TINTING HEAD-/TAIL LIGHTS
TINTING HEAD LIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS.
You can easily give your car extra style or a tougher look by changing your tinting lamps with our special lamp tint films. The tinting films are available in various colours, including transparent (for protection against stone chips) light smoke, medium smoke, dark smoke, yellow, red, orange, purple, green, pink and blue.
You can also cover the headlights with a real protective film, also called PPF. This film is often used on new cars to protect the paintwork. The film prevents stone chips in the headlights so that the car remains in new condition for longer, which results in a higher residual value.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF LAMP TINTING?
Some characteristics and advantages of lamp tinting/blinding:
- Easy to replace in case of damage.
- Easy to keep clean and car wash resistant.
- Does not change colour and is UV-resistant
- The film gives a more luxurious, cool look to your car.
- The headlight film protects the lights from stone chips and scratches. This preserves the value of the car for a longer time, because the glass remains intact.
HOW MUCH DOES TINTING COST?
The price of the lamp shades depends on the complexity of the lamps. For example, Tesla lights are fairly easy to tint, but those of a BMW M4 are a lot harder because the lights run under the bumper. Rear lights of a Tesla are harder to tint because they have a lot of angles in them, and rear lights of a Mercedes CLA are easier because they are straightforward. The prices below give you a good indication of what the costs will be.
Cost lamp shades per set of 2 lamps in a standard shade of film:
- Headlight tinting set from €95
- Rear lights set tinted from €125
- Set of tinted fog lights from €45
Cost of lamps fitted with a PPF protective film (transparent or tinted)
- Headlights from €150
- Set of tinted fog lamps from €75.
IS LAMP TINTING LEGAL?
Tinting car lights with film is a topic that often causes confusion as to its legality. Traditionally, the assumption is that both headlamps and tail lamps should not be covered with foil for road safety reasons. This is because the light output would be reduced, which could affect road safety. According to fact code N550, fitting such modifications can result in a fine as it violates the stated requirements for lighting fixtures or retroreflectors.
However, recent cases have questioned the legality of a fine for using headlamp film. A driver of a BMW M4, who had applied headlamp film and was fined under offence code N550, challenged it with the help of the specialists at boete.nu. Their argument was that the film used did not affect the light output and therefore could not be considered image-distorting.
The district judge, who adjudicated the case, agreed with this interpretation. There was no evidence that the light image had changed or that the function of the headlights had been adversely affected. Therefore, the fine issued was quashed.
This case highlights that legislation is often about the interpretation of the law, rather than the literal text. While the MOT inspector may disapprove the use of film on headlights or rear lights due to safety standards, a fine does not always mean it is justified. It is important to remember that any modifications to your car, including tinting lamps, must not reduce road safety and must comply with the specified requirements. In cases where legality is in doubt, it may be advisable to seek legal advice.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS LAMP SHADES
There are 3 different shades of headlight film available. Light, Medium and Dark.
We also have various PPF film headlamp films. Please ask for the possibilities.
We provide a lifetime guarantee on the loosening of the film. The film itself has a standard manufacturer's warranty of 1 year.
This is virtually impossible. Due to many years of experience, we can say that we never cut into the paintwork, even if this is necessary. If cutting on the car is necessary, we use a special cutting tape. It is called Knifeless Tape. We place the tape under the foil and in this tape there is a cutting wire which we pull through the foil so that we have a very tight cutting line.
No, there is no difference between the different shades of headlight film. There is a price difference between the standard headlight film and the PPF headlight film.
No, it is not allowed to apply film on the headlights. Not even a slight tint. But most MOT inspectors usually overlook this. Especially if it looks OEM.