The number will not work: foreigners decided to punish for tinting
Cars with foreign license plates will not be able to drive in Russia with tightly tinted windows. In the first reading, the State Duma adopted a bill allowing them to be fined for this violation. Izvestia investigated who the new rules would affect.
What is proposed to be changed
The new bill amends Part 3.1 of Article 12.5 of the Administrative Code, which provides for administrative liability for driving with excessively tinted windows. Instead of the "Technical Regulations on the safety of wheeled vehicles", it is proposed to focus on "The main provisions on the admission of vehicles to operation and the duties of officials to ensure road safety." This document was approved by a government decree on October 23, 1993. A separate decree dated May 27, 2023 harmonized the "Basic Provisions" with the Technical Regulations.
The mandatory requirements for the light transmission of windscreens and windows through which front visibility is provided for the driver remain the same — at least 70% percent and at least 60% for vehicles equipped with armor protection.
According to the explanatory note, the proposed amendment will make it possible to bring drivers to administrative responsibility "in cases where they present documents issued by customs authorities confirming the placement of the vehicle under the customs regime (which does not provide for the possibility of alienation) for a period of no more than six months (subparagraph 4 of paragraph 3 of the Technical Regulations)."
Who will be affected by the innovation
Thus, the bill eliminates a gap that prevented vehicle owners who temporarily imported a car into Russia for up to six months, that is, before mandatory registration, from being fined for tinting. Previously, temporarily imported cars with license plates from South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Georgia, and Armenia had no problems driving around Russia with tinted windows, as they did not fall under the technical regulations. Now the requirements for all vehicles traveling on Russian territory will be uniform.
Nothing is changing for Russian drivers, but cars with license plates from other countries will begin to be actively checked for compliance with tinting requirements of technical regulations, said Anton Shaparin, vice President of the National Automobile Union (NAS).
— It's a good story, because it will affect all kinds of drivers who drive on ethnic plates with dull tinting. For example, cars with Abkhaz license plates in the Krasnodar Territory. The requirements of the Technical Regulations do not apply to a car that has been put into circulation, for example, in Tajikistan. And the mentioned "Basic Provisions" clearly say that the car should not be tinted beyond measure.
We are talking about a small group of people who enter the country here in non-customs vehicles, Igor Morzharetto, a member of the Public Council at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, said in an interview with Izvestia.
What is the danger of excessive darkening
Experts note that heavy tinting is, firstly, dangerous due to poor visibility at night. Secondly, it is important from the point of view of anti-terrorist security — it is unclear who is driving in a car with darkened windows. Thirdly, photo- and video-recording systems and surveillance cameras cannot be penalized for unbuckling a belt and talking on the phone.
— We have completely liberal tinting rules. For example, any tinting is prohibited in Azerbaijan, although there is more sun there than in our country. Only thin, factory-made ones are allowed. You simply won't be allowed across the border," the expert noted.
Votes in favor of tinting
Morgiaretto also stressed that opinions about tinting in parliament are divided — some say that any tinting should be allowed, others that it should be banned.
So, deputies from the LDPR faction had previously proposed to ease restrictions on darkening the front side windows of cars.
"Direct scorching rays of the sun provoke overheating of the interior, increased fuel consumption due to the need to use air conditioning, and also negatively affect the driver's eyesight and general well-being. <...> Our bill proposes to give car owners the right to use tinting on the front side windows, provided that their light transmission is at least 60% of the indicator established by the requirements of technical regulations"Yaroslav Nilov, head of the State Duma Committee on Labor, Social Policy and Veterans' Affairs, said in his Telegram channel.
He noted that the fine for violating the law should be increased to 1,000 rubles for the side windows and 3,000 rubles for the windshield.
The government did not support this bill. It also did not support the bill on the abolition of administrative responsibility for driving with glasses, the light transmission of which does not meet the requirements of technical regulations.
How are they fined for tinting in 2025?
The fine for excessive tinting is only 500 rubles, and it can be paid at a discount. However, inspectors often issue an order to eliminate violations. If the car owner does not remove the tinting during the day, he may be punished more severely for failing to comply with the lawful request of a police officer. This is a fine of two to four thousand rubles, or arrest for up to fifteen days, or compulsory work for up to 120 hours.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
