Windscreen chips and cracks — what fails a NSW pink slip
A chip in the wrong spot fails your rego. A crack anywhere across the driver's field of view is an automatic fail — even if it's short. Here are the rules.
- Reviewed by
- NSW Pink Slip Review Panel
- Published
- 25 January 2026
- Read time
- 3 min
Windscreen damage is one of the least intuitive pink slip fails. A crack you can barely see can be an automatic fail; a chip the size of a five-cent coin can pass, depending entirely on location. Here's what NSW inspectors apply.
The zones that matter
The windscreen is split into three zones for inspection: the primary vision area (directly in front of the driver, wiper-swept), the secondary vision area (the rest of the wiper-swept zone), and outside the wiper area. Different rules apply to each.
Fail thresholds by zone
Primary vision area (driver's line of sight): any crack fails. Any chip larger than 15 mm fails. Any damage that distorts vision fails.
- Secondary vision area: chips up to 25 mm may pass; cracks up to 30 mm may pass if not spreading
- Outside wiper zone: cracks up to 75 mm may pass provided edge integrity is not compromised
- Any laminated damage that reaches the edge of the glass — automatic fail regardless of zone
Repair or replace?
A resin repair on a small chip outside the driver's line of sight will usually pass — repairs are legal and inspectors don't fail them provided the resin has set clear and the damage is stable. But once a crack starts spreading, or hits the edge of the glass, no repair will hold and it's a full replacement.
Comprehensive insurance almost always includes windscreen cover with no excess for a chip repair — worth checking your policy before you pay out of pocket.
Frequently asked.
- Can I put clear tape over the crack?
- No — that's an automatic fail regardless of where the damage sits. Inspectors check the glass, not any coverings.
- Do tinted windows fail the pink slip?
- Windscreen tint above the AS/NZS 2080 limit fails. Rear side windows can be tinted more heavily; the windscreen itself must retain at least 70% VLT.
- What about a small chip right at the edge?
- Edge chips on laminated glass are treated as high-risk because they can spread rapidly. Expect a fail if the chip reaches within 25 mm of any edge.
About the author
NSW Pink Slip — Lead Inspection Team
Lead AIS-Authorised eSafety Inspector · 18+ years
Our lead inspection team is Transport for NSW-authorised under the Authorised Inspection Scheme (AIS) to issue eSafety Checks (pink slips) for light vehicles up to 4.5t. Combined 18+ years of hands-on Sydney workshop experience — starting in general repair, moving through diagnostic specialisation on European and Japanese platforms, and settling into full-time mobile inspection since 2019. Every article on this site is authored or reviewed by a currently-authorised AIS examiner. If we can't verify a claim against a Transport for NSW or Service NSW source, it doesn't ship.
- ✓Transport for NSW authorised AIS examiner
- ✓Cert IV in Automotive Mechanical Diagnosis
- ✓Cert III in Light Vehicle Mechanical Technology
- ✓Cert III in Automotive Electrical Technology
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Reviewed by NSW Pink Slip Review Panel — Reviews every technical article for accuracy against current Transport for NSW rules, AIS inspector guidelines and manufacturer service data.
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