FMVSS 219: Windshield Zone Intrusion explained.

What FMVSS 219 says it is for

The eCFR heads this section "Standard No. 219; Windshield zone intrusion." Under 49 CFR part 571, the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards are the numbered standards that set safety performance requirements for motor vehicles and equipment. The text below is quoted from 571.219 as current through October 29, 2026.

This standard specifies limits for the displacement into the windshield area of motor vehicle components during a crash.

The purpose of this standard is to reduce crash injuries and fatalities that result from occupants contacting vehicle components displaced near or through the windshield.

What it applies to

The application section of the standard says:

This standard applies to passenger cars and to multipurpose passenger vehicles, trucks designed to carry at least one person, and buses of 4,536 kilograms or less gross vehicle weight rating. However, it does not apply to forward control vehicles, walk-in van-type vehicles, or to open-body-type vehicles with fold-down or removable windshields.

Applicability is decided by the text of the standard as written, including any exclusions it lists, and by the date-specific rules in it. This page does not decide whether a particular vehicle or item is covered.

How the standard is organized

The eCFR text of 571.219 has these top-level sections:

• S1: Scope
• S2: Purpose
• S3: Application
• S4: Definitions
• S5: Requirement
• S6: Protected zone template
• S7: Test conditions

In all, the text has 17 numbered headings. Use the finder above to search them; for example, a search for "test" lists the headings that mention tests.

Second-level headings at a glance

These are the numbered sub-sections one level below the top, in order (first 10 of 10):

• S6.1 The lower edge of the protected zone is determined by the following procedure (See Figure…
• S6.2 The protected zone is the space enclosed by the following surfaces, as shown in Figure 1
• S6.3 A template is cut or formed from Styrofoam, type DB, cut cell, to the dimensions of the…
• S7.1 The protected zone template is affixed to the windshield in the manner described in S6
• S7.2 The hood, hood latches, and any other hood retention components are engaged prior to the…
• S7.3 Adjustable cowl tops or other adjustable panels in front of the windshield are in the…
• S7.4 The parking brake is disengaged and the transmission is in neutral
• S7.5 Tires are inflated to the vehicle manufacturer's specifications
• S7.6 The fuel tank is filled to any level from 90 to 95 per cent of capacity
• S7.7 The vehicle, including test devices and instrumentation, is loaded as follows

Key requirements, quoted from the text

These are excerpts from the requirements sections of 571.219, in the order the standard presents them. Long paragraphs are shortened where marked with [...]; the eCFR has the complete text, tables and figures, which this page omits.

S5 Requirement. When the vehicle travelling longitudinally forward at any speed up to and including 48 km/h impacts a fixed collision barrier that is perpendicular to the line of travel of the vehicle, under the conditions of S7, no part of the vehicle outside the occupant compartment, except windshield molding and other components designed to be normally in contact with the windshield, shall penetrate the protected zone template, affixed according to S6, to a depth of more than 6 mm, and no such part of a vehicle shall penetrate the inner surface of that portion of the windshield, within the DLO, below the protected zone defined in S6.

Defined terms

The standard defines 1 terms in its definitions section; the first 1 are quoted here from the eCFR.

• Daylight Opening (DLO) means the maximum unobstructed opening through the glazing surface, including reveal or garnish moldings adjoining the surface, as measured parallel to the outer surface of the glazing material.

Limits of this page

This page quotes the text of 49 CFR 571.219 as published in the eCFR, current through October 29, 2026. It omits tables, figures, cross-referenced test procedures in other parts, and the preambles and rulemaking history that explain the rule. It does not tell you whether a given vehicle, part or product complies, how to run a test, or what a manufacturer must certify. Compliance questions go to the manufacturer's engineers, qualified counsel or NHTSA. The eCFR is an editorial compilation, not the official legal edition of the Federal Register.

Sources

Sources opened and read November 2, 2026.

• eCFR: 49 CFR 571.219, Standard No. 219; Windshield zone intrusion. (current through October 29, 2026) (read November 2, 2026)
• eCFR: 49 CFR part 571, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (current through October 29, 2026) (read November 2, 2026)