Lately I have had a lot of enquiries about what is considered legal when it comes to window tinting in Perth, WA…especially in relation to cars.. because we all know everyone loves a bit of dark tint on their windows and will stop at nothing to go as dark as they can!
In regards to the rules, they can vary from state to state in Australia but they generally follow similar guidelines. In this post I will focus on what is legal in WA and if you follow the standards outlined here you will avoid potential fines, insurance voids and basically being cop bait.
Firstly, it’s all about VLT’s which sounds really cool but unfortunately it’s just an abbreviation for visible light transmission which relates to the amount of light that visibly passes through window film.
The darkest legal tint in Australia has a VLT of 35% and that is only true if applied to clear glass and so is suitable for vehicle windows with no existing window tint.
Saying that, thank god it only applies to the front two doors of the car because although 35% does alright and is 100% passable, it’s still a bit on the lighter side. The good news is that the rest of the car can be tinted with window film of 20% VLT’s which is darker, looks way cooler and is great for that extra bit of privacy or sun protection for the kiddies in the back.
Now for all of you dark tint addicts that love the limo effect and your 5% visibility…unfortunately this film is not considered to be very legal or safe and may just give you a lot of extra attention from the police…especially if your car is a bit on the fancy side.
I actually heard of a real life story today of a truck driver that had tinted his front windscreen in 5% and was getting around for ages with it on…no idea how he made it home at the end of every day or got anywhere at all really? It definitely has to be one of the most unsafe uses of 5% I have ever heard of…it literally means that he was driving a truck… on the road…with everyone else…with as much as 5% visibility …wow!
So as far as tinting your windscreen…it is also not included in the tinting rule book. Saying that you can tint the top 10% of your windscreen with a VLT window film of your choice…great for keeping that extra sun and glare out of your eyes when driving.
WA does allow for medical exemptions for car window film and its VLT’s but you would have to contact Vehicle Safety Standards in the Department of Transport for more information on that one.
Damaged or bubbly window film with strong purple hues is also a no no and can be deemed as outdated and unsafe.. as well as reflective films above the 10% reflectance level.
I hope you now have a good grasp of what is right and what is wrong in the way of window films for cars in WA…you now understand VLT’s …or you just had a bit of a laugh at the truck driver that still lives to this day, despite his best efforts to use window film to do just the opposite!
One more quick mention before I go in regards to how serious tinting laws can be…this week after following all of the guidelines outlined here a customer of mine still had a setback taking his 4wd over the pits even though I personally applied the window film myself and all to code. I have given codes of the film used and am waiting on a call from the depo to discuss this further. It is unfortunate that after taking all of the precautions this setback has still occurred.. but I’m sure it will all be resolved and all will be well again soon …I mean imagine if I had put the real dark stuff on…kerfuffle city!
B