Which states have zero-deductible windshield replacement?
Reviewed by the Skyview Auto Glass technical team — NWRD-, ASE- and DINITROL-trained technicians · Updated November 2026
Quick answer
Three states require zero-deductible glass coverage on qualifying policies: Florida, Kentucky and South Carolina. Michigan, Indiana and Illinois do not. Anywhere else, what you owe for glass follows your comprehensive coverage and its deductible, though optional full glass coverage exists on some policies and the deductible is often waived for a chip repair.
The zero-deductible glass states
Only three states write the waiver into law, and only on qualifying policies.
| State | Zero-deductible glass law? |
|---|---|
| Florida | Yes — on qualifying policies |
| Kentucky | Yes — on qualifying policies |
| South Carolina | Yes — on qualifying policies |
| Michigan | No |
| Indiana | No |
| Illinois | No |
Everywhere else, glass is a comprehensive claim subject to the deductible on the policy.
What the waiver means in practice
In the three states with a zero-deductible glass law, qualifying policies must let the policyholder replace a windshield with the deductible waived. The requirement attaches to the policy, so it applies where the coverage is in force — it is not a national rule.
Everywhere else, including the three states Skyview serves, glass damage is a comprehensive claim subject to the deductible you chose. Deductibles of $100, $250, $500, and $1,000 are common, and the figure on your declarations page is the one that governs what you owe.
Two softeners exist outside the state laws. Optional full glass coverage, an endorsement available on some policies anywhere, lowers or removes the glass deductible. And many insurers waive the deductible for a chip repair, because a $75 to $150 repair today prevents a $200 to $500+ replacement later.
The three zero-deductible states wrote their rules decades ago, when windshields were simpler panes of glass. Modern windshields carry cameras, sensors, acoustic interlayers, and heating elements, and a replacement now involves calibration as well as glass — work that runs $200 to $500+ for the pane and $95 to $300 for the calibration. The zero-deductible laws still apply to that work in the three states, but they do not exist in Michigan, Indiana or Illinois, where the policy and its deductible govern what you owe. Drivers in the three states Skyview serves sometimes ask whether a move changes their glass costs, and the answer is that the state you plate in can matter as much as the coverage you buy.
A policy feature, not a state guarantee, in most places
Outside Florida, Kentucky and South Carolina, a waived glass deductible is something your policy provides or does not — never something the state requires. Read your declarations page or ask your agent. This is general information about insurance rules, not legal advice.
More questions about zero-deductible glass
Which states have free windshield replacement?
Florida, Kentucky and South Carolina require zero-deductible glass coverage on qualifying policies. In every other state, including Michigan, Indiana and Illinois, glass costs follow the policy.
What states require full glass coverage?
No state requires every policy to carry full glass coverage. The three zero-deductible states require the waiver on qualifying policies; elsewhere, full glass coverage is an optional endorsement.
Is zero deductible glass coverage available in my state?
A full glass coverage endorsement is available on some policies in many states, separate from the three that mandate it. Ask your insurer or agent whether your policy carries it. The endorsement is the closest most drivers get to a waived deductible outside the three mandate states.
Related guides
More in Insurance and claims
- Does a windshield chip repair count as an insurance claim?
- What happens if you chip the windshield on a rental car?
- Is it worth paying cash for a windshield instead of filing a claim?
- Does insurance cover windshield replacement?
- Does liability insurance cover windshield damage?
- What is full glass coverage?
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