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.

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

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

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

Filing a windshield damage insurance claim works the same way as filing any other type of auto insurance claim.

1. 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.
2. Contact your insurance agent.
3. Submit your evidence.
4. Meet with a claims adjuster to see what will be covered.

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:

1. They create a vacuum over the damaged area.
2. They remove the air and moisture in the damaged area.
3. They inject resin into the microcracks.
4. 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.

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 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.