Traffic police across Nepal have been pulling over vehicles and stripping black window films as authorities intensify a nationwide crackdown on illegal tinted glass.

The campaign has gathered pace in recent days under the initiative of Home Minister Sudhan Gurung. Gurung and Home Secretary Raj Kumar Shrestha summoned traffic police officials to the home ministry on Monday and directed them to remove black window films from vehicles. Traffic police have also urged motorists to voluntarily strip unauthorised tint from their vehicles before enforcement intensifies.

Police are no longer merely warning drivers. Officers have begun issuing tickets to vehicles fitted with illegal black window films and referring cases to transport offices for further action. Nepal Police Headquarters has circulated instructions to police units across the country to enforce the removal of illegally tinted windows from both public and private vehicles.

According to Abi Narayan Kafle, spokesperson for Nepal Police, the circular was issued on Tuesday to all Highway Safety and Traffic Management Offices nationwide.

Police say opaque vehicle windows have repeatedly been used to facilitate crimes ranging from drug trafficking, illegal money transfers and arms smuggling to gold smuggling and the movement of fugitives.

“People inside such vehicles can harass others, commit robberies or transport suspects involved in criminal offences while remaining invisible from outside,” Kafle said. “We rely on surveillance technology, but heavily tinted windows prevent cameras from capturing what is happening inside. They also make it difficult for officers to conduct visual monitoring.”

Traffic police are also holding discussions with authorised vehicle distributors regarding cars that come fitted with factory-installed dark glass, as replacing such windows may be necessary to comply with Nepali law.

Authorities have based the current enforcement on Section 39 of the Vehicle and Transport Management Act, 1993, which prohibits unauthorised modifications to vehicles. The provision bars owners from altering a vehicle's colour, seating capacity, structure, engine or chassis without prior approval.

Rule 12 of the Vehicle and Transport Management Regulations also requires official approval before modifying any vehicle equipment.

In addition, Section 136 of the Provincial Vehicle and Transport Management Act, 2018, explicitly prohibits the use of coloured or tinted glass that prevents people from seeing inside a vehicle. The law also bans applying films or other materials that make windows opaque.

The legislation provides a limited exception for security-sensitive vehicles. Those granted official approval may use a window tint of up to 20 percent.

Former senior police officials have welcomed the renewed enforcement, arguing that restrictions on heavily tinted windows are essential for crime prevention and public safety.

Police also argue that dark window films reduce drivers' visibility, increase the risk of road accidents and make it significantly harder to detect criminal activity taking place inside vehicles.

“Vehicles with dark window films have been widely used in different crimes,” said former Nepal Police Deputy Inspector General Keshav Adhikari.

“They allow offenders to conceal their identity. With clear windows, officers can at least see who is inside a vehicle. This has been presented as a new campaign, but it should not have been necessary. Traffic police have been enforcing these rules for years, and the Supreme Court has already directed the government to implement them.”

On February 9, 2011, the Supreme Court ordered the government and relevant agencies to enforce existing laws requiring the removal of illegal tinted windows in the interest of public security, crime control and road safety. The order exempted only vehicles used by the President and the prime minister.

According to Superintendent of Police Naresh Raj Subedi of the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office, authorities have intensified enforcement since June 27. By Wednesday, action had been taken against 218 vehicles fitted with illegal black window films.

How do other countries regulate tinted windows?

While Nepal has moved to eliminate unauthorised or excessively dark window films, many countries allow tinted glass under scientifically defined light-transmission standards.

In India, China, the US and several other countries, front windscreens and the front side windows are generally required to allow at least 70 percent of visible light to pass through, while rear windows may legally use a darker tint, often allowing around 35 percent visible light transmission.

Most European countries follow a similar approach. The UK, Germany, France and many others require high transparency for windscreens and front side windows to ensure drivers have an unobstructed view. However, a darker tint is generally permitted on rear windows, provided it complies with prescribed safety standards.