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GoogleNo, a cracked windshield will not fail a California smog check by itself. The Bureau of Automotive Repair’s Smog Check Manual covers tailpipe emissions, a visual check of emission control parts and functional tests of systems such as the on-board diagnostics and the fuel cap, and it does not list the windshield or glass. A cracked windshield does matter in two other situations: the BAR’s vehicle safety systems inspection, required for revived salvage and certain other vehicles, fails a car with a cracked windshield, and the DMV may reschedule a driving test if the windshield does not give a clear, unblocked view.
Outside those cases, the rule that applies on the road is Vehicle Code section 26710, which makes it unlawful to drive when the windshield is so defective that it impairs the driver’s view. This guide is written by Mavi Auto Glass, a locally owned mobile auto glass company based in Roseville that repairs chips and replaces windshields for drivers across Sacramento, Elk Grove, Citrus Heights, Folsom and the rest of Greater Sacramento. It separates the inspections that look at the glass from the ones that do not, using the agencies’ own documents.
What does a California smog check actually inspect?
It inspects emissions and emission control equipment. The BAR Smog Check Manual describes a tailpipe emissions test where required, a visual inspection of emission control components and functional tests of systems such as the on-board diagnostics, the malfunction indicator lamp, exhaust gas recirculation, the fuel cap and the evaporative emissions system (BAR Smog Check Manual).
The manual also lists unsafe conditions that allow a station to refuse to test a vehicle: gasoline leaks, large coolant leaks, faulty brakes and tire failure. Glass is not on that list.
Which California inspections do look at the windshield?
Only a few, and none of them is the routine smog check. The table shows the inspections and checks a California driver may meet and whether the windshield is part of each one.
| Inspection or check | Does it look at the windshield? | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Smog check | No, it covers emissions and emission control systems | BAR Smog Check Manual |
| Vehicle safety systems inspection | Yes, a cracked windshield causes a failure | BAR, vehicle safety systems inspection |
| DMV driving test | Yes, the windshield must give a full, clear, unblocked view, and cracks may postpone the test | DMV pre-drive checklist and Driver Handbook |
| Traffic stop | Yes, when the damage impairs the driver’s view | Vehicle Code 26710 |
Who needs a vehicle safety systems inspection?
Owners of certain vehicles that must be inspected before the DMV will register them. The BAR says revived salvage vehicles must pass a vehicle safety systems inspection before they can be registered and driven again, and that a cracked windshield will cause a vehicle to fail (BAR, vehicle safety systems). The categories on the BAR page are these.
- Revived salvage vehicles
- Revived junk vehicles
- Specially constructed vehicles, including kit commercial vehicles
- Motorcycles
- Trailers with a gross vehicle weight rating of 3,000 pounds or more
- Off-highway vehicles converted to on-highway operation
Can a cracked windshield stop you from taking the DMV driving test?
Yes. The DMV’s pre-drive checklist says the windshield must provide a full, unobstructed field of view for you and the examiner, and that a vehicle that fails a checklist item will have its driving test rescheduled. The California Driver Handbook adds that windshield cracks may postpone your test (DMV pre-drive checklist).
If a new driver in your family has a test coming up, check the windshield a few weeks ahead. A small chip outside the driver’s view can often be repaired quickly, while a crack across the glass may need a replacement before the test date.
What should you do about a cracked windshield before a smog check or a test?
Decide based on what the car is facing next. Here is a simple order of checks, in 4 steps.
- Identify the inspection: a routine smog check does not look at the glass, while a safety systems inspection or a driving test does.
- Look at where the damage is: damage in front of the driver or across the glass is the kind that affects the view.
- Choose repair or replacement: small chips can often be stabilized with a repair, while long cracks usually need a new windshield.
- Plan any calibration: if the car has a camera behind the windshield, a replacement may also need ADAS calibration, so allow time before the appointment.
Mavi Auto Glass offers rock chip repair, which helps keep a chip from spreading but does not guarantee that the mark disappears, and windshield replacement with ADAS static and dynamic calibration in most cases in the same appointment. Most windshield replacements take approximately 1 to 2 hours, and calibration adds time depending on the vehicle and method.
Before your smog check or driving test
For a smog check, focus on the emissions items the station tests, since the glass is not part of it. For a driving test or a safety systems inspection, make sure the windshield gives a full, clear view with no cracks in front of the driver. In every case, remember that a crack that impairs your view can still lead to a fix-it ticket on the road under section 26710, so do not wait for an inspection to deal with it.
