Will a cracked windshield fail a Virginia state inspection?

Often, but it depends on the crack. Virginia's inspection rules do not reject every cracked windshield, and they do not accept every chip either. They set size and position limits, and you can check your own glass against them before you pay for an inspection.

What fails

Virginia's State Police inspection rules reject a windshield for the following damage. Most limits apply above a line three inches up from the bottom of the glass, which is measured from the junction of the dash board and the windshield.^[1]

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

If there is more than one crack running from a star crack that extends above the three-inch line, the windshield is rejected.^[1]

What fails anywhere on the glass

Some rules do not stop at the three-inch line. The inspector also rejects:

• any distortion or obstruction that interferes with a driver's vision^[1]
• any glass cracked or broken so that it is likely to cut or injure a person in the vehicle^[1]
• on the driver's side, any scratch more than 1/4 inch in width and six inches long within the area covered by the windshield wiper blade, excluding the three inches above the bottom of the windshield^[1]
• any sticker on the windshield other than an official one required by law or permitted by the superintendent^[1]

So a single short crack low on the glass, outside the driver's view, can pass, while a modest chip in front of the driver that distorts the view can fail. The rules turn on measurements and effects, not on the word "cracked".

Repair, replace, or leave it

Virginia's State Police inspection rules say windshield repair is a viable option to windshield replacement.^[1] Repairs to minor damage may be made so long as the windshield meets all of the standards set forth in the section.^[1] A repair is for damage within the limits: a chip under 1-1/2 inches that you fix before it spreads. If the crack is already over the limits, expect to replace the glass. Can a windshield chip be repaired instead of replaced covers how to decide.

If the windshield is replaced, a valid sticker may be removed from the old windshield and placed on the new one.^[3] Ask the glass shop to move the sticker, or to leave it intact for you.

What happens if it fails

The inspection station gives you a rejection sticker. A rejection sticker is valid for 15 days in addition to the day of inspection,^[2] and a $1.00 fee may be charged for reinspection of a vehicle rejected by the same station during that 15-day period.^[2] A reinspection at the same station in that window need only check the items previously found defective, unless there is an obvious equipment defect that would warrant further rejection.^[2]

Do not treat the 15 days as a grace period for the glass to get worse. Virginia law says that no owner or operator shall fail or refuse to correct or have corrected any mechanical defects found by the inspection, and that each day the vehicle is operated or parked on a highway after failure to comply counts as a separate offense.^[4] Book the repair or replacement the same week.

Check your own windshield

1. Measure three inches up from where the dashboard meets the glass and note where the line falls.
2. Measure each chip and star crack, and count the cracks coming from each point.
3. Press lightly near any crack and watch whether one side of the glass moves against the other.
4. Sit in the driver's seat and look for distortion in your view of the road.
5. Look in the driver's wiper sweep for long, wide scratches, and remove any sticker that has no business there.

When in doubt, ask a glass shop whether a repair would leave the windshield within these limits.

Stop and call a pro if

• A crack lets the glass flex. One piece moving against another is a rejection, and a safety problem too.^[1]
• Cracks run from the same point above the line, with at least one longer than 1-1/2 inches.^[1]
• The damage sits in the driver's view. Any distortion or obstruction that interferes with vision fails.^[1]
• The glass could cut someone. Do not drive the car until it is fixed.^[1]
• Your rejection sticker is running out. Book the glass work in the first days of the 15-day window.^[2]

Getting help in Virginia

Loclis lists local businesses by service. Browse automotive repair, read more automotive repair answers, or describe the windshield damage once and local glass and auto businesses quote it.