Is Car Electro-Optic Paint Legal?
2 Answers
It is legal to apply electro-optic paint to cars without large-scale color changes. Here is some relevant information about electro-optic paint: 1. Description: Electro-optic paint is a product that combines paint with weak electricity, along with other materials processed through specific techniques, rather than being a single type of paint. Electro-optic paint can match the original color of the car. A common concern is whether traffic police will intervene if Nightwalker electro-optic paint is applied to a car. According to traffic regulations, vehicle modifications involve changing the car's color, structure, etc. Since electro-optic paint does not alter the car's original color or its electrical circuits, it complies with regulations and is therefore legal, so there's no need to worry. 2. Painting Precautions: When painting, first apply a layer of rust-proof paint, followed by a layer of primer. For cars with dents, these need to be addressed. Minor dents can be filled with putty, while more severe dents require metalworking to restore the original shape.
To be honest, electro-optic paint itself isn't illegal, but here's the catch - Chinese traffic regulations limit reflective material coverage on vehicle bodies to no more than 30%. The glittery reflective effect of electro-optic paint could easily exceed this limit when applied to the entire car. I've seen numerous cases on forums where owners got stuck during annual inspections. If you really want to change colors, matte finishes are the safer choice, or better yet, check the latest regulations with the DMV beforehand. Last year, I helped a friend deal with a dispute - he applied ice-blue electro-optic film, only to have traffic police classify it as highly reflective material. Not only was he ordered to restore the original color within three days, but also fined 500 yuan. The registration process is getting stricter now, especially in big cities where inspection stations even use spectrometers to measure reflectivity.
