CVC 26700(a)Eligible for written declarationCorrectable · Fix under CVC 40522

Windshield Requirements

A passenger vehicle (other than a motorcycle), bus, motortruck, truck tractor or fire apparatus without an adequate windshield.

Reviewed by the TicketClear teamLast reviewed October 10, 2026

Fine: $193, or $25 if correctedDMV Points: None✓ Correctable

This guide is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. TicketClear is a self-help document preparation service — we are not attorneys and do not represent clients. Review all prepared documents carefully before submitting. Fine amounts are estimates and vary by county and surcharge schedule.

What is a Windshield Requirements ticket?

CVC 26700(a) says that, except as provided in subdivision (b) or (c), a passenger vehicle other than a motorcycle, and every bus, motortruck or truck tractor, and every firetruck, fire engine, or other fire apparatus, whether publicly or privately owned, shall be equipped with an adequate windshield.

Ask your insurer how a conviction affects your policy.

What the Law Says

(a) Except as provided in subdivision (b) or (c), a passenger vehicle, other than a motorcycle, and every bus, motortruck or truck tractor, and every firetruck, fire engine or other fire apparatus, whether publicly or privately owned, shall be equipped with an adequate windshield.

What the Officer Must Prove

1Your vehicle is one of the types CVC 26700(a) lists
2It was not equipped with an adequate windshield

Arguments Commonly Raised for Windshield Requirements

General information: arguments drivers commonly raise for this code section. Whether any applies depends on your own facts.

Adequate windshield

If your windshield was adequate, describe it and include photos.

Your vehicle type

The section applies to the vehicles it lists, except as provided in subdivisions (b) and (c). Subdivision (b) exempts a vehicle issued identification plates under Section 5004 (historical vehicles) that was not required to have a windshield when it was first sold or registered; (c) exempts an autonomous vehicle that cannot operate with a human occupant. Describe your vehicle.

Correction

If your notice is marked correctable and you present proof of correction, certified as Vehicle Code 40616 describes, by mail or in person on or before the date on your notice, the court shall dismiss the charge (Vehicle Code 40522). The clerk collects a $25 transaction fee unless the notice is processed only by the agency that issued it (Vehicle Code 40611).

⚠️ Common Mistakes

✗Not photographing the windshield before and after any repair
✗Not keeping repair receipts

What this code section covers (general information)

CVC 26700(a) — Windshield Requirements. A passenger vehicle (other than a motorcycle), bus, motortruck, truck tractor or fire apparatus without an adequate windshield.

This section is a correctable (fix-it) violation: if the officer marks your notice correctable, the court shall dismiss the charge when you present proof of correction on or before the date on your notice (Vehicle Code 40522). The officer does not mark it correctable on finding fraud or persistent neglect, an immediate safety hazard, or that you do not agree to, or cannot, promptly correct it (Vehicle Code 40610(b)).

Eligible for Trial by Written Declaration: generally yes.

This is general information about CVC 26700(a). It is not advice about your citation, and TicketClear does not evaluate anyone's facts. Whether any of it applies depends on your own facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed California attorney.

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