Will I Get a Ticket if I Drive Without Side Mirrors?

You are not required to have external mirrors on both sides of your car in any state, and many states don’t require you to have a side-view mirror at all as long as you have an internal rear-view mirror. However, in some states, it is illegal to drive without a side mirror in certain situations, like when the view in your center mirror is obstructed.

Keep reading to learn more about when you could get a ticket for driving without a side mirror and whether such an infraction could impact your car insurance rates.

On This Page

• 

  Is It Illegal To Drive Without a Side Mirror?

• 

  Is It Safe To Drive Without Side-View Mirrors?

• 

  How Much Does a Ticket Cost for Driving Without Side-View Mirrors?

• 

  Will My Insurance Be Impacted if I’m Caught Driving Without Side-View Mirrors?

• 

  What Should I Do if My Side-View Mirror Is Damaged by Another Driver?

• 

  FAQs

Is It Illegal To Drive Without a Side Mirror?

Drivers in every state are required by law to have at least one mirror that enables them to see behind their car while driving, but this does not necessarily have to be a side mirror. Keep in mind that, although federal law requires all new cars to be manufactured with a driver-side mirror, a passenger-side mirror and a rear-view mirror, it may not be illegal for someone to drive after one of their side mirrors has been damaged or has otherwise fallen off.^[1]

Nevertheless, side mirrors may be situationally required, depending on what state you live in.

For example, drivers in California cannot register a nonmotorcycle vehicle unless it has at least two mirrors, one of which must be a left-side mirror. However, the second mirror can be either a center mirror or a passenger-side-view mirror, meaning Californians are free to drive with a missing passenger-side mirror as long as they have an interior mirror.^[2]

In addition, California state law requires drivers to have external mirrors on both sides of the vehicle if their view in the rear-view mirror is obstructed. For example, if you decide to take a family vacation to the beach and load up your hatchback from top to bottom with suitcases, then you legally must have both side mirrors since you likely won’t be able to see out of your back windshield.^[2]

Is It Safe To Drive Without Side-View Mirrors?

It may not be safe to drive without side-view mirrors because you could end up significantly restricting how much of the area around your car you can see. Side mirrors generally enable you to see at least 200 feet behind your car on the highway without having to physically turn around, meaning you could have major blind spots without them, especially if your car is also missing a rear-view mirror.^[2]

What Are the Risks of Driving Without Side-View Mirrors?

Depending on the design of your vehicle, what is stored inside of it and whether you have any accessories attached to the outside of it, your rear-view vision while driving could be severely obstructed without side mirrors, which opens you up to a greater risk of getting into a car accident. In 2022, more than 1,500 fatal car crashes occurred due to drivers with obscured vision.^[3]

While there are several ways your vision could be obscured while driving, such as glare from other cars’ headlights or adverse weather conditions, you can at least alleviate visual obstructions due to blind spots by using your rear-view mirror and both side-view mirrors, which have the potential to completely eliminate your blind spots if positioned correctly.^[4]

How Much Does a Ticket Cost for Driving Without Side-View Mirrors?

The cost of a ticket for driving without side-view mirrors can vary from state to state. For example, the minimum fine for failing to equip a vehicle with mirrors is $54 in New Jersey, while Virginia drivers could have to pay a $30 fine and a $51 processing fee for driving without a mirror that gives them an adequate view of the rear of their vehicle.^[5][6]

Since driving with a broken or missing mirror may be considered a relatively minor offense, it’s possible that the police officer who pulls you over will merely issue you a “fix-it” ticket. In this case, your fine may be reduced or completely waived as long as you get your mirror repaired or replaced prior to your court date.^[1]

Will My Insurance Be Impacted if I’m Caught Driving Without Side-View Mirrors?

Your car insurance premiums won’t necessarily go up if you are caught driving without side-view mirrors. Equipment violations that result in fix-it tickets typically aren’t classified as moving violations, and insurance companies usually don’t raise rates due to nonmoving violations.^[7] That said, insurance premiums are based on the perceived risk that you will need to file a claim, and insurance carriers may vary when it comes to the factors they use to calculate risk.

If an insurer determines that you are more likely to get into an accident because you don’t have side mirrors, it could potentially charge you more for auto insurance.

What Should I Do if My Side-View Mirror Is Damaged by Another Driver?

To ensure you stay safe on the road and don’t risk violating your state’s driving regulations, you should have your side mirror repaired as soon as possible after it is damaged by another driver. If the other driver is responsible for the car accident, then their liability insurance should pay to fix or replace the mirror, along with covering any other necessary repairs to your car.

However, if you are at fault for the crash or if the other driver doesn’t have insurance or flees the scene of the accident, then you would instead have to file a claim on your own collision insurance or uninsured motorist property damage coverage, respectively. These types of car insurance are subject to a deductible, so it may not make sense to file a claim for a broken side window in these circumstances, depending on the extent of the damage.^[8]

For example, replacing a side mirror costs around $300 on average, which means it wouldn’t make sense to file a broken mirror claim on your own insurance if you have a $500 deductible, but it may make sense to file a claim if the accident damages other parts of your vehicle as well, necessitating $1,000 worth of repairs.^[9]

Do Dealerships Fix Side-View Mirrors?

In general, dealerships should be able to fix side-view mirrors. However, you should note that dealerships tend to charge more for parts and labor than smaller auto shops due to their higher overhead costs.^[10] As a result, you may be better off going to an independent garage for minor car repairs that don’t require any kind of special expertise, including basic side mirror repairs.