Car window tinting brings with it many benefits for the vehicle’s interior as well as for the driver and passengers. When you find car window tinting in Sydney, for example, you can protect your car’s interior upholstery from the ravages of UV radiation, and you can stop the interior from getting unbearably hot when it’s parked outdoors for long periods of time.
Great as it is, there are strict rules to follow regarding how dark the tint can be. Tint levels are measured according to the “VLT” which stands for visible light transmission. That tells you how much light is able to pass through the tint, so the lower the percentage, the darker the tint is and thus the less you can see through it.
Each state and territory in Australia has different rules on the lowest acceptable VLT on the front side windows, rear side windows and the rear window. Your car window tinting supplier should be aware of the state’s rules, but it’s not a bad idea to brush up on them yourself so that you’re not disappointed when a supplier tells you that you can’t have the tint level you want.
Below you’ll see the VLT numbers for each state and territory:
Australian Capital Territory
Front Side Window - 35%
Rear Side Window - 20%
Rear Window - 20%
New South Wales
Front Side Window - 35%
Rear Side Window - 20%
Rear Window - 20%
Northern Territory
Front Side Window - 35%
Rear Side Window - 15%
Rear Window - 15%
Queensland
Front Side Window - 35%
Rear Side Window - 20%
Rear Window - 20%
South Australia
Front Side Window - 35%
Rear Side Window - 20%
Rear Window - 20%
Tasmania
Front Side Window - 35%
Rear Side Window - 20%
Rear Window - 20%
Victoria
Front Side Window - 35%
Rear Side Window - 35%
Rear Window - 35%
Western Australia
Front Side Window - 35%
Rear Side Window - 20%
Rear Window - 20%
As you can see, there’s quite a lot of consistency across states and territories. All states agree on the 35-percent VLT for that front side window, but there is variation on the other windows, the most permissive area being the Northern Territory. Given the climate up there, that might come as no surprise to many people. Most states settle for 20 percent VLT on the remaining windows, but Victoria stands out as less tolerant of tinting on the rear side and rear windows.
Windscreen Tinting
There’s one big piece of glass that we haven’t mentioned yet, and that’s the windscreen. Once again, most states are quite clear on the rules for windscreen tinting, but it’s less the level of tint that is legislated but rather the amount of the windscreen that is allowed to have a tinting film applied.
In all states and territories except for Western Australia, the maximum amount of windscreen allowed to have tinting film applied is 10 percent, and it has to be the top 10 percent above the reach of your wipers. In Western Australia, no tinting film is allowed on any part of the windscreen.
Reflectivity
There’s one more key number that buyers should be aware of, and that’s reflectivity. The percentage of reflectivity in the tint is similar to the rules on windscreen tinting in that all but one of the states and territories are in agreement on how to manage it. Apart from New South Wales, tint reflection on the film has to be limited to 10 percent and cannot exceed that. New South Wales prohibits any reflective tint from being used.
Know the Rules, Avoid the Trouble
First, knowing the tinting rules is important so that if and when an auto shop selling window tinting services tells you that you can’t have a 5-percent VLT film plastered on all your side and rear windows, you know that it’s a legitimate rule they’re following and that they’re actually trying to help you.
Finally, if you take matters into your own hands and apply tinting film yourself, then you need to know the rules to avoid potential fines. In New South Wales, for instance, you can be fined up to $84 on the spot for having too dark a tint. That’s money you could put to much better use!
