Is it illegal to drive with a cracked windshield in Michigan, Indiana or Illinois?
None of the three states names a crack size. All three prohibit driving with glass that obstructs or impairs the driver's view, and Illinois says so most directly. None of them has a periodic safety inspection for passenger vehicles, so the exposure is a traffic stop.
Michigan
Michigan's vehicle code, MCL 257.709, prohibits driving with anything that obstructs the driver's vision (section 1(c)) and requires every windshield wiper to be kept in good working order (section 4). It does not name a crack size. The Michigan State Police say a cracked windshield can fall under the defective-equipment statute, MCL 257.683, and draw a civil infraction — so whether a crack gets you stopped depends on whether an officer judges it to obstruct your view.
Indiana
Indiana Code 9-19-19 does not make a cracked windshield a violation by name. It bars any sign, poster, sunscreening or other nontransparent material that obstructs the driver's clear view of the highway (section 3(b)) and requires windshield wipers to be maintained in good working order (section 6(b)); violations are Class C infractions. In practice, a crack that an officer judges to obstruct your view is the exposure.
Illinois
Illinois is the clearest of the three states: 625 ILCS 5/12-503(e) says no person shall drive a motor vehicle when the windshield, side or rear windows are in such defective condition or repair as to materially impair the driver's view to the front, side or rear. Section (d) requires working windshield wipers. A crack or a missing side window that impairs your view is a violation on its face.
What that means for your crack
A short crack outside the driver's line of sight is usually safe to drive on for a few days while you arrange a repair. A crack in the driver's primary viewing area, a crack that has reached the edge of the glass, or one that is spreading is not: the windshield supports the roof in a rollover and backs the passenger airbag, and a compromised windshield does neither properly. Michigan, Indiana and Illinois all prohibit driving with glass that obstructs the driver's view.
There is no safe number of days. A crack only gets longer, repair stops being possible once it passes about six inches or reaches the edge, and replacement costs more than repair. Treat it as this week's job, not this month's.
Insurance
Michigan, Indiana and Illinois have no zero-deductible glass law (only Florida, Kentucky and South Carolina require that). Glass damage is covered under comprehensive coverage, subject to your deductible. Many carriers waive the deductible for a chip repair; a replacement is usually subject to it.
Questions about cracked-windshield law
Is it illegal to drive with a cracked windshield in Michigan?
Michigan's vehicle code, MCL 257.709, prohibits driving with anything that obstructs the driver's vision (section 1(c)) and requires every windshield wiper to be kept in good working order (section 4). It does not name a crack size. The Michigan State Police say a cracked windshield can fall under the defective-equipment statute, MCL 257.683, and draw a civil infraction — so whether a crack gets you stopped depends on whether an officer judges it to obstruct your view.
Is it illegal to drive with a cracked windshield in Indiana?
Indiana Code 9-19-19 does not make a cracked windshield a violation by name. It bars any sign, poster, sunscreening or other nontransparent material that obstructs the driver's clear view of the highway (section 3(b)) and requires windshield wipers to be maintained in good working order (section 6(b)); violations are Class C infractions. In practice, a crack that an officer judges to obstruct your view is the exposure.
Is it illegal to drive with a cracked windshield in Illinois?
Illinois is the clearest of the three states: 625 ILCS 5/12-503(e) says no person shall drive a motor vehicle when the windshield, side or rear windows are in such defective condition or repair as to materially impair the driver's view to the front, side or rear. Section (d) requires working windshield wipers. A crack or a missing side window that impairs your view is a violation on its face.
Will a cracked windshield fail inspection in Michigan, Indiana or Illinois?
None of the three states has a periodic safety inspection for passenger vehicles, so there is no inspection to fail. The exposure is a traffic stop: each state's vehicle code prohibits driving with anything that obstructs the driver's view, and a crack an officer judges to obstruct your view can draw a citation. The statute details are on the Michigan, Indiana and Illinois pages.
Have a cracked windshield?
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