Last updated: July 16, 2025
Does Car Insurance Cover Windshield Damage?
What starts as a hairline crack may turn into a bigger problem.
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One of the more frustrating aspects of owning a car is windshield damage. You’re driving along when suddenly a tiny pebble hits your windshield, resulting in a crack. Is it worth filing an auto insurance claim? Does your car insurance even cover windshield replacement or repair? Here we share everything you need to know about car insurance and windshield damage.
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Does Car Insurance Cover Windshield Damage?
If you only have the minimum car insurance coverage your state requires, then car insurance won’t cover windshield damage. If you have comprehensive, collision, or separate full glass coverage, you can likely get reimbursed for windshield repair or replacement costs.
When Car Insurance Covers Windshield Damage
- Collision coverage: If your windshield got damaged in a car crash, collision coverage would cover it.
- Comprehensive coverage: Covers windshield damage from hail, rocks, and other non-collision events.
- Full glass coverage: Some insurance providers offer separate full glass coverage without deductibles, unlike collision and comprehensive coverage (more on that later).
When Car Insurance Doesn’t Cover Windshield Damage
- You don’t have comprehensive coverage.
- You don’t have collision coverage and get in an at-fault accident. While the other party’s property damage coverage would cover your windshield damage from an accident in which you were not at fault, you’d need collision coverage to cover your property damage costs in an accident you caused.
Do I Have to Pay a Deductible for Windshield Damage?
Whether you have to pay an insurance deductible for windshield damage depends on which type of claim you file. If it’s a collision or comprehensive claim, then you have to pay your deductible before your insurance provider will contribute. However, if it’s a covered full glass claim, you likely won’t have to pay a deductible1. Companies have different policies for deductibles on windshield damage claims; find your company’s policy below2.
Windshield Insurance Information by Company
| Auto insurance provider | Is separate full glass coverage available? | Windshield repairs/replacements deductible policy |
|---|---|---|
| AAA | No | For comprehensive claims, the deductible may be waived for repairs but is required for replacements. |
| AARP/The Hartford | Yes | There is no deductible. |
| Allstate | No | For comprehensive claims, the deductible may be waived for repairs but is required for replacements. |
| Amica | Yes | Both comprehensive and full glass coverage claims generally waive the deductible for repairs. |
| Bristol West | Yes | For comprehensive claims, the deductible is waived for repairs. |
| Clearcover | No | For comprehensive claims, the deductible depends on the severity of the damage. |
| Dairyland | No | For comprehensive claims, the deductible may be waived for repairs but is required for replacements. |
| Direct | No | For comprehensive claims, the deductible may be waived for repairs but is required for replacements. |
| Erie | Yes | There’s only a deductible for replacements under comprehensive claims; Zero Dollar Glass Deductible coverage has no deductible for repair or replacement. |
| Farmers | Yes | For comprehensive claims, the deductible depends on the severity of the damage. |
| GAINSCO | No | For comprehensive claims, the deductible is waived for repairs but required for replacements. |
| GEICO | No | For comprehensive claims, the deductible is waived for repairs but required for replacements. |
| Lemonade | Yes | Comprehensive claims have a deductible; full glass coverage claims don’t. |
| Liberty Mutual | No | For comprehensive claims, the deductible is waived for repairs but required for replacements. |
| Mercury | No | The deductible is waived in some states. |
| Nationwide | No | For comprehensive claims, the deductible is waived for repairs but required for replacements. |
| Progressive | No | For comprehensive claims, the deductible is waived for repairs under six inches long, but is required for replacements. |
| Root | No | For comprehensive claims, the deductible is waived for repairs but required for replacements. |
| Safeco | No | For comprehensive claims, the deductible is generally waived for repairs but usually required for replacements. |
| State Farm | No | For comprehensive claims, the deductible depends on the severity of the damage. |
| The General | No | For comprehensive claims, the deductible may be waived for repairs but required for replacements. |
| Travelers | No | For comprehensive claims, the deductible is waived for repairs but required for replacements. |
| USAA | No | For comprehensive claims, the deductible is waived for repairs but required for replacements. |
Three states require insurance companies to waive deductibles for covered comprehensive windshield damage claims:
- Florida
- Kentucky
- South Carolina
In some states like Massachusetts, you can buy down deductibles, which means the policy has an endorsement that reduces the deductible under a covered claim. Rather than paying the entire deductible, the customer pays more in comprehensive premiums for coverage. Here are some other states that allow you to buy down deductibles:
- Arizona
- Connecticut
- Minnesota
- New York
Should I File a Claim for Windshield Damage?
You should consider filing a claim if the cost of the repair or replacement is higher than your deductible or if you have comprehensive coverage that may fully cover the damage. However, if the damage is minor and the repair cost is low, it may be cheaper and faster to pay out-of-pocket—especially if you’ve filed multiple claims in the past.
Regardless of whether you choose to file a claim, you should address the damage as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the more likely a chip or crack is to spread, resulting in higher repair costs.3
TIP:
If your damage costs less than your deductible, it may make more sense to pay for the repairs out of pocket than to file a claim.
Will Filing a Windshield Damage Claim Raise My Premium?
Unfortunately, filing a windshield damage claim could raise your premium, whether or not the damage was your fault. If the windshield is relatively inexpensive to repair, or the cost to repair is close to your deductible, it might make more sense to pay out of pocket. If you have a $0 or low deductible, or the damage is expensive, filing may be the better route.
How to File a Windshield Damage Claim
Filing a windshield damage insurance claim works the same way as filing any other type of auto insurance claim.
- Document the damage and take notes about how, where, and when it happened. Take photos of the damage, and if you were involved in an accident, file a police report for your claim.
- Contact your insurance agent.
- Submit your evidence.
- Meet with a claims adjuster to see what will be covered.
Repairing vs. Replacing Your Windshield
You have two options to fix windshield damage: repairing or replacing your windshield.
Does My Windshield Need to Be Repaired or Replaced?
Repair your windshield if the damage is …
- Minimal.
- Not close to the windshield’s perimeter.
- Not in your line of sight.
Replace your windshield if the damage is …
- Extensive.
- Close to the windshield’s perimeter.
- In your line of sight6.
Can Glass Damage Be Repaired?
Glass damage can be repaired in some cases. Here’s how the experts do it:
- They create a vacuum over the damaged area.
- They remove the air and moisture in the damaged area.
- They inject resin into the microcracks.
- They harden the resin using UV lights.
Can I Pass a State Inspection With a Cracked Windshield?
Some states have standards for windshields in order to pass inspection. Even if your state does not have windshield regulations, federal regulations require cracks to be under 3/4 inches in diameter, no intersecting cracks, no cracks in the driver’s view, and no two cracks within three inches of each other.
| State | Number of cracks allowed in area cleared by windshield wipers | Maximum length of crack in area cleared by windshield wiper that can pass inspection | Other standards for windshields |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | N/A | N/A | No holes, breaks, or cracks |
| Georgia | 1 | 3 inches | None |
| Illinois | N/A | N/A | No impairments to the driver’s front, side, or rear view |
| Louisiana | 2 bull’s-eyes, 1 crack | 0.5-inch bull’s-eyes allowed in direct line of vision, 8-inch crack in area cleared by windshield wiper | None |
| Maine | 1 | 6-inch cracks, 1-inch bull’s-eyes | None |
| Massachusetts | 1 | 3 inches | Cannot have multiple cracks, exposed sharp edges, or bull’s-eye cracks longer than 1 inch in diameter |
| New Hampshire | N/A | No cracks allowed in area cleared by windshield wiper; 2 inches allowed in area not cleared by wiper | None |
| New York | 1 | 11 inches | None |
| Pennsylvania | N/A | N/A | No exposed sharp-edged glass |
| Rhode Island | N/A | N/A | No exposed sharp-edged glass or cracks in front of the driver in area cleared by windshield wiper |
| Utah | 1 | 0.75 inches | No exposed sharp edges, intersecting cracks, or cracks within 3 inches of each other |
| Vermont | 1 | 1.5 inches | No intersecting cracks |
| Virginia | 1 | 1.5 inches | No exposed sharp edges, intersecting cracks, windshield cloudiness, or scratches at least 0.25 inches wide and 6 inches long |
| West Virginia | 1 | 1.5 inches | No exposed sharp edges |
The Cost of Fixing a Broken Windshield
How much will fixing a broken windshield cost without insurance? Anywhere from $210 to $500 for non-ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) vehicles, to $1,500 or more for replacing the windshield of ADAS or specialty vehicles.
| Windshield service | Cost |
|---|---|
| Basic aftermarket windshield replacement | $200-$400 |
| Standard back glass replacement | $250-$450 |
| Chip/crack repair | $50-$150 |
| Repair of cracks up to 1 foot long | $50-$70 |
| Windshield replacement for most cars | $300-$500 |
| Windshield replacement for Teslas | $1,000-$3,000 |
| Windshield replacement for collectible/luxury cars | $1,000+ |
NOTE:
If you have a collectible car, you may want to get classic car coverage.
The cost of replacing a windshield varies greatly based on several factors.
- Make, model, and year: Luxury car manufacturers like Lexus and Mercedes-Benz have special windshields that are expensive to repair, whereas the windshields of more commonplace brands, like Honda and Toyota, are more affordable.
- Sensors and wipers: Windshields with built-in rain sensors typically cost more to replace.
- Type and location of damage: Front glass costs more to replace than the back glass, as the back windshield usually lacks wipers.
- Type of damage: The cost of the repair can depend on the type of damage, classified by terms like chips, edge crack, floater, and more.
- Type of glass used: Aftermarket windshields, which may use a lesser grade of glass, could save you about $100.
- Level of service: You may go with an established, reputable company or the cheapest one you can find.5
What are the types of windshield damage?
If you’ve visited an auto repair shop for your windshield damage, you might be confused about some of the terminology that they’ve used. Here’s a quick guide explaining these terms:
- Chips: This type of damage is usually caused from flying rocks or debris. On impact, a small piece of glass can chip off.
- Floater crack: A floater crack can occur anywhere in your windshield, but it must be at least two inches from the edge. The size of these can vary.
- Edge crack: Edge cracks usually begin at the corner or edge of a windshield. It’s common for these cracks to be long, and often over six inches.
- Bulls-eye: This type of damage can be partial or half-moon, but what remains is the name correlating to the appearance. A bulls-eye is as it sounds, a circle with a deep chip in the middle, while a partial or half-moon damage isn’t even.
- Stress crack: Stress cracks are usually caused by extreme temperature changes, and most commonly occur around the edge of the windshield.
- Stars: A star is a chip in your windshield with small cracks coming from it. These cracks are known as star breaks or stars.
- Combination break: If your windshield has over two types of damage, or multiple damaged locations, you have yourself a combination break.6
How to Get Your Windshield Repaired or Replaced
You can get your windshield repaired or replaced at an auto glass repair shop. Here’s how:
- Bring your vehicle to the repair shop.
- Get an estimate for the repair or replacement.
- File a claim online, by mail, or over the phone to get reimbursed for the repair or replacement cost.
Recap
Windshield damage is very common, which is one reason it’s so important to have collision and comprehensive auto insurance coverage, if not separate full glass coverage. But the most important thing when it comes to windshield damage is not to procrastinate, as tiny cracks can grow over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Full coverage insurance does cover a windshield under either collision or comprehensive coverage, depending on how the damage occurred. If the windshield damage is from a car crash, collision insurance will cover it. If it’s from falling debris, comprehensive coverage will cover it.
Yes, you can make an insurance claim for your car’s windshield under these types of coverage:
- Comprehensive
- Collision
- Full glass
You should use your car insurance to fix your windshield if the repair will cost more than your deductible or if the deductible is waived. If the repair will cost less than your deductible, it makes more sense to pay for it out of pocket and avoid making a claim, which could increase your insurance premium.
Yes, a glass claim does affect the cost of car insurance. Even if the glass damage isn’t your fault, your insurance premium will likely increase — and more so if the damage was your fault.
Citations
Does car insurance cover windshield damage?. Allstate. (2023, July).
https://www.allstate.com/resources/car-insurance/windshield-damageA Consumer’s Guide to Auto Insurance. NAIC. (2025).
https://content.naic.org/publications?name=&field_publication_category_target_id=464Does car insurance cover windshield damage?. Progressive. (2025).
https://www.progressive.com/answers/windshield-damage/Helping Policyholders Understand Auto Glass Repair Or Replacement Options. Insurance Journal. (2012, July 02).
https://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/features/2012/07/02/253290.htmWhat is the Cost of Windshield Replacement Without Insurance. Caliber. (2025).
https://www.caliber.com/services/auto-glass/mobile-auto-glass-repair/what-is-the-cost-of-windshield-replacement-without-insuranceHow much does is cost to replace a windshield?. Chase. (2025).
https://www.chase.com/personal/auto/education/maintenance/how-much-to-replace-a-windshield
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