Can a windshield chip be repaired instead of replaced?

Often, yes. Virginia's State Police inspection rules say windshield repair is a viable option to windshield replacement.^[1] The catch is that the glass has to meet the inspection standards once the work is done, so the size and position of the damage decide which way you go.

When a chip is worth repairing

A repair does one thing well: it stops a small break from getting worse. The same rules put it this way: the primary focus of windshield repairs is to stop or reduce further damage from roadway adversities, vibrations, ambient temperature changes, and weather.^[1] It is not a way to make a badly broken windshield sound again.

Repairs to minor damage may be made so long as the windshield meets all of the standards set forth in this section.^[1] In practice, a round pit, a small chip or a small star crack are the best candidates, and the sooner they are filled the better.

Check the damage against Virginia's limits

Virginia's inspection rules are a handy yardstick, because they say exactly what gets a windshield rejected. Most of the limits apply above a line three inches up from the bottom of the glass, and the three-inch line is measured from the junction of the dash board and the windshield.^[1]

Above that line, a windshield is rejected for:

• a pit, chip or star crack larger than 1-1/2 inches in diameter^[1]
• more than one crack from the same point, if at least one is more than 1-1/2 inches long^[1]
• any crack that weakens the windshield so that one piece may be moved in relation to the other^[1]

Two more rejections apply to the driver's view anywhere on the glass: any distortion or obstruction that interferes with a driver's vision,^[1] and any scratch more than 1/4 inch in width and six inches long within the area covered by the windshield wiper blade on the driver's side, excluding the lowest three inches.^[1] And any glass cracked or broken so that it is likely to cut or injure a person in the vehicle is rejected wherever it is.^[1]

A repair does not make damage that is over these limits acceptable. If your chip is already bigger than 1-1/2 inches, or sits right in your line of sight, plan on a replacement.

What to do before the repair

1. Look at the damage in daylight and note whether it is a pit, a chip, a star crack or a single long crack.
2. Measure it against the limits above.
3. Cover the chip with clear tape so dirt and water stay out of it.
4. Drive gently. Slammed doors, rough roads and a hot defroster on cold glass all push a chip to crack.
5. Book a repair soon, with a glass shop or by following a repair kit's instructions exactly.

Do not drive far with damage in front of you if it is spreading. The windshield is more than a screen: the federal windshield mounting standard exists to reduce crash injuries and fatalities by retaining the windshield during a crash and preventing the ejection of occupants.^[2] A weak windshield gives that up.

If the repair is not an option

Cracks that run to the edge, cracks that wander across the driver's view and damage right at the edge of the glass are usually replaced, not repaired. Get a written quote that says what glass is being fitted and whether the work includes recalibrating any driver-assistance camera mounted behind the windshield, and ask the shop how long the adhesive needs before the car can be driven.

If you need an inspection in the meantime, remember that a vehicle rejected at inspection gets a rejection sticker valid for 15 days in addition to the day of inspection.^[3] See will a cracked windshield fail a Virginia state inspection for what inspectors look for.

Stop and call a pro if

• The crack is long, reaches the edge, or has several legs. These are the cases a repair cannot fix, and several cracks from one point above the three-inch line are a rejection.^[1]
• One piece of the glass moves against the other. That is a crack that weakens the windshield, and a rejection.^[1]
• The damage blocks your view. Any distortion or obstruction that interferes with a driver's vision is a rejection, and it is a safety problem long before the inspection.^[1]
• The glass is cracked or broken so that it could cut someone. Do not drive it.^[1]
• You are unsure whether a repair would leave the glass legal. A glass shop can tell you before you pay.

Getting help in Virginia

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