There was a time in Nigeria when anyone could drive around in a tinted car. Now things have changed as it is taken very serious by the police except when you have a tinted glass permit. The good news is that getting the permit is not the most difficult thing that you can do.
The need for a tinted glass permit is supported by the Motor Vehicle (prohibition of tinted glass) ACT, but it does not allow for it to be issued to anyone except under two conditions: Security and medical reasons. For security reasons, the law allows for government officials as well as ordinary Nigerians to make use of tinted glasses for the sake of their security and privacy. Also, if you have medical conditions that will necessitate you to have a tinted glass, you will also be issued the permit.
How to Obtain The Tinted Glass Permit
Method 1
The tinted glass permit can only be issued by the authority of the Inspector general of the police and can be gotten online following the steps below:
- Following this link, go to the official website of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) where you will get the Tinted permit registration page.
- You will see an application form on the right-hand side of the page, fill it and you will get the Application ID.
- You will need your email and the application ID presented to you to log into your account.
- Log in and complete your biometrics and provide your complete car details. Having it in mind that you can only be granted the tinted glass permit on the grounds of either health or security, you will be required to also state your reason.
- After following all the steps above and completing the form, you can print the form and take it to any Police command so that your biometric can be captured. If you have met all the requirements, you will be issued with your tinted permit certificate at the command but that is only after you must have checked online and seed that it is approved.
- The permit may get to take a minimum of 2 days to a week to be processed, even though there are those that have claimed to have waited for months before finally getting it issued after the registration.
Method 2
This process was popular a few years ago but now, it is not known whether it still works for people in the remote areas where getting an internet café may not be easy. While calling for the revalidation of the Tinted Permit in 2016, the Nigerian police said it is only through the electronic platform of the Nigeria Police Force Central Information System (NCIS) that certificates can be processed. This used to be the process:
- Write a formal application addressing it to the office of the (Inspector General of Police) IGP for the use of factory tinted glass. You will also be required to state the reason for the request which again, has to only be either on health or security grounds.
- The Application should be supported by the following documents:
- Photograph of the vehicle for which you request the permit
- Photocopies of all relevant particulars of the vehicle such as the Proof of ownership, Insurance documents, and driver’s license among other things.
- Biodata and other information (profile) of the applicant also including other necessary background information.
- Passport photograph of the applicant
- If there are other documents and information that can justify your request, you will need to add those as well.
Note:
The most important thing to know for both processes is that you are not required to pay anyone for the Nigeria police tinted glass permit as it is entirely free. What this means is that you can easily go and obtain the permit without any stress.
Top things to know about the tinted glass permit
- As pointed above, it is entirely free
- Although it is only stipulated that it can only be used for Factory fitted Tinted Glasses, people still use the permit on different types of tinted glassed cars.
- According to the Act, anyone who breaks the tinted glass prohibition law “shall on conviction be liable to a fine of N2000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both such fine and imprisonment”.
- If you decide to sell or pass the car to someone else, you cannot also pass the permit to the person because it cannot be transferred. Also, you cannot use the permit for a different car. Hence, you will have to get another permit for a new car if you are changing cars.
- If your plate number is not updated, you have to do that with the FRSC to have the tinted glass permit
- Instead of having a permanent permit, it will be renewed yearly based on the law passed by the Senate in 2013.
See Also: Complete Guide To Buying Nigerian Used Cars – WiredBugs Guide
Even though there are many reasons why different people may want to make use of tinted glass, there are benefits that can be gotten from using it such as:
- Security and Privacy: The security that comes with tinted glass cars is both for the owner and valuables when you park your cars. More so, for the sake of privacy, you can use the tinted glass and no one will get to know whether you are in the car or not, and also who you are with.
- Protection of the glass: It doesn’t really take much for a car glass to shatter. However, with the film of the glass, it will easily be protected from shattering as it can easily hold on.
- Reducing Solar Heat: Making use of the tinted glass will also be very helpful for you if you have struggled with too much heat as a result of solar heat. Some tinted glasses can reduce the heat more than others so you will need to have that in mind as you are set to get one.
- UV Ray Blockage: Another good thing that the tinted glass does is to reduce the excessive and harmful sun rays that could have made its ways into your car. This will be most importantly beneficial to people who spend a very long time driving.
Conclusion
https://youtu.be/dO9ksZYL2PQ
With all that has been said, it is very important to realize that the police does not have the right to arrest you for using a tinted glass permit in Nigeria. That said, driving around in a tinted glass car without obtaining a permit is a crime punishable by the law which is known as The Motor Vehicles (Prohibition of Tinted Glass) Act.
