Does GEICO Cover Windshield Replacement?

Last Updated on October 9, 2023

GEICO typically covers windshield damage under comprehensive coverage. Alternatively, some drivers carry GEICO’s glass claim service.

If you have comprehensive coverage with GEICO, then GEICO should cover the cost of repairing or replacing your windshield. Depending on your state, you may or may not need to pay a deductible.

Keep reading to discover everything you need to know about how GEICO covers windshield replacement.

Table of Contents:

• How to Make a Windshield Insurance Claim with GEICO
• GEICO Comprehensive Coverage Should Cover Broken Glass
• Do I Pay My Deductible?
• Can I Repair Glass Damage?
• GEICO Windshield Replacement by State
• Glass Damage from Car Accidents
• Types of Car Insurance

How to Make a Windshield Insurance Claim with GEICO

If your windshield is damaged, then report the damage to GEICO as soon as possible.

GEICO recommends reporting a claim online via this form. You can also call GEICO’s windshield claim phone number at 1-800-510-2291. After reporting the claim, you can then schedule an appointment to repair or replace the glass damage.

While waiting for windshield repairs, take action to protect your vehicle. If a chunk of glass has broken away from your windshield, for example, and exposed the interior to the elements, then you need to take steps to protect your vehicle from further damage. Park in a garage or covered area. Or, cover the opening with tape and plastic. Avoid injuring yourself on broken glass.

Once your windshield repair appointment arrives, it takes approximately 20 to 30 minutes to repair or replace your broken windshield. Some windshield repairs can be done at your place of residence by a mobile repair technician while some repairs need to be done at the repair shop. GEICO often recommends Safelite for windshield repairs and replacements, but you can use any authorized specialist.

GEICO Comprehensive Coverage Should Cover Broken Glass

GEICO typically covers broken glass via comprehensive coverage. If you have comprehensive coverage, then you should be able to make a broken glass insurance claim.

Comprehensive coverage is optional in all states. However, many drivers carry comprehensive coverage for added protection. It’s part of any full coverage car insurance package.

As long as you have comprehensive coverage, your GEICO policy should cover broken glass. If you only have basic liability coverage, for example, which is the minimum required insurance in most states, then you cannot make a broken glass insurance claim.

Do I Pay My Deductible?

GEICO may waive your deductible for glass repairs, but the company is unlikely to waive the deductible for glass replacement. Here’s how GEICO.com explains it:

“If you have the appropriate coverage, GEICO will waive your deductible when you have your glass repaired.”

Some states require insurers to not charge deductibles for windshield repairs. Some policyholders also pay extra for $0 deductible glass coverage.

In most states, however, you will pay your deductible for windshield repairs and replacements. This deductible could be $150 to $300. After paying your deductible, GEICO covers all remaining costs of repairing or replacing your windshield.

Note: If you only have small windshield chips or cracks that need to be repaired (not replaced), then GEICO may waive your deductible and cover the cost of glass repairs.

Can I Repair Glass Damage?

GEICO recommends repairing any chips or cracks on your windshield that are smaller than a dollar bill. If your chips or cracks are smaller than a dollar bill, then they could be repairable. You can repair it yourself. Or, you can take it to a shop. GEICO often recommends Safelite AutoGlass for windshield repair and replacement.

Benefits of repairing your windshield include:

• If you have the appropriate coverage, GEICO will waive your deductible for glass repairs (GEICO will rarely waive the cost of windshield replacements)
• It takes around 30 minutes to repair your windshield (and longer to replace your windshield)
• When you repair your windshield, it leaves the original factory-installed seal in place
• Windshield repair leaves only a slight blemish that becomes less noticeable over time

GEICO Windshield Replacement by State

Depending on your state, you may or may not pay your deductible for windshield repairs and replacements.

Florida, Kentucky, and South Carolina require insurance companies to waive the comprehensive coverage deductible for windshield repairs and replacements. If you live in any of these three states and make a windshield repair or replacement claim, then you will not pay a deductible. States enacted this law to encourage policyholders to fix problems before it becomes serious.

Arizona, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and New York require insurers to offer $0 windshield replacement deductibles. If you live in these states, then GEICO must offer a $0 windshield deductible option (say, for a few extra dollars per year).

Regardless of your state, you may be able to add $0 windshield replacement to your policy. GEICO offers this option in several states for an added cost.

In all other states, you should need to pay your comprehensive deductible for windshield replacement.

Glass Damage from Car Accidents

If the glass damage occurs from a car accident, then GEICO may cover it in different ways.

If the accident was the other driver’s fault, then you can make a claim through the other driver’s property damage liability coverage. The other driver’s insurance will cover the cost of replacing or repairing your windshield at no cost to you.

If the accident was your own fault, then you can make a claim for windshield repairs and replacements through your own collision coverage. You pay your deductible, and insurance covers all remaining costs.

Types of Car Insurance

To understand if your car insurance policy covers windshield replacement, it helps to understand how insurance works. GEICO only covers windshield replacement if you have comprehensive coverage, which is optional in every state.

Here are the types of car insurance and what covers windshield replacement.

Liability Insurance: Includes bodily injury and property damage liability coverage, both of which are required in most states. Liability insurance covers damage you cause to other people. It does not cause damage to your own vehicle.

Collision Coverage: Collision coverage is optional in every state and protects your own vehicle. If you get into an accident and damage or destroy your vehicle, then you can make a claim through collision coverage.

Comprehensive Coverage: Comprehensive coverage is optional in every state and protects your own vehicle from damages that occur outside of an accident, including windshield damages. If a rock, animal, hailstone, or windstorm damages your windshield, for example, then you can make a claim through your comprehensive coverage.

If you do not have collision or comprehensive coverage (i.e. full coverage), then you cannot make a claim for windshield replacement. Drivers who only have minimum liability car insurance plans, for example, cannot make a windshield repair or replacement claim.

Final Word on GEICO’s Windshield Replacement

GEICO covers windshield replacement if you have comprehensive coverage. Depending on your state and coverage, you may need to pay a deductible, and GEICO will cover all remaining costs of windshield replacement.

In some states, and in cases where the driver has $0 deductible windshield coverage, you do not need to pay a deductible for windshield repairs or replacements with GEICO.

To learn more about GEICO’s windshield replacement and how it works, contact GEICO to make a claim online or via phone today.