Is it legal to drive with car windows covered by snow or ice in Kansas and Missouri?
On Sunday, the Kansas City area got its first taste of snow for this winter season.
And while four inches may not seem like a lot, freezing temperatures mean snow sticks to car windows and drivers have to break out the ice scraper to clear it from the vehicle.
But not everyone on the road gets it completely cleared up, so you may wonder: Is it legal to drive with windows covered in snow?
Here’s what the law says in Kansas and Missouri.
Am I required to clear snow from my car in Kansas?
Yes, Kansas law requires residents to clear the snow from their car windows before driving on the road.
Kansas law 8-1741 states that drivers should not operate their vehicle if any of the windows are obstructed.
The law says, “No person shall drive any motor vehicle with any sign, poster or other nontransparent material upon the front windshield, side wings or side or rear windows of such vehicle which substantially obstructs, obscures or impairs the driver’s clear view of the highway or any intersecting highway.”
Kansas law also says that every motor vehicle must be “equipped with a device for cleaning rain, snow or other moisture from the windshield, which device shall be so constructed as to be controlled or operated by the driver of the vehicle.”
Kansas Highway Patrol Technical Trooper Jodi Clary posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that it is “unsafe and illegal to drive with windows obstructed.”
The state also holds drivers responsible for any damage done to other vehicles caused by debris that fell from the driver’s car. Fines may vary depending on the severity of the situation.
Are Missouri drivers legally required to clear snow from their car?
The Missouri State Highway Patrol says drivers should take the time to clean snow and ice completely from vehicles, but there is no statewide statute that says they must do so.
However, section 304.012 states that drivers are obligated to drive safely and not endanger themselves or anyone else on the road.
The law says, “ Every person operating a motor vehicle on the roads and highways of this state shall drive the vehicle in a careful and prudent manner and at a rate of speed so as not to endanger the property of another or the life or limb of any person and shall exercise the highest degree of care.”
Missouri statute 307.020 says, “Lighted lamps shall also be required any time the weather conditions require usage of the motor vehicle’s windshield wipers to operate the vehicle in a careful and prudent manner as defined in section 304.012”
Missouri holds drivers responsible for any debris that flies from the car and damages another vehicle. Fines may vary depending on the severity of the situation.
