If your policy includes comprehensive coverage, Florida law says the deductible does not apply to windshield damage, so a replacement or chip repair usually costs you nothing out of pocket. Since policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2023, you can no longer sign your glass claim over to a shop through an assignment of benefits, and shops may no longer offer cash or gifts for filing a claim. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Florida has had a windshield-friendly insurance rule for decades. Section 627.7288 of the Florida Statutes says that when a policy includes comprehensive coverage, the deductible does not apply to damage to the windshield. A $500 or $1,000 comprehensive deductible simply drops out for windshield claims. Side windows, rear glass and sunroofs are not named in that section, so a broken door window is normally subject to your regular deductible.
For years that rule came paired with a business model built on assignment of benefits, often called AOB. A driver signed a short form, the shop billed the insurer directly, and if the insurer paid less than the invoice, the shop sued in the driver's place. Figures the Florida Department of Financial Services gave the Senate show auto glass lawsuits climbing from 435 in 2011 to 33,196 in 2022. The Legislature responded in 2023 with CS/SB 1002, signed in May 2023 as Chapter 2023-136, Laws of Florida.
This guide explains what that law did, what still applies, and the situations where you might owe money. It is general information about Florida law as published in the 2025 Florida Statutes, not legal advice for your claim. Policy wording varies, so read your own declarations page, and talk to your insurer or a Florida-licensed attorney if a dispute is at stake.
Symptoms
- A glass shop offered a free windshield as long as you sign a form before they start
- Someone knocked on your door or approached you in a parking lot offering a free windshield
- You were promised a gift card, cash back or a car wash for filing a glass claim
- Your insurer quoted one price and the shop you chose quoted a higher one
- You were billed separately for a camera calibration after a replacement
- You are not sure whether you have comprehensive coverage at all
Likely causes and what they cost
1. You carry comprehensive coverage and the windshield is damaged
Usually $0 to youThis is the situation s. 627.7288 covers. Comprehensive pays for damage not caused by a collision, such as a rock strike or falling branch, and the statute removes the deductible for the windshield. Most financed and leased cars are required by the lender to carry comprehensive, so most drivers with newer cars fall here.
The fix: Call your insurer or its glass claims line, report the damage, and choose a shop. The insurer typically pays the shop directly at an agreed price.
2. You carry only the state minimum coverage
Chip repair $60-$150; replacement roughly $300-$1,500 depending on glass features and calibrationFlorida requires only personal injury protection and property damage liability. Neither pays to fix your own glass. Without comprehensive, the zero-deductible rule never comes into play.
The fix: Pay the shop directly. Ask for a repair if the chip qualifies, and get two quotes for a replacement, specifying whether calibration is included.
3. The broken glass is a side window, rear window or sunroof
Door glass typically $200-$450; rear glass with defroster $300-$700; your deductible appliesThe statute speaks only to the windshield. Other glass is still covered under comprehensive, but your normal deductible applies unless your policy has an optional full glass endorsement that waives it.
The fix: Compare the replacement quote with your deductible before filing. If the glass costs less than the deductible, a claim gains you nothing.
4. Price gap between your insurer and the shop you chose
Anywhere from $0 to a few hundred dollars if you agree to pay a differenceInsurers negotiate rates with network shops. You may still choose any shop, but if an out-of-network shop charges more than the insurer will pay, the difference is now a matter between you, the shop and the insurer. Since July 2023 a shop cannot take over your claim through an AOB to fight that gap on its own.
The fix: Before work starts, ask the shop in writing whether it accepts the insurer's price as payment in full. Get the agreed price on the work order.
5. Camera calibration not approved or billed separately
Usually covered with the claim; $150-$450 if you pay on your ownCars with a windshield camera need it calibrated after replacement. In a 2023 AAA study on three 2023 models, the ADAS share of a windshield replacement averaged about $360 of a roughly $1,440 total. The 2023 law expressly includes calibration in the AOB ban, which tells you calibration is part of the glass claim.
The fix: Make sure the claim includes calibration before the glass goes in. Ask for the calibration printout or report when you pick up the car.
Costs are typical South Florida ranges for parts and labor, for budgeting only.
What you can check yourself
- 1Read your declarations page
Look for a line that says comprehensive or other than collision, and note the deductible. If you see a glass or full glass endorsement, note that too. This takes two minutes in your insurer's app.
- 2Know what an assignment form looks like
Any paper or tablet screen that assigns or transfers your insurance benefits or claim payment to the shop is an assignment agreement, whatever it is titled. For policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2023, s. 627.7289 makes such an agreement void and unenforceable. Ask what you are signing. A work authorization or a direction to pay is not the same as an assignment, and the line between them is a legal question.
- 3Turn down cash, gift cards and other perks
Chapter 2023-136 amended the Florida Motor Vehicle Repair Act, s. 559.920, to make it unlawful for a repair shop or its employees to offer anything of value in exchange for making a glass claim. A shop that offers $100 cash back is telling you it is willing to break that rule.
- 4Get the price and calibration in writing
Florida's Motor Vehicle Repair Act generally requires a written estimate before work over $150 begins. Ask for the glass part, calibration and any out-of-pocket amount on that estimate.
- 5Call the insurer yourself
Report the claim directly with your insurer or its glass line rather than letting a stranger file it for you. AAA advises the same, and warns that unsolicited free-windshield offers can be a sign of insurance fraud.
When to take it to a shop
- If a shop has sued your insurer in your name, or you are being billed for a balance after a claim, talk to a Florida-licensed attorney or your insurer's claims department.
- If you believe a shop broke the inducement ban or misrepresented a repair, you can file a complaint with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which registers repair shops under the Motor Vehicle Repair Act.
- If you think your insurer handled the claim unfairly, the Florida Department of Financial Services runs a consumer helpline for insurance complaints.
- If the glass is cracked in front of the driver, get it replaced first and sort out billing after. Safety comes before paperwork.
The Florida factor
Palm Beach County is a high-claim area for glass. Constant construction around new developments, dump trucks on State Road 7 and gravel on the shoulders of I-95 send stones into windshields daily, and the heat helps those chips run. For years, that combination made South Florida a center of the AOB lawsuit wave, with door-to-door glass solicitors working condo parking lots and grocery store lots from Boca to Boynton. The 2023 law was aimed squarely at that practice.
Snowbirds should check two details. First, if your car is insured on a policy from another state while it spends the winter here, Florida's zero-deductible statute applies to policies delivered or issued in Florida, so your out-of-state policy terms control. Second, the AOB ban is tied to Florida policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2023. Claims on older policy terms followed the old rules. By late 2026 virtually every active Florida policy has renewed since then, but an older pending dispute may still be governed by the prior law. If that is your situation, ask an attorney.
One point that remains unclear from the statute text alone is how courts will treat every form a shop might use, such as a direction to pay that is not styled as an assignment. The statute says an assignment agreement is any instrument however denominated, which suggests courts will look past the title. Until appellate courts settle the edge cases, treat any form that sends your claim money or claim rights to the shop with caution.
Notes for specific makes
- Subaru: EyeSight cameras need calibration after a windshield replacement, and Subaru recommends specific glass. Confirm the claim covers both the correct glass and the calibration, or you may face errors and a second visit.
- Tesla: Tesla windshields include camera hardware and many cars have glass roofs, which are separate from the windshield under the statute. A cracked glass roof is not a windshield claim, so your comprehensive deductible likely applies.
Auto Glass shops near Boca Raton
- Boca Raton Auto Glass Repair1750 Arcadia Way, Boca Raton, FL 33432, Boca Raton, FL
- Florida Prime GlassBoca Raton, FL
Frequently asked questions
Will a windshield claim raise my insurance rate in Florida?
A glass-only comprehensive claim is usually treated differently from an at-fault crash, but rating rules vary by insurer and the statute does not forbid a rate effect. Ask your insurer directly. Many drivers make several glass claims without a change, but that is not a guarantee.
Can my insurer make me use its shop?
Florida law, s. 626.9743, generally protects your choice of repair shop. An insurer can recommend network shops and set the price it will pay. If an insurer requires a specific shop, the law requires that shop to restore the vehicle to its prior condition.
What exactly did the 2023 law change?
CS/SB 1002, Chapter 2023-136, did three things. It created s. 627.7289, which voids assignments of post-loss glass benefits, including ADAS calibration, for policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2023. It amended s. 559.920 to bar shops from offering anything of value for a glass claim. And it updated the Motor Vehicle Repair Act definitions so businesses that calibrate driver assistance systems are covered.
Did the December 2022 special session change auto glass claims?
The late-2022 special session ended assignment of benefits for property insurance, such as homeowners policies. It did not create the auto glass ban. That came separately in the 2023 regular session through SB 1002. Many news stories blur the two.
Is a chip repair free too?
In practice, most insurers waive any cost for a chip repair under comprehensive because it prevents a far more expensive replacement. The statute addresses windshield damage generally, so a repair falls under the same no-deductible rule.
Related guides
More on this job: Auto Glass in Boca Raton, costs and how to choose a shop
- Florida Statutes s. 627.7288, no deductible for windshield
- Florida Statutes s. 627.7289, glass AOB prohibited
- Florida Senate, CS/SB 1002 (2023) Motor Vehicle Glass
- Florida Senate bill analysis for SB 1002, with glass lawsuit data
- AAA: advanced driving systems raise repair costs (2023 study)
General information, not a diagnosis. A car problem can have causes a guide cannot see, so have anything safety-related inspected in person. Read our editorial policy.