California · Vehicle Code

VEH §26710: (a) It is unlawful to operate any motor vehicle upon a highway when the windshield or rear window is in such a defective condition as to impair the driver’s vision either to the front or rear.

Infraction

What this law says, in plain English

Operating a motor vehicle with a defective windshield or rear window that impairs driver vision on a highway is unlawful. Officers may direct compliance within 48 hours or arrest the driver.

Read the full statutory text
(a) It is unlawful to operate any motor vehicle upon a highway when the windshield or rear window is in such a defective condition as to impair the driver’s vision either to the front or rear. (b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), it is unlawful to operate any motor vehicle described in Section 34500 upon a highway when the condition of the windshield is other than described in Section 393.60(c) of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations. (c) In the event any windshield or rear window fails to comply with this code the officer making the inspection shall direct the driver to make the windshield and rear window conform to the requirements of this code within 48 hours. The officer may also arrest the driver and give them notice to appear and further require the driver or the owner of the vehicle to produce in court satisfactory evidence that the windshield or rear window has been made to conform to the requirements of this code.

Verify at the official source: California legislative text

Facing this? Know exactly what happens next.

MOFRD turns this code section into your situation: the deadlines that apply to you, the forms your county uses, and the resolution paths people in your position actually take. Free for 3 days — no card required.

This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.