Windshield replacement laws vary from state to state. In North Carolina, vehicle owners must have comprehensive insurance to claim windshield replacement. The claim can be for something as small as a small rock bouncing off the roadway and causing a star break on your windshield. Remember to pay your comprehensive insurance deductible before your insurance provider covers the rest.
Key Highlights
- The North Carolina windshield replacement law requires drivers to have comprehensive insurance to file a windshield replacement claim.
- Comprehensive insurance covers damage to your windshield and damage to the vehicle from fire, flooding, hail and theft.
- Some states allow windshield replacement claims to be made without requiring the deductible to be met, but not North Carolina.
What is the North Carolina windshield replacement law?
According to North Carolina windshield replacement law, comprehensive insurance is necessary for filing a claim to replace a windshield. People might not know that comprehensive car insurance is optional and not mandatory in North Carolina. It is also essential to understand that comprehensive insurance typically comes with a deductible, which is the amount you pay before your policy pays for repairs.
So, what is comprehensive insurance exactly? Comprehensive insurance covers damage from:
- Animal collisions
- Falling objects
- Fire, flooding, hail and vandalism
- Theft
Comprehensive insurance pays out up to the actual cash value of your car. The cost of comprehensive coverage is typically affordable. You can choose the deductible amount; $500 is a typical amount.
North Carolina car insurance, on average, is fairly affordable, costing about $396 a year to meet the state’s minimum liability coverage. A full coverage policy including comprehensive and collision insurance with a $500 deductible is $1,368 annually, according to 2022 data.
Which states are zero-deductible states for glass coverage?
In Arizona, Kentucky and South Carolina, drivers can file a comprehensive insurance claim to replace a windshield but do not have to pay for their windshield replacement by meeting their deductible. For this reason, these three states are called “zero deductible states.”
Other states — Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts and New York — allow policyholders to waive the deductible in exchange for an increase in comprehensive premium. Also, some carriers may waive the comprehensive deductible for repairs, but not for replacing windshields.
Additionally, some car insurance companies will include glass repair and replacement at no charge. This means there is no deductible, but you may pay more for the policy overall. If windshield replacement and repair is a big priority for you, be sure to ask how this is handled by the auto insurers that you consider when shopping for a policy.
Resources & Methodology
Sources
North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. “Insurance Requirements.” Accessed October 2022.
Quintero and Sons Auto Glass. “NC Windshield Replacement Law.” Accessed October 2022.
Methodology
CarInsurance.com commissioned Quadrant Information Services to pull rates in 2022 for a 40-year-old male driver with a good driving record, 12-mile commute to work and full coverage insurance.
— Michelle Megna contributed to this story.
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