Automotive Window Tinting

Yes, window tinting is legal in the UK provided the front windscreen allows at least 75% of light through and the front side windows allow at least 70%. Rear windows and rear side windows can be tinted to any darkness. At Shady Tints in Croydon, we always ensure your tint complies with UK road regulations.

A full window tint typically takes between 2 and 4 hours depending on the vehicle and the number of windows being tinted. We recommend leaving your car with us for the day so we can take our time and achieve a flawless finish. You are welcome to wait at our Croydon workshop or collect later.

We offer a wide range of tint shades from a subtle 70% VLT (visible light transmission) through to a limo-dark 5% VLT. Our team at Shady Tints will help you choose a shade that suits your style and meets legal requirements. We also stock specialist films including ceramic and carbon options.

Your vehicle will pass its MOT as long as the front windscreen and front side windows meet the legal light transmission limits. Rear window tints of any darkness will not cause an MOT failure. We always fit within the legal limits on front windows so you can drive with confidence.

After installation, avoid winding down your windows for at least 48 hours to allow the film to fully cure. You may notice small water bubbles during the curing period which will disappear within a few weeks. Clean tinted windows with a soft cloth and an ammonia-free glass cleaner to protect the film.

When a high-quality tint film is used, your tints should not bubble or peel. Shady Tints uses very high-quality tint and heat-treats it once installed to cure it to the glass, preventing air bubbles and peeling. For this reason, we offer a lifetime guarantee with our tinting service.

Shady Tints in South London offers four shades of tint: 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%. The percentage is based on how much light is allowed through the tint. 5% is a “Limo Black” style tint, our darkest. 20% is a lighter shade and the factory-standard percentage (Light Smoke). 5% offers the most privacy, with a more “blackout” appearance. 20% allows a little more light, but is also very private, and has a more “classic” appearance. In between, we have “Smoke” at 15% and Dark Smoke at 10%.

In the UK, the rear door windows, quarter windows, and rear windscreen (all glass from the B Pillar backwards) can be tinted at any percentage. However, the front door windows and front windscreen can only be tinted to the legal limit of 70%. The front windows on all cars are already tinted to 70% at the factory. For this reason, it is illegal to install or have black tints installed on any of the front windows. If you are caught by the police with tints past the legal limit on the front windows, they will remove the tint from your window, you will receive a fine and three points on your license, and the tint company that installed the illegal tints will also incur a fine. From a legal standpoint, Shady Tints does not recommend installing any tint of any shade on the front windows or windscreen of any vehicle.

At Shady Tints, we use very high-quality tint film. Because of this, we offer a 6-year guarantee on all of our tints.

As Shady Tints in Croydon is not a mobile service, our work is not carried out in the open air, unlike other tinting companies. We can therefore work in any weather condition to install window tints. Once window tints are installed, we do not recommend opening windows for 24 hours.

This depends on a few factors. The vehicle's size, the number of windows, and the cleaning required. Generally, most of our tint jobs take 1-3 hours. Some small vehicles may even be completed in less than an hour!

We recommend a few tips to best care for your tints. If you clean the inside of the windows, it's best not to use anything too abrasive (e.g. scouring pads or wire wool). This will avoid leaving scratch marks on the film. If we tinted a roll-down window on your vehicle, we recommend leaving the window all the way up for at least 7 days after installation. This gives the adhesive in the tint a chance to fully dry out and eliminates the chance of the tint catching on the window frame.

Immediately after the tint film is installed, you may see some blotches or streaks in the tint (also known as ‘blistering’). This is just the result of moisture trapped between the tint film and the glass. This is completely normal and just requires some patience. Usually, these completely dry out and disappear within 7 days of installation. During cold weather, it may take a little longer, while in hot weather, it may disappear faster.

This all depends on the car's make and model, the size of the windows, and how easy it is to access them, etc. Prices vary considerably, so please do use our form to request a quote, or call or WhatsApp us.