By Suncoast Auto September 25, 2026 Auto Glass 0

Does a Windshield Claim Raise Your Insurance in Florida?

Short answer: In Florida, a windshield claim almost never raises your rates the way an at-fault accident would. Glass damage is a comprehensive, not-at-fault claim, and a single one usually isn’t surcharged. Florida Statute 627.7288 also waives your deductible on windshield repair and replacement, so most drivers with comprehensive coverage pay $0. The catch: it’s still a claim, it stays on your CLUE report for about seven years, and several claims in a short window can move your premium.

A windshield claim isn’t the same as an at-fault accident

When people worry about a claim raising their insurance, they’re picturing an at-fault collision, the kind that adds a surcharge and follows you for years. A cracked windshield is a different animal. Rock chips, road debris, a dump truck throwing aggregate on I-4: none of that is your fault, and insurers file it under comprehensive coverage, the same bucket as theft, hail, and hitting a deer. Comprehensive claims are not-at-fault by nature, so they don’t carry the accident surcharge that collision claims do.

So will a windshield claim raise my rates in Florida?

For a single glass claim, almost certainly not. Insurers like State Farm are upfront that not every claim moves your premium, and a one-off comprehensive glass claim is about as low-impact as auto claims get. There’s no at-fault surcharge, no points, and in Florida no deductible eating into the payout. The honest caveat: “comprehensive claims never affect anything” is a myth. They can, in the specific situations below. But one windshield repair or replacement is not the thing that spikes your bill.

Why Florida drivers pay $0: Statute 627.7288

Florida is one of a handful of states with a zero-deductible glass law. Statute 627.7288 says the deductible on a comprehensive (or combined additional coverage) policy “shall not be applicable to damage to the windshield.” In plain English: if you carry comprehensive coverage, your insurer pays the full cost of repairing or replacing your windshield and you pay nothing out of pocket. Two things to know. It applies to the windshield specifically, not your side or rear glass. And it only kicks in if you actually carry comprehensive: liability-only and collision-only policies don’t include it.

When a glass claim can affect your rate

Here’s the part the “it’s always free” articles skip. A windshield claim is still a claim, and it’s recorded. Where it can bite:

Frequency. One claim is a non-event. Two or more comprehensive claims in a three-to-five-year window is the pattern insurers flag, and that’s what can nudge your premium at renewal or, at the extreme, put your policy up for non-renewal.
Your CLUE report. Every claim you file lands in the Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (CLUE), an industry database carriers check when they price or renew a policy. Entries stay for about seven years. One glass claim sitting there is harmless; a stack of claims is what underwriters read as risk.
It’s still a paid loss. Your insurer spent money. They won’t surcharge you for one glass claim, but a driver with a clean history is always priced better than one with several recent claims of any type.

Does a windshield claim go on your CLUE report?

Yes. Like any auto claim, a glass claim is logged in CLUE and stays roughly seven years. That sounds ominous, but context matters: underwriters look for patterns, not a single not-at-fault glass repair. One windshield claim and nothing else is essentially noise. Three claims in two years is the profile that raises rates, whether or not any of them were your fault.

What Florida’s 2023 auto-glass law changed

If you filed a windshield claim in Florida a few years back, you probably remember the gift-card offers and the shops that handled everything “for free.” That era is over. In May 2023 Florida enacted HB 541 (chapter 2023-136), which banned assignment of benefits (AOB) for auto-glass claims and stopped shops from dangling gift cards or rebates to get you to sign. The abuse it targeted, shops taking over your claim and suing insurers, is a big reason glass premiums in Florida climbed. For you today it means something simple: you file with your own insurer, or a reputable shop bills them directly on your behalf, and no one signs your rights away.

How Suncoast handles the claim for you

We bill your insurance directly, so you’re not fronting money and waiting on a reimbursement. Tell us the damage and your carrier; we verify your comprehensive coverage, handle the claim, and thanks to 627.7288 most Florida drivers pay $0 for the repair or replacement. We’re mobile across the Suncoast and Central Florida, so we come to your driveway or office. If your vehicle has a camera behind the glass, we also handle the ADAS recalibration a windshield replacement requires. Call 813-355-3465 or request a quote and we’ll tell you in a minute whether your claim is covered.

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Key takeaways

A single Florida windshield claim won’t raise your rates like an at-fault accident. It’s a not-at-fault comprehensive claim.
Statute 627.7288 waives your deductible, so most comprehensive-covered drivers pay $0.
It’s still logged on your CLUE report for about seven years; two or more claims in a few years is what actually moves premiums.
Florida’s 2023 HB 541 ended the gift-card and AOB games. File with your own insurer, or let a direct-billing shop handle it.

General information, not a guarantee about your specific policy. Your carrier’s rules and your claim history decide the final outcome, so confirm the details with your agent.

Frequently asked questions

Is a windshield claim considered an at-fault accident?

No. It’s a comprehensive, not-at-fault claim, the same category as hail or theft, so it doesn’t carry the surcharge an at-fault collision does.

Will my insurance go up if I use Florida’s free windshield replacement?

For a single claim, almost never. Statute 627.7288 makes it $0 out of pocket, and one comprehensive glass claim isn’t surcharged.

How many windshield claims can I file before it affects my insurance?

There’s no fixed number, but the pattern carriers watch is two or more comprehensive claims in three to five years. One is a non-event.

Does a windshield claim count against you?

Not the way an at-fault accident does. It’s logged on your CLUE report, but a single not-at-fault glass claim doesn’t raise rates on its own.

Do I really pay $0 in Florida?

If you carry comprehensive coverage, yes. Statute 627.7288 waives the windshield deductible. Liability-only and collision-only policies don’t qualify.

Does the $0 law cover my side or rear windows too?

No. The deductible waiver is windshield-specific. Side and rear glass are covered by comprehensive but subject to your normal deductible.

Suncoast Auto GlassFlorida’s mobile auto glass specialists — windshield repair, replacement, and ADAS recalibration, serving the Suncoast and Central Florida. We bill insurance directly. Call 813-355-3465.