Last Updated on Monday, 29 December 2025, 19:56 by Writer
Minister of Home Affairs Oneidge Walrond on Monday said no tint would be allowed on the front windshields of vehicles and light tint ranging from 20 to 25 percent for the rear windshield and windows.
Under the new regulations under the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic (Tint) Regulations 2025 scheduled to take effect from January 1, 2026, no tint is permitted on the front windshield. A visor strip up to a maximum of six inches is permitted at the top of the front windshield only, and visor would be allowed at the bottom.
The government also prohibited the use of mirrored or reflective tint under the new regulation.
Under the revised regulations, 20% visible light transmission (VLT) tint is permitted on the back windshield, 20% tint on the rear passenger windows, and 25% tint on the driver’s front seat window and the front passenger seat window.
The ministry said the new regulations also provide for adjusted fines of GY$30,000 for offences related to the installation or use of non-compliant tint, including for vehicle operators and businesses engaged in applying tint contrary to the law.
To support an orderly and fair transition, government said there would be a three-month amnesty beginning January 1, 2026.
During that period, the Guyana Police Force would establish voluntary tint testing sites across the country, allowing vehicle owners to test their vehicles and make adjustments where necessary without penalty, government added.
Information on the locations and operation of these testing sites will be released shortly.
The home ministry warned that “at the conclusion of the amnesty period, full enforcement will commence.”
Ms Walrond said after it became evident that Guyana had outgrown what was in effect a ban on tint, the government opted to put in place a more progressive, practical, and enforceable legal framework necessary to reflect modern realities while safeguarding public safety.
She said that was “part of our continued efforts to strengthen public safety, enhance the effectiveness of law enforcement, and provide greater clarity, consistency, and fairness for all road users.”
Minister Walrond said motorists have up to December 31, 2025 to correct their tint in keeping with the revised requirements.
She said those changes aim to improve visibility, road safety and enforcement efficiency while reflecting the views expressed during public engagement.
“Guyanese will be pleased to know that the new Regulations allow all vehicles to carry some level of tint without the need for an exemption; introduce new clearly set permissible VLT standards; and establish a modern policing regime using approved tint meters, removing ambiguity and supporting fair, consistent enforcement nationwide,” she said.
Those exempted include persons with certified medical conditions requiring reduced exposure to sunlight. “In the case of exemptions on medical grounds, applications must be supported by certification from a registered medical practitioner,” the home ministry said.
Other vehicles exempted are of businesses engaged in high-risk cash handling or security-sensitive operations, licensed private security agencies, diplomatic and consular missions, designated senior government officials, the president and prime minister and emergency services including ambulances, police, defence, fire, and prison.
Applications for exemptions must be submitted using the prescribed system to the Minister of Home Affairs who shall consider an exemption certificate.
Ms Walrond said when she became home affairs minister, the legal position was clear that no vehicle was permitted to bear tinted windows unless an exemption had been granted, and even then, the law allowed for a minimum of 65% VLT.
Despite that clarity, Ms Walrond said “the reality on our roads reflected widespread non-compliance, with over 70 percent of vehicles operating far outside the legal limit.”
Shadow home affairs minister, Sherod Duncan, in response to the government’s amendment to the tint regulations, said A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) welcomes the movement toward structure, transparency, and reduced punitive emphasis.
He said the sequence of events reinforces his political party’s central point that enforcement must follow law, not precede it. “Citizens should not be subjected to policing practices before rules are clearly gazetted, communicated, and uniformly understood,” he said.
Mr Duncan also said the introduction of clear VLT thresholds, a defined commencement date of January 1, 2026, a three-month compliance period, certified equipment, and a digital registry underscores that regulatory clarity was essential before enforcement could be fairly applied.
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