Is it legal to wrap your car? Registration, testing and insurance

It's the question almost everyone asks before wrapping a car: "will it pass the test?", "do I need to tell anyone?". The good news: almost everything you can do with vinyl is perfectly legal and needs no paperwork. Four things do need your attention, though: a full colour change, the windows, the lights and mirror chrome.

This guide is for general information and covers the rules that apply across the EU, with notes for Ireland, Estonia and Bulgaria. Rules change and every test centre has its own view: if you have doubts about a specific case, check with your vehicle registration authority or your test centre before you start.

Summary: what you can do

Changing the colour of the whole car

Changing the colour, by paint or by vinyl, is not a modification that needs a new approval or an extra test. But the colour appears on your vehicle's registration certificate, so if you wrap the whole car and its main colour changes, you should update it:

• Ireland: contact the Vehicle Registration Unit (VRU) of the Department of Transport to update the colour on your vehicle registration certificate.
• Estonia: register the change with the Transport Administration (Transpordiamet).
• Bulgaria: report the change to the traffic police vehicle registration office (KAT).

And in every country, tell your insurer: the car will be correctly identified in the event of theft or a claim, and many policies require you to report any change.

Partial changes, such as the roof, the bonnet, the wing mirrors or a chrome delete, don't change the main colour of the car and need no paperwork.

Will a wrapped car pass its test?

Yes. The roadworthiness test (the NCT in Ireland, the tehnoülevaatus in Estonia, the godishen tehnicheski pregled in Bulgaria) checks the safety of the vehicle. The tester may check that the film is well stuck down, with no loose pieces or lifting edges that could come off while driving, and that it doesn't cover the lights, the number plates or the chassis number (VIN) stamped on the body.

Mirror chrome

A few details in chrome are no problem at all. Wrapping the whole car in mirror chrome is another matter: in the sun it can dazzle other road users, and some testers will object. If you want a metallic look on the whole car, matte and satin chromes give a similar effect without the glare.

Window tint

Windows have specific rules:

• Rear side windows and rear window: they can be tinted with an approved film, marked on each window, as long as the car has two exterior wing mirrors.
• Windscreen and front side windows: they must let through a minimum percentage of light, set by each country, so in practice you can't tint them with a dark film. In Ireland the limit is checked at the NCT; if in doubt, ask your test centre.

Our window tint film kit is meant for the rear side windows and the rear window, on a car with two exterior wing mirrors. Before fitting it, check the rules that apply to your car in your country and, if in doubt, ask your test centre.

Tinted headlights and lights

Lights must keep their colour and brightness: headlights must not be tinted. On rear lights and indicators, a dark tint or a change of colour can make the car fail its test. That's why headlight and light films are mostly used on show or track cars, or on the parts of the light unit that don't shine. The clear protection film, on the other hand, simply protects the headlights from stone chips without changing anything.

Other rules to follow

• Number plates: they must never be covered, tinted or altered in any way.
• Advertising livery: it's allowed, but must not imitate emergency, police or public service vehicles. We cover it in vehicle signage.
• Wing mirrors: wrap the housing, never the glass.

How to document the change

Even where there's no paperwork, it pays to be able to show what's on the car and since when:

1. Take before and after photos, of the whole car and close up, with the date. If you change the whole colour, also photograph the door shuts and the engine bay, where the original colour shows.
2. Keep the invoices for the vinyl and, if a wrap shop fits it, for the labour. They're useful for your insurer and as proof of the value of the work.
3. Note down the exact colour name and reference of the vinyl. If you ever need to replace a panel, you'll order the same colour.
4. If you tint the windows, keep the invoice and the film's documentation with the car's documents.

What to ask your insurer

Every insurer has its own conditions, so the best thing is to ask and get the answer in writing, by email or in your online account. These are the useful questions:

• Do I need to report the change of colour? Does it change anything in the policy or the premium?
• If the car is damaged, do you cover the vinyl on the damaged panel or only the paint?
• Do you need photos or the vinyl invoice to take it into account?
• If my windows are tinted, do you need any document?

If the answer is that nothing is needed, perfect: keep that email with the rest of your papers.

What to ask your test centre beforehand

The real grey areas are lights and highly reflective finishes. If you're planning any of these, call your test centre first or ask at your next test:

• If you want to smoke the rear lights: how much tint they accept.
• If you want to wrap the whole car in mirror chrome: whether they see it as a problem. If they do, satin vinyl wraps give a metallic finish without mirror reflections.
• If you want to tint the windows: which film and which documents they accept for your car.

And before the test, check the car over: no lifting edges or loose pieces, and the lights, number plates and chassis number all visible.

If you sell the car

Tell the buyer and show them photos of the original colour. For many it's a plus: under the vinyl, the paint has been protected from the sun and from scuffs. If they prefer the factory colour, the vinyl comes off with heat without damaging the paint; we explain how in how to remove a car wrap. And if you're thinking of changing the whole colour, start with a full car wrap.

Frequently asked questions