The limits set by the law if you plan to decorate your car or motorcycle
News Colombia.
The smell of candy, the costumes in the streets and the orange lights in the windows announce that Halloween has arrived. In Colombia, this date not only transforms people, but also spaces: houses are filled with fake cobwebs, offices are decorated with paper ghosts and, increasingly, cars and motorcycles also catch the festive spirit.
However, what for many is a fun way to celebrate can end in a fine if the necessary precautions are not taken.
Few drivers know that the National Land Traffic Code (CNTT) has provisions that, although they do not prohibit disguising a vehicle, they do put clear limits on that creativity.
In Colombia there is no rule that expressly prohibits decorating a car or motorcycle on Halloween. No one can stop you from sticking a pumpkin on the hood or hanging a spider web on the windshield. But the detail is in what the law calls security and visibility.
Article 130 of the CNTT establishes that no decoration may affect the driver’s vision or hinder the safety elements of the vehicle. In simple words: if the costume prevents you from seeing the road properly or blocks the lights, the mirror or the windows, that’s where the problem begins.
And the penalty is not minor. Article 131, literal B, establishes a fine of eight (8) current legal daily minimum wages for anyone who drives with darkened, tinted or tinted windows or covered by objects, stickers or decorations that impede visibility.
Fake cobwebs, large vinyl or figures that partially cover the windows could fall into that category. It doesn’t matter if it’s just for one day: if it compromises visibility, it’s considered a violation.
Halloween invites you to transform everything, but the car cannot lose its legal identity. According to the CNTT, the color of the vehicle is official data and any significant change must be reported to the traffic authorities.
This means that if the decoration visibly alters the color — for example, if a white car becomes almost completely covered in black or orange — the driver should update the registration. Failure to do so may also result in a fine.
Fortunately, temporary decorations such as small decals, decorative lights or figures on the roof or hood are allowed, as long as they do not cover the license plate, headlights or change the base color. In short: you can play, but in moderation.
The spirit of Halloween can be fun, but on the road the scare should not come from an accident. Any decoration that distracts, blocks vision or puts other drivers at risk is, in essence, a traffic safety offense.
Authorities recommend avoiding luminous decorations that generate flashes, objects that protrude from the vehicle or any accessory that could come off while driving. In practice, safety must always come before ingenuity.
Yes, you can dress up your car or motorcycle to celebrate Halloween. But do it without covering the glass, without altering the color and without covering the plates. The creative touch is welcome, but if it affects vehicle safety or identification, the fine could be scarier than any disguise.
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