of view.
The coating hardly protects the vehicle element in any way, but simply gives it aesthetic beauty. For example, a covered headlight harmonizes perfectly with the color of the car or, conversely, contrasts perfectly against its background. Most drivers tint their headlights not because they need to, but because they look beautiful. Conclusion: tinting can significantly reduce the lighting function of the headlights, and this greatly affects driving safety.

How to remove tint

During operation, the flashlight is exposed to grains of sand and therefore begins to become cloudy. Worn optics cannot provide high-quality illumination of the road and require replacement of the film or its complete removal. It is impossible to polish the material or restore transparency.

Cleaning the rear and front optics is no different. To remove the film:

Carefully pry off the corner of the material with a sharp object.
Pull the film and remove it from the headlight.
Wash the surface in a sink with chemicals.
You can use a degreaser to remove any remaining adhesive.

Removing headlight tint with film is not difficult. It is much more difficult to deal with varnish. To remove the composition:

remove the lantern;
cover it with a cloth;
apply the remover evenly;
wait 10-15 seconds;
wipe the part clean.

If the tinting remains in the corners and complex elements, then the procedure should be repeated until the varnish is completely destroyed.

When working with caustic substances, you must use rubber gloves and a respirator. Otherwise, you can burn the skin of your hands and harm your internal organs if you inhale the vapors.

Car headlights can be easily decorated by tinting or changing the color shade. When working, it is important to use high-quality materials, not to deviate from GOST requirements and not to overdo it with the degree of darkness.

What tinting options are there?

Despite the apparent uniformity of headlights, there is not one, but several methods of tinting.

This can be done using:

vinyl film. The coating can be glossy or matte. The advantage of the coating is that it allows you to protect the headlights themselves from minor scratches and other damage and physical impact. If necessary, the film can be easily removed or renewed.
varnish. A popular option among old-school drivers. The downside is that the method reduces the light transmittance of the headlight. The result is less light, more risks on the road. With this option the penalty will be 100%.

Not popular, but common options are painting. There are many paint options, each owner uses the one he considers necessary. There is also the option of “decorating” the headlight even with nylon tights.

The most correct option is film tinting. But you need to use such a coating correctly, understand its properties, strength, etc. Partial tinting of specific areas of the headlight is used, rather than full coverage.

Important information : there are currently no criteria for assessing the reflectance of headlights when tinting a film.
Therefore, slight error in dimming is allowed. It is impossible to say exactly by how many percent the light transmittance is reduced.

Coating brake lights with special paint

This process is very labor-intensive, requires great care and a clean and at the same time well-ventilated room. You also need knowledge, skills and tools to disassemble tail lights. In addition, you need to find a fairly expensive and rare tint paint. If all the above difficulties do not scare you, then to paint the brake lights you need:

Remove the entire headlight from the car and disassemble it.
Clean the glass, remove all dirt, degrease with isopropyl alcohol.
Apply the tint evenly from the can, avoiding drips and bubbles. The room should be dry, clean, well ventilated, with a minimum of dust. Don't forget to use personal protective equipment (goggles, respirator, protective clothing).

Leave the painted glass in a clean and well-ventilated area to dry for at least 12 hours.

As you can appreciate, paint tinting has no advantages over film, although it is more expensive, complex and requires more skills.

Fine for tinting headlights 2021

Interesting fact: the owner of a vehicle can be held accountable for several measures at once - both for installing headlights and for driving such a vehicle.

based on Administrative Code 12.4.1

The essence of this rule is that the driver is held accountable for tinting the headlights red or another tone equivalent to this color. The penalty is applied not only for covering, but also for installing non-standard red devices on the front or rear headlights.

Based on this violation, either the driver, if the vehicle belongs to an individual, or an official of the company who allowed this fact is held liable (in addition, the company itself is also held accountable). The peculiarity is that the offense is not driving a car, but the installation of red headlights itself.

The type of punishment is a monetary penalty in the amount of 3,000 rubles with additional confiscation of such devices.

based on Administrative Code 12.5.1

The essence of the rule is violation of the rules for operating a vehicle, including the installation of lighting fixtures that violate the rules for permitting a vehicle to operate. In fact, these are cases when the headlights are tinted with any color other than red, and the light transmittance of the devices is significantly reduced.

You can simply receive a warning (depending on the severity of the act), and also receive a fine of 500 rubles.

based on Administrative Code 12.5.3

Become somewhat similar to 12.4.1. Code of Administrative Offences, but the only difference lies in the actions of the driver: there he is held accountable for installing tinting or other additional elements, but here he is punished for driving such a car.

Nobody issues a fine. They can immediately confiscate your license for a period of six months to a year.

What regulates the tinting of lighting devices?

There are a number of regulations for the driver that he must know and comply with. The main ones are traffic rules, the secondary ones... there are many of them, and among them there is the Technical Regulation “On the Safety of Wheeled Vehicles”. It is these 2 legal acts that we need, since the chain of references to answer the question about the legality of tinting the rear lights lies in them.

So, the basics of the Road Traffic Rules tell us that:

all other legal acts of 2021 must not contradict the traffic rules (clause 1.1),
the driver is obliged to know the paragraphs of the Rules that apply to him (clause 1.3).

But the Rules have several more applications that are an integral part of them, and one of them concerns vehicle malfunctions, specifically the design and external lighting devices.

We are interested in paragraph 7.18 of the List of Faults, which states that operation of the vehicle is prohibited if changes are made to the design without permission from the traffic police. And it is precisely the rules for the design features of cars, as well as their changes, that are regulated by the above-mentioned Technical Regulations.

Penalties

The punishment depends on how serious the offense was committed by the owner of the car and how much the light transmittance of the devices was impaired. For example, it is strictly forbidden to paint headlights. With such coverage, the risks of an emergency on the roads at night are enormous.

But depending on the type of act, there may be different measures of liability, which will be discussed further.

Headlight tinting

Liability for tinting headlights can vary from monetary penalties to confiscation of rights. The type of punishment is even influenced by the color of the tinting:

Thus, for covering headlights in red, a penalty of 3,000 rubles is provided. The sanction for individuals involves not only payment of the specified amount, but also confiscation of such devices. If a car with red headlights belongs to a company, then it will be obliged to pay from 400 to 500 thousand rubles to the budget. The official who committed the violation will be fined 15 thousand rubles. (maximum amount - up to 20 thousand rubles);
When tinting headlights with any color other than red, the penalty will be 500 rubles. The reason for the punishment is a decrease in the light transmittance of the headlight on the road, which can lead to an emergency situation on the roads.

The driver may be left without the right to drive a vehicle for a period of up to 12 months. The sanction applies when installing red tinting. As a rule, inspectors apply the norm in court when a violation is repeatedly recorded.

We remember about the opportunity to save on fines - if you pay off a penalty within the first 20 days, you can pay it with a 50% discount.

Tail lights: to tint or not?

Regardless of whether the headlights are front or rear, tinting after the car has left the factory assembly line is strictly prohibited. An exception is if the car, according to production regulations, is already produced with some tinting.

It is also interesting that you cannot even cover the taillights with a protective film. Despite the fact that it does not affect light transmission in any way, it is prohibited by law. And even for this they can issue a fine.

There are people who try to circumvent the law. For example, according to the regulations, you cannot cover the headlights with a coating that somehow distorts the optical image. This could be film, varnish, etc. But, for example, plywood or cardboard do not create such an illusion and can be freely used to “fix” lanterns. So no, this is also a violation.

Passing MOT with tinting

The legality of the coverage is determined by the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation. But it is worth noting that these documents do not contain any clear interpretation of the prohibition of tinting on a vehicle. The vagueness of the concept indicates that the traffic inspector must consider all controversial situations individually.

If there is a darkening coating, you need to be prepared for various problems when undergoing maintenance. When undergoing maintenance, lighting devices must meet the standards specified in the technical code. In accordance with this document, during a maintenance inspection, a comprehensive check of activities is carried out, which are aimed at identifying the reliability, as well as the performance of all lighting parts of the car. Inspectors also inspect for mechanical damage to the headlights.

If law enforcement officers notice violations of legal requirements, it will be impossible to pass the technical inspection.

Non-compliance with the instructions may be due to various reasons: 1. The driver has changed the external shape of the headlight. 2. There are mechanical damages. 3. The headlight is very dirty. There are no diffusers. 4. Lighting fixtures include add-ons that obscure part of the skylights. 5. Light emitting diodes do not work.

If we talk about tinting the rear lights, they are not checked for the strength of the light emitted. That is why if the color remains unchanged after manipulation with a special film, then there is no reason to refuse a technical inspection of the vehicle. A change in the color of the dimensions is a good reason to recognize a vehicle as non-compliant with established laws. It should be noted that all these requirements are established in order to increase the safety of vehicle operation on the road. If you use tinting of lighting units, this is usually regarded as installing additional characteristics. And such a modification can lead to an accident on the road. That is why, before applying a tint layer, you need to take into account the key points and choose the only right solution.

Light tinting: to pay a fine or not?

There are many cars on the roads with poorly tinted headlights. In practice, violators are not often held accountable for such actions. The inspector simply does not see such tinting and cannot hold the owner accountable. In fact, he can do this based on the rules of the law. Therefore, even for weak tinting one day you will have to pay. But if it’s not very visible, then you can try and test your luck.

Do-it-yourself tinting of rear lights: let's get to work

It is best to apply tint indoors with good ventilation. To tint yourself, it is better to remove the rear lights so that their edges can be processed more carefully. In addition, the varnish will lie more evenly on a horizontal surface without forming drips. However, you can paint the headlights without removing them from the car if you protect all body parts that you do not plan to paint with masking paper or masking tape.

We thoroughly clean the surface of the lighting devices and degrease it. After it is completely dry, you can proceed directly to tinting.

First, you need to shake the container well so that its contents become homogeneous, and then spray the composition onto the surface from a distance of 20–30 cm, avoiding drips. Each subsequent layer can be applied only after the previous one has completely dried, waiting about 5 minutes. Make sure that the darkening effect is not too strong - evaluate the degree of tinting after applying each layer.

If you did overdo it and tinted the coating too much, you can easily fix it! MOTIP Lantern Remover for tinting headlights will help remove paint without damaging the surface. After this, you can apply the composition again and ensure the desired result!

Finally, you can polish the surface of the lanterns to give them an attractive shine.

Headlight tinting: is it possible to pass a technical inspection?

Theoretically, you can pass a technical inspection with tinted headlights. The same Code of Administrative Offenses does not in any way prohibit driving a vehicle where the headlights have a slightly reduced light transmittance. There is a clear ban on tinting the side and windshield, but nothing is said about the headlights. Conclusion of our motorists: not prohibited, therefore allowed.

But no. If you look at the requirements that a car must meet before being allowed to drive, it says: you cannot operate a vehicle where the headlights have a poor lighting function. Therefore, no service station employee should give the go-ahead when the headlights are tinted. And if you can still “close your eyes” when covering the rear lights, then when tinting the headlights this is strictly prohibited.

How to tint headlights with film?

To do this you will need a hair dryer, a sharp knife, an alcohol solution and a spatula. First, you need to clean the headlights by removing moisture from them using a microfiber cloth and a special cleaner. After this, you need to spray an alcohol solution on the film and headlights to make it easier to tint them.

In order for the film to be even in the shape of the headlights, it must be stretched, which you can do with your own hands using a hair dryer. The film needs to be heated to make it flexible, but it is important not to overdo it, otherwise wrinkles will appear.

The next step is the most important: you will need to take a spatula and use it to stretch the material and cover the headlights with film. Anything that goes beyond the outer edge must be cut off with a knife. This must be done with your own hands carefully so as not to damage the headlights. This will complete the procedure.

Conclusion

Headlight tinting is a purely decorative tool, in some cases it performs a light protective function. But in most cases, the coating reduces the light transmittance of devices, which increases the risk of an emergency. That is why there is a punishment for such actions of the car owner.

No one is saying that light tinting can harm road users. With this option, even inspectors can only issue warnings without imposing penalties. But other types of tinting can not only damage the vehicle, but also harm people’s lives. Therefore, it is better to refuse such beauty.

Coating brake lights with special paint

Remove the entire headlight from the car and disassemble it.
Clean the glass, remove all dirt, degrease with isopropyl alcohol.
Apply the tint evenly from the can, avoiding drips and bubbles. The room should be dry, clean, well ventilated, with a minimum of dust. Don't forget to use personal protective equipment (goggles, respirator, protective clothing).

Leave the painted glass in a clean and well-ventilated area to dry for at least 12 hours.

As you can appreciate, paint tinting has no advantages over film, although it is more expensive, complex and requires more skills.

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"Pros" and "cons" of tinting

To decide which tinting method you should choose, here are the advantages and disadvantages of each option. If we talk about the advantages of tinting with varnish or paint with your own hands, then the following points should be highlighted:

affordable cost of materials;
a huge color palette of paints;
simplicity of the toning algorithm;
speed of the procedure.

There are also several negative aspects of tinting with paint or varnish:

the difficulty of applying the substance in an even layer;
To tint the headlights, be sure to remove them from the car;
decreased transparency of optics;
the possibility that in the event of inaccuracies and errors, defects will remain on the headlights;
The layer of paint and varnish deteriorates over time under the influence of the environment.