Full glass coverage is one of those insurance phrases people hear about from a friend in another state, or see in a windshield ad, and then cannot find on their own policy. This page explains what the phrase usually means, why North Carolina drivers cannot assume they have it, how the comprehensive deductible on a windshield works when they do not, and the few questions that tell you which situation you are in. It is written for Raleigh drivers by Impex Auto Glass, which works with all major insurance providers.
This is general information, not advice on your own policy. Policies differ, insurers word things differently, and only your policy documents and your agent can tell you what yours pays.
Know the cost before you check the policy
Send the vehicle and the damage and Impex Auto Glass comes back with a quote. Then you know what the deductible is being weighed against.
What full glass coverage usually means
In everyday use, full glass coverage means a policy that pays for glass damage without the usual comprehensive deductible, or with a smaller deductible for glass than for other comprehensive losses. Some policies include it; many do not. Where it exists, it is a feature of the individual policy, not of the state, and it can be worded as a separate glass deductible, a glass endorsement or a line on the declarations page.
That is why the same cracked windshield can cost one Raleigh driver their whole comprehensive deductible and the driver next door very little. The glass, the job and the shop can be identical. The difference is in the policy.
No North Carolina law requires it
Some states write full glass into law. Florida’s statute, F.S. 627.7288, says the deductible ‘shall not be applicable to damage to the windshield’, which covers the windshield only. South Carolina’s code, 38-77-280(B), goes further: ‘Any automobile physical damage insurance coverage deductible or policy deductible does not apply to automobile safety glass.’
North Carolina has no statute like either. The NC Department of Insurance describes comprehensive coverage as paying ‘the cost of repair or ACV of your automobile less any deductible’, and it lists ‘Breakage of glass’ among comprehensive losses. Impex says the same on its own pages: North Carolina doesn’t have a zero-deductible glass law. So in this state, full glass coverage exists only if your own policy includes it.
If you moved here
Drivers who moved to Raleigh from Florida or South Carolina sometimes expect glass to be free of the deductible because it was at home. That came from their old state’s law. A North Carolina policy follows North Carolina rules.
The comprehensive deductible on a windshield
Without full glass coverage, a windshield claim in North Carolina is a comprehensive claim like any other, and the comprehensive deductible applies. You pay up to that amount; the claim pays the rest of the covered cost. If the job costs less than the deductible, the claim pays nothing.
- A small chip repair often costs less than a typical comprehensive deductible. Paying directly is usually simpler.
- A side window after a break-in is a short job; compare its quote with your deductible before you claim.
- A full windshield with camera calibration on a newer car is the larger bill, and the one where comprehensive does the most work for you.
Impex quotes are fully inclusive, with no hidden fees, upsells, delivery charges, fuel fees or disposal fees, so the quote you get is a fair number to set against your deductible.
What does a $500 deductible with zero-dollar glass mean?
It is a common question, and the answer is in the two numbers. The $500 is the comprehensive deductible: what you pay toward most comprehensive losses, like a tree limb denting the hood. The zero-dollar glass part means that glass damage is treated differently, with no deductible on glass claims. On a policy worded that way, a covered windshield would be paid without the $500 coming out of your pocket.
Two cautions. First, the words on your policy decide it, so read the declarations page or ask your agent rather than relying on a summary. Second, some policies separate repair from replacement, or windshields from other glass. Ask which glass and which kind of job the glass deductible covers.
How to check whether you have full glass coverage
Five minutes with your policy, or one call to your agent, settles it. These are the questions to answer.
- Do I carry comprehensive? Glass is normally paid under comprehensive. If you do not have it, ask how glass damage is treated.
- What is my comprehensive deductible? It is on the declarations page next to the coverage.
- Is there a separate glass deductible or glass endorsement? Look for a line that mentions glass. If there is one, note its amount.
- Does it cover repair, replacement or both? And does it cover all glass, or the windshield only?
- Is calibration of the windshield camera part of a covered glass job? On newer cars it often comes with a replacement.
If you find you do not have full glass coverage and want it, ask your agent whether it can be added to your policy, from when, and what it would cost. We cannot answer that for any insurer, because it varies.
What full glass coverage does not change
With or without full glass coverage, three North Carolina rules stay the same.
- You choose the glass company. G.S. 58-3-180 says the policy ‘shall allow the claimant to select the repair service or source for the repair of the damage’, and the insurer pays the same amount whichever you select.
- A glass claim adds no SDIP points. The NCDOI says points are charged for convictions and at-fault accidents; glass breakage is neither. Insurers may still consider how often you claim.
- The job still has to be done right. A windshield with no deductible is still part of the car’s restraint system, as the Auto Glass Safety Council puts it, and still needs the camera calibrated when the car calls for it.
That first rule matters most when glass is fully paid. A free-to-you windshield can make it tempting to accept whichever shop is suggested on the claim call. You do not have to. If an insurer recommends a shop, G.S. 58-3-180(b1) requires it to tell you that you are under no obligation to use it and whether it has a financial interest in that shop.
Repair or replace when your policy pays for glass
Full glass coverage removes the money question, but not the glass question. Impex’s test is that a repair may be possible when the damage is small, shallow and away from the edges, and the ROLAGS repair standard allows stone breaks up to two inches across and single line cracks up to 14 inches. A repair keeps the original glass and its factory seal in place. A crack at the edge, in front of the driver or across the camera’s view usually means replacement.
If the windshield is replaced, Impex performs ADAS calibration on site immediately after, with static and dynamic calibration in one visit, and says most calibrations take 30 minutes to 2 hours. I-CAR lists removing the windshield as an event that may require the forward camera to be aimed again. Make sure the claim includes it.
Using it in Raleigh
If you have full glass coverage and a cracked windshield Inside the Beltline, the steps are the same as any glass claim: report it, name Impex Auto Glass as your choice, and book a time for the mobile visit at your home, office or parking deck. Impex’s claims guide says it handles the insurance claim process for you, with direct insurance billing. The insurer guides show the steps for Progressive windshield replacement, State Farm windshield replacement and GEICO windshield replacement, and our page on whether comprehensive covers a windshield sets out the coverage itself.
Not sure what your policy pays for glass? Call Impex Auto Glass and talk it through.
Questions drivers ask
Is full glass coverage required in North Carolina?
No. North Carolina has no law requiring full glass coverage or waiving the deductible for glass. Some policies include it; check yours.
Can I get a windshield replaced for nothing in North Carolina?
There is no state program or law that makes windshields free. A windshield costs you nothing only when your own policy, through full glass coverage, pays the whole covered cost.
Does the comprehensive deductible apply to a windshield?
Yes, unless your policy says otherwise. The NCDOI says comprehensive pays less any deductible, and glass breakage is a comprehensive loss.
If I have full glass coverage, can I still choose Impex?
Yes. Under G.S. 58-3-180 you choose the repair service on any motor vehicle damage claim, and the insurer pays the same either way.
Will using full glass coverage add points to my policy?
A glass claim is not an at-fault accident, so it adds no SDIP points. Insurers may still consider how often you file claims.
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