Is It Illegal to Drive With Broken Windshield Wipers?
The short answer
- Every state code read here requires a working wiper. Washington, Florida, Ohio and Michigan say "maintained in good working order", Texas "good working condition", and dry weather is no defense.
- Defrosters are required by statute in Virginia on 1969 and later model years; Utah's inspection rule requires one after January 1, 1969 and fails a car if no heated air reaches the glass.
- Pennsylvania inspection fails wipers slower than the maker's spec, or 45 cycles per minute if none is given, and blades that still streak after five cycles. Utah does not fail streaking alone.
- Washers are required in Pennsylvania on passenger cars and light trucks built after 1968 and in Utah after May 1966. None of the seven wiper statutes read here mention washers.
- Federal FMVSS 104 and 103 require two wiper speeds, a washer and a defroster on new vehicles, and 49 CFR 393.78 and 393.79 carry those rules onto the road for trucks and buses built from December 25, 1968.
Yes. Every state code read for this page requires a working windshield wiper, and most say so in the same words: a device "for cleaning rain, snow, or other moisture from the windshield", controlled by the driver and "maintained in good working order". Defrosters and washers are different. Only some states require them by statute or inspection rule, usually tied to a model year (1966, 1968 or 1969), while federal law requires all three on new vehicles when they are built.
What each state's text requires, wipers, washers and defroster
This table is built from the text of each code section or inspection regulation, not from summaries. Where your state is not listed, its rule was not read here; start from the state rules index and read your own vehicle code.
| Jurisdiction and source | Wipers | Washer | Defroster |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington, RCW 46.37.410 | Required, "maintained in good working order"; on new vehicles sold after 1938, two arcs of at least 120 square inches each | Not in this section | Not in this section |
| Florida, Stat. 316.2952(3) and (4) | Required, "maintained in good working order" | Not in this section | Not in this section |
| Ohio, Rev. Code 4513.24(C) | Required, "maintained in good working order"; violation is a minor misdemeanor | Not in this section | Not in this section |
| Texas, Transp. Code 547.603 | Required, "maintained in good working condition" | Not in this section | Not in this section |
| Michigan, MCL 257.709(4) to (6) | Required, each wiper "in good working order"; heavy trucks, buses and placarded hazmat trucks need 2 automatic blades | Not in this section | Required only on trucks over 10,000 pounds, truck tractors, buses and placarded hazmat trucks |
| Minnesota, Stat. 169.71 subd. 2 and 3 | Required device, controlled by the driver | Not in this section | No equipment rule; you may not drive with the windshield or front side windows "covered with steam or frost" |
| Virginia, Code 46.2-1055 and 46.2-1055.1 | Required; vehicles built after January 1, 1943 must clean both sides, mechanically or electrically | Not in these sections | Required on 1969 and later model years, "in good working order at all times" |
| Pennsylvania, 67 Pa. Code 175.70 and 175.80 | Inspection rejects wipers that miss the maker's speed, or 45 cycles per minute, or streak after five cycles | Required on passenger cars and light trucks built after 1968 | Inspection rejects a defroster fan that does not work, if so equipped |
| Utah, Admin. Code R714-160-15 | Inspection rejects a failed wiper, a single wiper where there were two, or one speed on a post 1968 car | Required after May 1966; rejects cracked hoses or a leaking reservoir | Required after January 1, 1969; rejects if no heated air reaches the glass |
"Not in this section" means the wiper section read here says nothing about washers or defrosters. A state can still reach a fogged or iced windshield through its general obstructed view rule. How windshield equipment tickets are written covers that route.
"Good working order" is the phrase that gets you cited
The wiper rule has two halves, and drivers usually only know the first. Having wipers is the equipment requirement. Keeping them in "good working order" (Washington, Florida, Ohio, Michigan) or "good working condition" (Texas) is a maintenance requirement, and it is the half a broken motor, a missing arm or a shredded blade violates. None of these statutes define the phrase. In practice it is judged the way an officer or inspector judges any equipment item: does the wiper do the job of clearing the glass in front of the driver?
The wording also settles a common argument. "It was not raining" is not a defense under these texts: the duty is to maintain the device, not to use it. Ohio's 4513.24(D) makes any violation of the section a minor misdemeanor.
Minnesota is the outlier. Subdivision 2 requires the device but adds no maintenance clause. Minnesota instead regulates the result: subdivision 3 says no person shall drive "with the windshield or front side windows covered with steam or frost to such an extent as to prevent proper vision". That is a rule about clearing the glass before you leave, whether or not your defroster works.
What an inspector fails: streaks, speed and parking
Inspection regulations say what "good working order" means, and the two read here disagree on the details drivers argue about most.
- Streaking. Pennsylvania rejects a car when "the wiper blades are torn or smear or streak windshield after five cycles". Utah rejects when "any wiper fails to function properly, other than streaking from wiper blades", but separately rejects blades showing "physical breakdown of the rubber wiping element". So a streaky blade fails in Pennsylvania but can pass in Utah.
- Speed. Pennsylvania rejects wipers that "do not operate as specified by manufacturer, or 45 cycles per minute if not specified". Utah rejects a vehicle "manufactured after January 1968" that "does not have a two or more speed system".
- Parking. Pennsylvania rejects wipers that "do not return to the rest position". Utah only tells the inspector to "advise the customer" when they fail to park. A wiper stuck mid glass is a fail in one state and a note on the slip in the other.
- Washers. Pennsylvania rejects washers that do not operate, "if originally so equipped". Utah requires a washer on vehicles built after May 1966 and rejects "cracked hoses, broken hoses, or if the fluid reservoir is unable to hold fluid".
- Defroster. Pennsylvania rejects "if defroster fan does not function". Utah goes further: the fan must run and "a stream of heated air" must be felt "blowing against the proper area of the windshield". A fan that blows cold air passes the first test and fails the second.
Whether these checks reach your car depends on whether your state inspects at all; Utah now inspects only in specific situations. Which states still run a safety inspection sorts every state into its group.
Fix the cheap item before the inspection. A torn or streaking blade fails Pennsylvania's list, and it is a part you can change in the parking lot. Run five wipe cycles with washer fluid before you go: if the glass is not clear after the fifth pass, replace the blades first. Choosing and fitting wiper blades covers sizes and connectors.
The federal standards apply when the car is built, not on the road
Two Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards set the hardware every new passenger car, multipurpose passenger vehicle, truck and bus must leave the factory with. They bind the manufacturer, not the driver, but they explain where the state numbers come from.
| Standard | What it requires | The numbers |
|---|---|---|
| FMVSS 104, wiping (S4.1) | At least two speeds | One at 45 cycles per minute or more "regardless of engine load and engine speed"; the highest and one lower speed at least 15 cycles apart, the lower at 20 or more |
| FMVSS 104, wiped area (S4.1.2) | Share of three test zones (A, B and C) a passenger car's wipers must clear | 80, 94 and 99 percent, the same in all four vehicle width tables |
| FMVSS 104, washing (S4.2) | A washer system | Passenger cars must meet SAE J942 (1965) |
| FMVSS 103, defrosting | "Each vehicle shall have a windshield defrosting and defogging system" | Passenger car performance tested to SAE J902 (1964) |
The 45 cycle figure is the link between the two layers. It is the federal floor for the faster wiper speed, and Pennsylvania's inspection rule uses it as the test when the manufacturer has not specified a speed. The state model years line up too: Virginia's defroster rule starts with 1969 models and Utah's after January 1, 1969. FMVSS 104 has no requirement that wipers return to a parked position, which is why only some inspection rules check it. The glazing itself has its own standard, explained in what FMVSS 205 requires of the glass.
Trucks and buses carry the federal rule onto the road
For commercial vehicles the federal standard becomes an operating rule. 49 CFR 393.78 says each bus, truck and truck tractor manufactured on or after December 25, 1968 "must have a windshield wiping system that meets the requirements of FMVSS No. 104 (S4.1) in effect on the date of manufacture", and a washing system meeting S4.2.2.
49 CFR 393.79 does the same for defrosting: FMVSS 103 for vehicles built on or after December 25, 1968, and for every bus, truck and truck tractor "a means for preventing the accumulation of ice, snow, frost, or condensation that could obstruct the driver's view through the windshield while the vehicle is being driven". Michigan writes a matching rule into its own code for trucks over 10,000 pounds: a "hot air windshield defroster or an electrically heated windshield or other device". Big rig glass rules are in semi truck and commercial windshields.
Turning the wipers on can trigger a headlight rule
Some states tie your headlights to your wipers. Virginia's Code 46.2-1030 requires lighted headlights "whenever windshield wipers are in use as a result of fog, rain, sleet, or snow", and exempts wipers "used intermittently in misting rain, sleet, or snow". If your state has a rule like this, switch the headlights on whenever the wipers run continuously.
Which failure is which, and who fixes it
Blades and fluid are owner jobs; motors, linkages and blower faults are usually a mechanic's.
- Blades torn, chattering or streaking. Worn rubber or a contaminated windshield. Diagnosing chatter, streaking and smearing separates the two.
- Washer pumps but nothing reaches the glass. Often a frozen line or the wrong fluid for the season; see what to put in the washer reservoir.
- Windshield fogs and the defroster cannot keep up. Check recirculation and a dirty inside surface before blaming the blower; see why the inside of the windshield fogs.
- Auto wipers misbehave after new glass. The rain sensor needs a fresh gel pad; see how rain and light sensors work behind the glass.
Where this answer stops applying
- States not in the table. Only the sections named here were read. Five of the seven statutes use near identical words, but check your own code before relying on that.
- Inspection regulations change. The Pennsylvania and Utah rules here are agency regulations, revised more often than statutes.
- Special vehicles. Michigan exempts historical vehicles never fitted with a wiper; Florida exempts grove equipment and some former military vehicles.
- Obstruction is a separate offense. A working wiper does not cure a windshield you cannot see through. Damage in the swept area is judged under the obstruction rules described in the AS-1 line and the driver's critical viewing area.
What to do next
Fix a failed wiper before the next drive, not the next inspection: the statutes apply dry or wet. Change torn blades yourself, take a dead motor or a cold defroster to a mechanic, and keep the receipt if you have been stopped. If a failed wiper has already scraped the glass (see how wipers scratch a windshield) or you have a chip, run the damage through the windshield damage identifier to see whether it is a repair or a replacement.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a ticket for broken wipers if it is not raining?
Yes, in the states whose text was read for this page. Washington, Florida, Ohio and Michigan require wipers to be maintained in good working order, and Texas requires good working condition. The duty is to keep the device working, not to use it, so the weather when you are stopped does not change the violation. Ohio classes a violation of its windshield and wiper section as a minor misdemeanor.
Is it illegal to drive without a working defroster?
It depends on the state. Virginia requires a defroster or defogger on 1969 and later model years, in good working order whenever the car is driven. Utah's inspection rule requires one after January 1, 1969. Minnesota has no defroster equipment rule but bars driving with the windshield or front side windows covered with steam or frost so that it prevents proper vision. Many other wiper statutes say nothing about defrosters.
Will streaky wiper blades fail a safety inspection?
In Pennsylvania, yes: the inspection procedure rejects blades that are torn or that smear or streak the windshield after five cycles. Utah's rule is different. It fails a wiper that does not work properly, other than streaking, but also fails blades whose rubber shows physical breakdown. New blades before the inspection avoid the question in either state.
Do I need working windshield washers to pass inspection?
In Pennsylvania a washer system must be installed and in safe operating condition on passenger cars and light trucks built after 1968, and inspection rejects washers that do not work if the car came with them. Utah requires a washer on vehicles built after May 1966 and rejects cracked or broken hoses or a reservoir that cannot hold fluid. Check your own state's inspection rules.
Does a wiper that will not park fail inspection?
In Pennsylvania it does: the procedure rejects wipers that do not return to the rest position. Utah's rule only tells the inspector to advise the customer when wipers fail to park, so it is not a rejection there. The federal wiper standard, FMVSS 104, has no parking requirement at all, which is why states treat it differently.