Texas Cracked Windshield Laws

Texas cracked winshield usage is governed by the state's Code. All relevant laws, rules and regulations pertaining to cracked windshields and windows in Texas are provided below. Make sure to examine the regulations carefully and repair your window cracks or replace cracked windows.

Obstructed windshields, cracked windshields, windshield replacement and other laws and regulations are different for every state. Cracked windshield laws in Texas prohibit driving vehicles where driver’s view of the road is obstructed.

Can I drive with a cracked windshield in Texas?

Texas laws do not mention windshield cracks. However, drivers are not permitted to operate vehicles with obstructed view of the road. No stickers or other objects may be attached to car windshields which prevent clear view of the road.

By TX state laws any crack which causes the glass to change shape or become concave or convex is not permitted.

Other laws and regulations:

  • Obstructed windshield regulations: No sign, poster, or other non-transparent material allowed on windshield if it interferes with driver’s clear view of the road.
  • Replacement windshields: Replacement windshield glass must be of the same kind and quality, and any repairs should restore vehicle to its original state.
  • Windshield wipers: Vehicles must be equipped with windshield wipers in good working conditions. Cracks which prevent wipers from operating correctly may be illegal.

Federal cracked windshield regulations

Federal regulations require drivers to have a clear vision of the road. Windshield cracks or chips smaller than ¾-inch in diameter are permitted if they are not located within 3″ of another crack.

Any cracks or chips or other damage which can potentially obstruct clear view of the road must not be within critical vision area. This is defined as area directly above the steering wheel, two inches from the top and one inch from sides.

Our information about Texas cracked windshield laws was last updated in 2023 and checked in 2024. In case any info we provided is not up to date or correct be sure to contact us so we can revise it. Thank you!

We always advise checking with your local law enforcement or other relevant agencies. Texas cracked window laws or windshield obstruction regulations in certain cities or counties may be different from state legislation. While we do our very best to advise whether it is legal to drive with cracked windshield, we can not be held liable for any potentially incorrect or misinterpreted info. Very often it is up to individual police officers to determine if your clear view of the road is obstructed.

State of Texas Info

Texas is the second most populous and the second-largest of the 50 states in the United States of America, and the largest state in the 48 contiguous United States. Geographically located in the South Central part of the country, Texas shares an international border with the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas to the south, and borders the U.S. states of New Mexico to the west, Oklahoma to the north, Arkansas to the northeast and Louisiana to the east. Texas has an area of 268,820 square miles (696,200 km2), and a growing population of 26.1 million residents. Houston is the largest city in Texas and the fourth-largest in the United States, while San Antonio is the second largest in the state and seventh largest in the United States. Texas has 254 counties, more than any other state.

Capital: Austin

Population: 26,059,203

Area: 268,581 sq mi (696,241 km2)

Cities ▼

Cities in Texas: Houston, Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Waco, Corpus Christi, El Paso, Plano, Lubbock, Amarillo, West, Arlington, McAllen, Frisco, Grapevine, College Station, Marfa, McKinney, Sugar Land, Fredericksburg, Midland, Laredo, Tyler, New Braunfels, Denton, Killeen, Round Rock, Irving, Grand Prairie, Abilene, South Padre Island, Wichita Falls, Odessa, Brownsville, San Angelo, Katy, Beaumont, San Marcos, Point Blank, Carrollton, Humble, Longview, Richardson, Garland, Lewisville, Garden Ridge, Conroe, Clint, Port Aransas

Counties ▼

Counties in Texas: Anderson, Andrews, Angelina, Aransas, Archer, Armstrong, Atascosa, Austin, Bailey, Bandera, Bastrop, Baylor, Bee, Bell, Bexar, Blanco, Borden, Bosque, Bowie, Brazoria, Brazos, Brewster, Briscoe, Brooks, Brown, Buchanan, Buchel, Burleson, Burnet, Caldwell, Calhoun, Callahan, Cameron, Camp, Carson, Cass, Castro, Chambers, Cherokee, Childress, Clay, Cochran, Coke, Coleman, Collin, Collingsworth, Colorado, Comal, Comanche, Concho, Cooke, Coryell, Cottle, Crane, Crockett, Crosby, Culberson, Dallam, Dallas, Dawson, Deaf Smith, Delta, Denton, DeWitt, Dickens, Dimmit, Donley, Duval, Eastland, Ector, Edwards, El Paso, Ellis, Encinal, Erath, Falls, Fannin, Fayette, Fisher, Floyd, Foard, Foley, Fort Bend, Franklin, Freestone, Frio, Gaines, Galveston, Garza, Gillespie, Glasscock, Goliad, Gonzales, Gray, Grayson, Greer, Gregg, Grimes, Guadalupe, Hale, Hall, Hamilton, Hansford, Hardeman, Hardin, Harris, Harrison, Hartley, Haskell, Hays, Hemphill, Henderson, Hidalgo, Hill, Hockley, Hood, Hopkins, Houston, Howard, Hudspeth, Hunt, Hutchinson, Irion, Jack, Jackson, Jasper, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Johnson, Jones, Karnes, Kaufman, Kendall, Kenedy, Kent, Kerr, Kimble, King, Kinney, Kleberg, Knox, La Baca, La Salle, Lamar, Lamb, Lampasas, Lavaca, Lee, Leon, Liberty, Limestone, Lipscomb, Live Oak, Llano, Loving, Lubbock, Lynn, Madison, Marion, Martin, Mason, Matagorda, Maverick, McCulloch, McLennan, McMullen, Medina, Menard, Midland, Milam, Mills, Mitchell, Montague, Montgomery, Moore, Morris, Motley, Nacogdoches, Navarro, Newton, Nolan, Nueces, Ochiltree, Oldham, Orange, Palo Pinto, Panola, Parker, Parmer, Pecos, Polk, Potter, Presidio, Rains, Randall, Reagan, Real, Red River, Reeves, Refugio, Roberts, Robertson, Rockwall, Runnels, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, San Patricio, San Saba, Schleicher, Scurry, Shackelford, Shelby, Sherman, Smith, Somervell, Starr, Stephens, Sterling, Stonewall, Sutton, Swisher, Tarrant, Taylor, Terrell, Terry, Throckmorton, Titus, Tom Green, Travis, Trinity, Tyler, Upshur, Upton, Uvalde, Val Verde, Van Zandt, Victoria, Walker, Waller, Ward, Washington, Webb, Wegefarth, Wharton, Wheeler, Wichita, Wilbarger, Willacy, Williamson, Wilson, Winkler, Wise, Wood, Yoakum, Young, Zapata, Zavala

Wikipedia

State website



Have questions about cracked windshield or other traffic laws in Texas?

Avoid high legal fees and ask local Texas lawyers from the comfort of your home! Traffic law experts are on call 24/7 ready to answer and explain any question you have.

Ask legal experts on JustAnswer and get answers immediately!