Is It Illegal to Have Broken Side Mirrors?

Walking out to your car to discover that you have a damaged side mirror can be a surprising disappointment, even though it is an all too common one.  Whether your car was clipped while parallel parked on a narrow street or nudged by a reckless driver in a parking lot, if your side mirror gets hit then it is likely that it will become cracked or completely spidered.

If your side mirror was recently broken, you may be wondering what your obligations are to get it fixed immediately. When possible, you should seek to get the repairs done immediately, for a number of reasons.

The Law May Require Repair

Although individual laws vary from state to state, most commonly the law requires you to have at least two functioning rear view mirrors on your vehicle at all times. This means that no more than one of your side mirrors and interior rear view mirrors can be damaged or out of commission. While this does mean you can still operate your car with a broken side mirror, this is risky as damage to your interior mirror or other side mirror would render your car illegal to operate. It’s better to get the replacement done quickly before another accident occurs.

Safety Demands It

Even if you live in a two-mirror state and your other two mirrors are in fine condition it is still advisable to get your mirror fixed as soon as possible. There are three rearview mirrors on your car for a reason — they keep you safe on the road by giving you a better understanding of your surroundings. When you take one of those options off the table your car is no longer operating at peak safety levels and you may be exposing yourself and others to undue risk. Don’t’ risk turning a small inconvenience into a major disaster. Schedule your repair right away.