Legislation

Legislative requirements - tinting regulations in Latvia

1. What types of tinting are allowed?

• It is prohibited to cover the front windshield (windshield) with any type of film, except in specific M3 category vehicles, where it is possible to stick a transparent film only on the lower part of the windshield, subject to certain volume and area restrictions.

• Front side windows (driver's and passenger's side) must be left with a light transmission of at least 70% - this means that dark or frosted films are not allowed.

• Rear windows (side, rear, panoramic roof, etc.) are not restricted - they may be tinted as desired, including dark films, as long as they do not obscure warning signals (stop signal, etc.)

2. Limitations on tinting strengths

• To evenly meet the requirement for ≥70% light transmission in the front parts, very light (1–10%) tinting films should be chosen - they provide a practically imperceptible visual effect, but are able to avoid technical inspection conflicts.

• However, it should be noted that even 5% tinting can slightly exceed the manufacturer's glass's 70-77% transmittance and thus cause discrepancies if, according to the manufacturer, the glass in the example already has ~70% transmittance.

3. Penalties and liability

• According to Section 71, Part 19 of the Road Traffic Law, if a vehicle is equipped with tinting that does not comply with regulatory enactments (for example, too dark on the front windows), the driver may be fined 17 penalty units (17 × €5 = €85).

• This means that the maximum tinting limit for windshields defined by law must be observed.
  BASED ON: https://likumi.lv/ta/id/292396-noteikumi-par-transportlidzeklu-valsts-tehnisko-apskati-un-tehnisko-kontroli-uz-cela — contains requirements for light transmission, windshield coatings, etc.
  AND
  https://lvportals.lv/e-konsultacijas/25932-automasinas-stiklojuma-tonesana-2022 — the amount of the fine that can be reached if the film does not meet the requirements