Florida guide · 5 min read
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Florida windshield claims and the deductible
A rock chip is damage to your own car. Florida law limits the deductible on a windshield when the policy already has the right physical-damage coverage. It does not create that coverage from nothing.
General information, not legal or insurance advice.
What the statute actually says
Florida Statutes section 627.7288 (2026) is titled “Comprehensive coverage; deductible not to apply to motor vehicle glass.” The text says the deductible provisions of a motor vehicle policy delivered or issued in Florida by an authorized insurer, when the policy provides comprehensive coverage or combined additional coverage, shall not apply to damage to the windshield of any motor vehicle covered under that policy. Checked October 24, 2026.
Read that as three limits. The policy has to provide comprehensive or combined additional coverage. The deductible rule is about the windshield, not every piece of glass on the car. And the insurer has to be an authorized insurer that delivered or issued the policy in this state.
What it does not do
If you want comprehensive on the next policy, say that on the quote request. Full coverage vs liability in Florida is the shopping language. Hurricane and flood damage is the other reason people ask for comprehensive.
- It does not add glass coverage to a policy that only has PIP and property damage liability.
- It does not promise a shop will replace the glass with no questions. The claim still follows the policy.
- It does not set a price for the repair, and this page will not invent one.
- It does not say the same deductible waiver covers a door window or a rear window. The sentence is the windshield.
Signing the claim over to a shop
Florida Department of Financial Services, Filing an Auto Claim (July 2024) tells you to get the insurer’s inspection or instructions before repairs, and that you may choose the repair shop. On assignment of benefits, the July 2024 guide says that for policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2023 by authorized insurers, assignments for glass repair and for calibration or recalibration of driver-assistance systems are prohibited, void, and unenforceable. It says that prohibition includes windshield claims.
This page is not the glass shop’s contract. If a shop asks you to sign your claim over, read that CFO paragraph and the policy before you sign. We do not handle the claim.
What to tell a provider
If the windshield is already cracked, that is a claim on the policy in force now, not a reason to cancel it. For the next term, say you want comprehensive reviewed so the deductible rule has a policy to attach to.
The quote checklist is still the field list. The ZIP is where the car sleeps.
Questions drivers ask
Do I pay a deductible for a cracked windshield in Florida?
Section 627.7288 says the deductible does not apply to windshield damage when the policy provides comprehensive or combined additional coverage and was delivered or issued in Florida by an authorized insurer. If you do not have that coverage, the statute does not create it.
Does liability-only insurance pay for a windshield?
No. PIP and property damage liability do not repair your car. The deductible rule applies to policies that provide comprehensive or combined additional coverage.
Does the same rule cover every window?
The statute’s sentence is the windshield. Do not assume a side or rear window is included. Read the policy.
Can a shop make me sign over the claim?
The Florida CFO auto claim guide says glass assignments of benefits are prohibited and void for policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2023 by authorized insurers, including windshield claims. Read that guide and your policy before you sign.
Request a quote and say if you want comprehensive reviewed. The windshield deductible rule needs that coverage on the policy.
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