Is Driving With Snow On Your Vehicle Illegal In Minnesota?

Whenever there's a new snowstorm in Minnesota, residents prepare for the cleanup that will follow and there are laws in place regarding snow removal.

For example, not only is it a best practice to avoid pushing or piling snow onto roads, but Minnesota law and many local ordinances prohibit the plowing, blowing, shoveling, or otherwise placing of snow onto public roads or sidewalks. This even includes the ditch and right-of-way area along the roads

So, while you have to be careful clearing your sidewalks and driveway, what about your vehicle when it gets covered in snow?

Snowy Vehicles Are Common Every Winter In Minnesota

I'm sure we've all been in the position of being in a hurry and even though there is snow on our vehicle, we clear enough of the windshield to see and drive off, assuming the wind will take care of the rest. While that may be quick and easy, is that legal in Minnesota?

While driving with a friend one recent winter in Duluth, we ended up behind the vehicle pictured below and the driver obviously couldn't see anything out of their back window.

My passenger took the photo and while we never got a good look at the windshield, they did run a red light on their drive so they either couldn't see well or were otherwise distracted. This wasn't the only car that I've seen during Minnesota winters covered in snow, and I get you've seen them too, and a lot of them are on the road illegally.

Minnesota Laws On Clearing Snow Off Your Vehicle Before Driving On Roads

According to Minnesota laws about snow removal, the vehicle above was violating the law by being on the road. First, to be clear, Minnesota Statute 169.71 only requires drivers to clear frost and snow from both their windshields and side windows to prevent accidents created by obstructed vision on the road. While we can't be sure from this angle if this vehicle violated that statute, they did pose other problems.

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In Minnesota, ice or snow-covered vehicles can also be found unlawful if cleared improperly. That is because ice or snow left on one’s vehicle while driving may be considered an “unsecured load." Minnesota Statute 169.81 states that no vehicle shall be driven if it carries a load that is not secure, “as to prevent any of its load from dropping, sifting, leaking, blowing, or otherwise escaping therefrom.”

Furthermore, ice or snow caught falling or blowing from a vehicle onto the street can technically be considered by Minnesota Statute 169.42 as littering, and guilty of a misdemeanor.

Another violation this and other drivers violate is regarding the inability to read the license plate. According to Minnesota statute 169.79, it is unlawful to cover any assigned letters and numbers or the name of the state of origin of a license plate with any material, including any clear or colorless material that affects the plate's visibility or reflectivity. Therefore, license plates must be readable at any time of year.

Penalty For Not Properly Removing Snow From Your Vehicle In Minnesota

If you fail to follow Minnesota laws on properly removing snow and ice from your vehicle before hitting the road, you could get pulled over and take a big hit to the pocketbook.

In Minnesota, driving with snow or ice on your car won't get you arrested, but it can result in a misdemeanor and a fine of up to $1,000.

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The big lesson in all of this is to clear your vehicle of snow to the point where you can see out of every window and you eliminate the risk of snow or ice flying off your vehicle to cause harm to another driver. It's also a lot easier to drive where you have a clear vision of your surroundings.