In larger communities where crime is a concern window tinting of vehicles is illegal. This is because the tinted windows provide cover for perpetrators of crimes, making them less visible as they make their escape.

This practice is being brought to the country of Belize. Cited as the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic (Tinted Windows) Regulations 2011, this law comes into effect on June 1, 2011. As per the Statutory Instrument (SI) signed by Hon. Melvin Hulse, Minster of Transportation; owners will have 30 days to remove tinting from their vehicles before they become liable to a charge.

There are exceptions, however as the SI states, "the Minister may specify, by notice in the Gazette, that a motor vehicle or a class of motor vehicle is a motor vehicle exempt from the provisions of this regulation". Private motor vehicles' windows may be allowed if it follows the guidelines outlined in the schedule.

By definition, tint is a treatment to achieve a variety of tinting effects and includes a plastic film that is fitted to a windshield, window or rear glass of a motor vehicle.

The SI states, "no person shall use, or cause or permit another person to use, a motor vehicle on a public road if its windscreen, rear glass or any of its windows is tinted or otherwise treated, in a way that is likely to impede sight, from outside the vehicle, of a person or thing inside the vehicle".

Individuals caught contravening this regulation commits an offence and is liable on a summary conviction of not less than $150.00 and not more than $500.00.



San Pedro Sun

I wonder where I can find the VLT and Power meter in San Pedro to tell if the tint is too dark???

Regulations Banning Dark Tint coming Into Effect

If you're one of those people who life to roll under heavy black tint - beware because in two months you'll have to change things up….

There will be new regulations governing tints on vehicle windows, windshield ad rear glass - effective June 1st. According to the Ministry of Transport, all vehicle owners, dealers, importers and tint-shop operators are advised that as of June 1st, no vehicle should be driven or parked on a public road if it has any tint that does not fall within the following restrictions.

For windshield - not less than 50 percent visible light transmission and only non-reflective tint, not more than 4 inches from the top. For front windows - not less that 50 percent visible light transmission and reflective or non-reflective tint of any color.

And for rear windows and rear glass - not less that 20 percent visible light transmission and reflective or non-reflective tint of any color.

What does all that mean? Well, we'll take you to a tint shop tomorrow to illustrate..

Channel 7

The Lowdown On Tint

Last night we told you about the regulations on vehicle tint that go into effect on June first. The new regs are trying to make it so that criminals in particular can't conceal themselves or their arms inside dark vehicles.

A lot of technical lingo was used in the release sent out yesterday - well tonight we'll try and break it down for you… To understand the tint issue, first you'll have to understand what VLT is. It means visible light transmission - how much light the tint lets through.

Nigel Espat, Belize Auto Zone
"VLT- Visible Light Transmittance - it allows from the different rates - 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% - what it does is that's the amount of ultraviolet rays that it allows to penetrate through the vehicle. So it's not only a factor of being concealed in your vehicle, but it's also protection from the heat."

On this vehicle it's 5% - the most popular in Belize, and on this one, it's 20% - the lightest tint sold here at Auto zone where they've been tinting vehicles for 12 years.

Nigel Espat
"Of course the most popular is the 5% which is the darker tint, but if it's-"

Jules Vasquez
"This vehicle behind us is 5%?"

Nigel Espat
"This vehicle is 5 percent, yes; this is the darker tint."

The new regulations call for 50% on windshields and front windows. One problem though, owner Nigel Espat says he's never heard of it:

Nigel Espat "I've never seen a 50% VLT tint available on the market."

Jules Vasquez
"You're saying that you've been doing this for over 10 years now, and you've never encountered 50% VLT?"

Nigel Espat
"No, we've been in the business for about 12 years going on 13 years, and I've never encountered a 50%. It's not what only is available in Belize because I've attended the SEMA Auto-Show that takes place in Las Vegas every year, where all the tint manufacturers, globally, congregates. And I've never seen 50% VLT available."

But we found it on the internet - and Espat says it probably does exist, but he wonders is it climate appropriate?

Nigel Espat
"We live in a tropical climate where, ultimately, you are bound to tint your vehicle. It's just too hot to leave your vehicle out in a parking lot or on the side of the street for even 15 minutes, especially given the months that we're in right now. It gets extremely hot. The tint helps to protect you from that; by requiring 50% on the front, and then it's almost having nothing at all. It's almost saying don't tint the front."

Also, the parameters for the tint on the front will have to change - only four inches will be allowed, this van is about ten, this car is 8

Nigel Espat
"Because we are a tropical climate, we tend to have more sun than - say the United States or Canada or our northern neighbors. So we would tint may be say - about 8 inches will suffice to keep the sun out of your face while you're driving on the highway or the road. 4 inches is rather small."

He Also notes that reflective tint will be permitted - but at any percentage, he warns doesn't allow you to see inside.

Nigel Espat
"You can go about getting a 20% reflective tint, and it does the same thing. I believe the aside is to allow visibility into the vehicle, but a reflective tint acts as a mirror. So even though you might find a 20% reflective tint, what it does is it keeps visible out of the vehicle because it acts as a mirror."

Espat says he supports the regulations - but it needs fine tuning

Nigel Espat
"They might want to go back to it and just tinker with it a little bit more, because in my view and the experience that we have, trying to achieve what the ministry is trying to achieve - a 20% tint - it would suffice perfectly. Full vehicle, 20% tint, the visibility is very clear inside; the occupants get at least a small amount of protection from the ultraviolet rays, and the police are happy. It makes it clearer."

Jules Vasquez
"Okay now, but you aren't opposed to these regulations at all, because tint is tint; you don't really care about the grade. You will still make your sale."

Nigel Espat
"Well tint is tint, so at the end of the day, it costs the same to any customer that comes into the auto zone to tint with 5% - 20% - the tint is the same."

Channel 7

Tint my ride; but new law may fine you for very dark windshield

Drivers across the country have a little over two weeks to remove dark tints from their vehicles. A statutory instrument will come into effect to regulate tinting, a measure taken to deter criminals from hiding behind the tint to conceal their identity. In the following story, News Five’s Isani Cayetano looks at the acceptable level of tints prescribed by the new regulations.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

On June first the Traffic Department will begin cracking down on vehicle owners whose windows and windshields do not meet the newly implemented standard of tinting. In the streets of Belize City two out of every five cars we counted have exceptionally dark tints, well outside of the accepted parameters. Nigel Espat, proprietor of Auto Zone, explains the shades of film used in tinting.

Nigel Espat, Proprietor, Auto Zone

Nigel Espat

“Tint you can buy it in three percent, five percent, ten percent, twenty percent, thirty-five percent and what the new S.I. is dictating for the two front door windows is fifty percent that is, for me, has proven very difficult to source because it’s not very common.”

A statutory instrument was recently passed to regulate tinting in light of the present crime situation plaguing the country. But while the public is expected to remove dark tints from their vehicles government officials are still driving around with relatively obscure windows. Prime Minister Barrow recently commented on the enforcement of the new law.

Dean Barrow

“I don’t believe in tinting. No but there can be no exceptions. Perhaps the police, I don’t know whether, or the military whether they might be able to make some kind of a case but regular politicians, regular GOB officials, regular municipal body officials absolutely not. The law must apply to them with equal force, equal rigor.”

Dean Barrow

Jose Sanchez

“Will this be implemented by police as well as Traffic [Department]?”

Dean Barrow

“Yes. That’s the whole idea that, remember we had talked earlier about trying to ensure that the police deal as well with quality of life offences. I am not sure that this is under that broad heading but the notion that the police should cast their net as widely as possible is very much one that we believe in and so they will be expected to help with the enforcement of the regulations too.”

According to Errol Garbutt Jr., who operates Glass Technologies Ltd., despite the new regulations government should consider that the measure may not have a significant impact on the commission of crimes the way it has on his business.

Errol Garbutt Jr., Windshield Technician

Errol Garbutt Jr.

“Well the business of tinting, ih drop with the crime… How fu say it Isani? Gun noh kill people, people kill people. Tint noh kill people, people kill people. That’s all I could say. And the crime rate, if you really watch it, you got customers weh come in and we noh wah call no name, but people need fu hide their things eena dehn vehicle mein.”

Espat also highlighted the fact that prior to the passage of the new legislature there was no enforcement or regulation of tinting.

Nigel Espat

“There wasn’t much control over the tint for a very long time. I think maybe around 2008, 2007 or early 2008 they tried to introduce this legislation to tone down the darkness of the tint but they never followed through with it so it just kept going. Now there’s an S.I. that was actually signed that regulates the darkness of the tint that can be applied to vehicles. I think the S.I. came about because of the high prevalence of crime, all the murders that have been happening so it’s, I am not entirely sure, I am only assuming here that it is because of that. I think the police would feel safer being able to look inside the vehicle.”

Motorists have since complained that de-tinting their vehicles comes at an extra expense to them especially knowing that prior to their installations it wasn’t illegal to have your windows tinted. The new law comes into effect at the end of the month. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.

Drivers who do not comply with the new tinting law can expect to be fined.

Channel 5

Is this all windows or just the windshield? It's been illegal to have a deeply tinted windshield in Europe for many decades, but AFAIK there is no rule about side or rear windows.

If someone has a vehicle with a tinted windshield (and especially if other windows are tinted) the vehicle may need reglazing, a very expensive and (certainly on the island) impracticable thing to do. I foresee considerable practical difficulties in doing this at all, never mind within the time limit.

This is not true. After-market tints may be applied in this manner, but in many cases the tint is in the glass itself and cannot be removed without reglazing.

True, but tinted glass is usually up the standards allowed by laws in most countries, i.e. USA, EU, etc... For example, most windshields even have a notation etched/stamped on the windshield (manu's AS-1 line) showing where tint should stop from the top of the windshield to a legally allowed limited. I'm not aware of any manufacturer that has stock fully completely tinted windshields from the factory. This is always an after market tinting, (with the exception of factory customs like limo's, security vehicles, etc...). The front driver side and passenger glass do come completely tinted from the factory in a lot of vehicles but again normally not past the legal limits. Normally anything that is darker than the law allows is applied after market tint. I'm sure this isn't a worldwide standard but most large worldwide manufacturer's usually follow these factory standards on public dealer vehicles.

You can get 100% metallic tint that is really reflective that doesn't allow you to see in to the vehicle very easy, doesn't look like a mirror, blocks UVA/UVB, but at the same time allows light through to meet standards.

"The law" means different things in different places. It seems that what passes as legal in the EU (and possibly also the US, I don't know) will not be acceptable in Belize.

With 30 years in the Window Tinting Industry I believe the new law in my opinion, is good. In the States, it is unlawful to have any tint on the windshield and most states require at least 35% vlt on sides. 20% is very effective and is still dark enough for some protection. You are fortunate, they could have banned all window tint and made it illegal.

Tint meters available 2 weeks before law becomes enforceable

The new Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic regulations on tinted windows will come into effect on June first, but there are still drivers who aren’t sure if their vehicles meet the approved standards. But according to a release issued this afternoon, the Department of Transport has received the first shipment of tint meters. If you want to find out if your windows are too dark, testing will be done in Belmopan on Friday, during the Public Service Information Day activities at the Governor General Field. In Belize City on Saturday, there will also be tint testing at the Wilton Cumberbatch Field from eleven a.m. to five p.m.

Channel 5

Have not seen any un-tinting, on many the gangsta-vehicles crusing and speeding in San Pedro.

The way traffic deparment is working here, I think San Pedro is one big exemption.

Look at the motorbikes only the driver has a helmet, passengers and kids never have one. In the night and on the weekends nobody wears a helmet at all.

I think SP has a rule that if you do something before 8, after 5 or on weekends or holidays, it's ok. Just don't do it Monday through Friday from 8-5 or you might get caught.

New Tint Laws Force Car Owners To Rush Removal Of Dark Tint

The new tint regulations were supposed to come into effect on the first of this month - but the Transport Department gave car owners a 30 day break - which means the new regs take effect tomorrow.

As we found out many left their dark tint on until the last possible day and rushed to the tint stores today. Here's what that scene looked like:…

Jules Vasquez Reporting
5% Tint used to be the standard, but today, it's just windblown refuse - on this last day of June, folks were lining up at tint shops like Glass Technology or the lot on North Front Street to put on 50% tint in the front 20% in the back, they were also lining up here at the city council's traffic inspection area on Johnson street - where you can't get a new license unless you get approved by this machine the Tint Meter Inspector with the specifications outlined in the new regulations which specify 50% at the front 20% at the back the back window of my vehicle recorded 25% - so I'm safe - but not everyone is.

At Glass Technology - they were completely booked - working on four cars at a time.

Errol Garbutt Jr., Glass Technology
"Very hectic, everybody came at the last moment which is very bad - everybody have to wait their turn."

Lots of waiting and lots of customer dissatisfaction - even for a job well done:

Jules Vasquez
"I know that a lot of people were rolling with 5-3%. So how they feel when they see their car now."

Errol Garbutt Jr., Glass Technology
"The first thing they say is that everybody can see me now, everybody will break into my vehicle now. So that is the thing that they are really stressed about."

One of those people is Nigera Matura - she's getting 20% Tatanium tint on her rear window which looked pretty dark to us but she says no less than her sense of security and personal liberty is gone:

Jules Vasquez
"How did you feel when you saw the tint - the 50%?"

Nigera Matura, dislikes New Tint Regs.
"That is next to nothing. They will definitely break into my vehicle now."

Jules Vasquez
"So you have genuine concerns?"

Nigera Matura, dislikes New Tint Regs.
"About it yes, definitely because this in not anything - this is like anywhere you park your vehicle they will definitely break into my vehicle. They can see now and they can pick what they want steal from your vehicle."

Jules Vasquez
"You in the past have had vehicle with 3%, 5% tint."

Nigera Matura, dislikes New Tint Regs.
"Yes always very dark - nothing you can see inside. That is always better especially for someone like me who always go out a lot and I have to park in a distance or whatever, it always better to have it tint dark for safety and also for no one to see you in the vehicle or what you are doing. Now everybody is looking at me now but at first no one was looking at me because they couldn't see me. Now they can see me I don't like it now. I can't even eat tacos in the vehicle now because people will see me"

And while she laughed off the bad news - many who went to have their vehicles inspected had nothing to laugh about - their tint did not make the grade.

We tested this sheet of 50 and also tested this sheet of 20 which was 22 within the 3 margin of error. Put it on this Mitsubishi and then put it on brought it back to test - and there it was 51, as for the twenty in the back - that read a generous 24 - remember it started out at 22. Worked for me.

But this man wasn't so lucky.

Jules Vasquez "You put on the 50% at the front and the 20% at the back and what happen?"

Car Owner
"After that I went to check it and they didn't approve it, they said that the 20% was reading too low - it was reading 17% and when they tested the 50% it read like 43%."

Seemed odd to us - since we had tested these same samples - so we went with him to the testing site and the twenty tested as 12 but top the glass that same tint tests as 19. The 50 tests as 50, put it on the glass and it goes down to 38.

And test the glass alone and it's at 78 - which the maximum it should read is 85…

Car Owner
"Is it the machine or is it my window?"

Jules Vasquez
"I don't know what to say."

Car Owner
"Something is wrong but I don't know what to do. I might have to take off all the tint off my car."

Jules Vasquez
"But you had to pay some money to put this on."

Car Owner
"I had to pay for it but I don't know what to do next."

And there's also a pickle for folks with late model SUV's whose back glass is factory tinted to 15%. That can't be removed, so authorities will have to make some accommodation for it….

And on days like these the tint shops are making all accommodations - making hay while the sun shines

Jules Vasquez
"This has been a real bonanza for you all - the implementation of this new law."

Errol Garbutt Jr., Glass Technology
"It's a bonanza you can say but it's all good Jules."

Jules Vasquez
"But after this?"

Errol Garbutt Jr., Glass Technology
"After this it will get slow because nobody would want to put in dark tint. When they import their vehicle from abroad they will leave the tint as it, they will not put on the 50% on the vehicle because they will say it's the same at the clear tint."

Jules Vasquez
"So now this is the feast before the famine?"

Errol Garbutt Jr., Glass Technology
"Yeah this is the feast before the famine. I think the famine will come in September."

Those that did not meet the tint requirements could not get their vehicle licensed renewed today. According to the City's Traffic Department, a checkpoint will be set up tomorrow - but offenders will simply be given a warning to comply within ten days. If they fail to do so, they will then be given a summons to appear in court where the fin is five hundred dollars…..

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