120+ more){kind=small}
8+ years writing about insurance, taxes, and personal finance
Certified public accountant
Janet applies her experience in personal finance, taxes, and accounting to make complex financial topics accessible. Her byline has appeared on numerous web media.
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Licensed auto and home insurance agent
4+ years experience in insurance and personal finance editing
NPN: 20564519
Katie uses her knowledge and expertise as a licensed property and casualty agent in Massachusetts to help readers understand the complexities of insurance shopping.
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Licensed property and casualty insurance agent
10+ years editing experience
NPN: 21630969
MacKenzie Korris is an insurance copy editor with a producer’s license for property and casualty insurance in Missouri.
Updated
In Massachusetts, it’s illegal to drive with a windshield crack that obstructs your view.
The comprehensive coverage portion of a full-coverage car insurance policy pays for windshield replacement in Massachusetts.
Out-of-pocket windshield repair costs can range from $50 for a chip repair to $1,500 or more to replace a windshield with ADAS or HUD features.
Massachusetts car insurance covers windshield replacement only if you have comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for damage to your vehicle from things other than a collision, such as a falling branch, a hailstorm, fire, or theft.[1] Collision coverage pays for damage from an accident involving another car or object, not for routine glass damage, such as a chip from road debris.
Your insurance doesn’t pay for windshield repair or replacement if you have liability-only insurance coverage.
Massachusetts law requires insurance companies to offer an optional glass add-on with a $0 or $100 deductible.[2] Your deductible determines how much you pay out of pocket before coverage kicks in.
Full-coverage policies average $137/mo.
Massachusetts law doesn’t require you to buy windshield or glass coverage. Comprehensive coverage and the lower glass deductible add-on are optional.
Massachusetts requires four types of coverage, none of which cover damage to your vehicle:[3]
Bodily injury liability: $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident
Personal injury protection (PIP): $8,000
Uninsured motorist: $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident
Property damage liability: $30,000
State law doesn’t require comprehensive coverage, so it doesn’t require the related glass add-on either. Buying a full-coverage policy is the only way to get windshield coverage in Massachusetts.
Driving with a broken windshield in Massachusetts is illegal if the damage obstructs your view of the road.
You’ll fail your annual safety inspection if you have a crack or chip in the windshield within the critical viewing area. You get a “reject” sticker, and you have 60 days from the inspection date to repair your windshield and return it to the same station for reinspection.[4]
Don’t wait to get your windshield repaired. It’s illegal to drive your vehicle until you make the repair, even within the 60-day window. Plus, New England’s freeze-thaw winters can make minor cracks spread quickly.
A compromised windshield loses the structural integrity that helps support your car’s roof in a rollover accident. Repairing a small chip costs less than replacing the entire windshield later.
In Massachusetts, repairing your windshield typically costs anywhere from $50 for a minor chip repair to $1,500 or more for a luxury vehicle with sensor technology or cameras, as these features require specialized glass and calibration.
The following table breaks down typical price ranges for Massachusetts drivers by windshield type. Costs depend on your vehicle’s make and model, as well as your location.
Windshield Replacement Type | Average Cost Range |
|---|---|
| Chip or crack on the windshield | $50–$150 |
| Standard windshield (no sensors) | $250–$800 |
| Windshield with multi-sensor arrays | $300–$600 |
| Windshield with ADAS camera/calibration | $400–$1,400 |
| Luxury vehicle with HUD add-on | $700–$1,500+ |
Adding the $0 or $100 glass deductible is worth it for most Massachusetts drivers because the add-on cost is usually less than the $250–$1,500 or more you’d pay out of pocket to replace your windshield.
Filing a glass claim also generally won’t raise your premium, since Massachusetts insurance companies treat these as no-fault repair claims.
Factor your regular deductible into your decision, too. If you have a $1,000 comprehensive deductible, the cost of replacing your windshield might not clear it. That makes a low-deductible add-on even more valuable.
Frequent highway driving and winter freeze-thaw conditions in Massachusetts increase your odds of needing glass repair.
A windshield repair fills a small chip or a short crack with resin. It works when the damage is smaller than a quarter, shorter than six inches, and outside your direct line of sight. A windshield replacement swaps out the entire windshield.
While every insurance company operating in Massachusetts must offer glass coverage, GEICO, Travelers, and Liberty Mutual are stand-out options.
GEICO waives your deductible for repairable chips and offers fast glass-claim processing. Travelers guarantees repairs done by partner shops in its MyTravelers Repair Network as long as you own the vehicle. Liberty Mutual partners with Safelite to provide mobile service and waive deductibles for repairs.
The following table shows the average monthly quotes in Massachusetts for liability-only and full coverage from these three companies.
Insurance Company | Average Monthly Quote: Liability Only | Average Monthly Quote: Full Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| GEICO | $85 | $121 |
| Liberty Mutual | $125 | $181 |
| Travelers | $193 | $275 |
Find a policy with auto glass coverage
Before contacting your insurance company, gather your policy number, vehicle identification number, a photo of the damage, and the date and location where the damage occurred. Having these details ready speeds up the claim process.
Contact your insurance company. Call your insurance company’s claim-reporting line or use its online portal to report the damage. Some insurers have a special line or online form for reporting glass claims.
Choose a repair shop. You can use a repair shop your insurance company recommends or choose another registered shop.
Get authorization. Your insurance company or the shop confirms coverage and tells you whether you owe a deductible.
Complete the repair or replacement. Many shops offer mobile service and come to your home or workplace.
Massachusetts’ payment-timing protection law requires your insurer to pay the shop directly within seven days of submitting a completed work claim form in writing.[5]
Expert Insight: Does filing a windshield-replacement claim affect rates?
“Filing a windshield-replacement claim typically doesn’t affect your car insurance rates. Glass damage falls under the comprehensive coverage of your policy, and insurers typically don’t view this type of damage the same way as an at-fault accident.”
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As a Massachusetts driver, you should know about the state-specific rules and coverage options for windshield damage. Below are answers to some common questions about the state’s laws and insurance process.
It depends on the damage. A small crack or chip that’s not in your critical viewing area may not be a problem, but you can get a citation for one that obstructs your view. You’ll also likely fail your annual safety inspection if you have a damaged windshield.
If you get the auto glass replacement before your sticker expires, it shouldn’t affect the timing. But if you need auto glass repair because of a failed inspection, you have 60 days to get it reinspected without losing your sticker’s original expiration month.
Contact your insurance company’s glass claims line, choose a repair shop, and obtain authorization before scheduling service. Massachusetts state law requires your insurance company to pay the shop directly within seven days of receiving a completed work claim form.
A $0 glass deductible is an optional add-on that lets you repair or replace your windshield with no out-of-pocket cost. You must buy a full-coverage policy and select this option to avoid a deductible.
It usually takes about an hour for the repair, but most auto glass services recommend that you don’t drive the vehicle for at least an hour after the service is complete. Repairs may take an extra hour if your vehicle needs ADAS calibration.
Insurify data scientists analyzed more than 250 million quotes served to car insurance applicants in Insurify’s proprietary database to calculate the premium averages displayed on this page. These premiums are real quotes that come directly from Insurify’s 500+ partner insurance companies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Quote averages represent the median price for a quote across the given coverage level, driver subset, and geographic area.
Unless otherwise specified, quoted rates reflect the average cost for drivers between 20 and 70 years old with a clean driving record and average or better credit (a credit score of 600 or higher).
Liability-only premium averages correspond to policies with the following coverage limits:
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8+ years writing about insurance, taxes, and personal finance
Certified public accountant
Janet applies her experience in personal finance, taxes, and accounting to make complex financial topics accessible. Her byline has appeared on numerous web media.
Licensed auto and home insurance agent
4+ years experience in insurance and personal finance editing
NPN: 20564519
Katie uses her knowledge and expertise as a licensed property and casualty agent in Massachusetts to help readers understand the complexities of insurance shopping.
Licensed property and casualty insurance agent
10+ years editing experience
NPN: 21630969
MacKenzie Korris is an insurance copy editor with a producer’s license for property and casualty insurance in Missouri.
At Insurify, our goal is to help customers compare insurance products and find the best policy for them. We strive to provide open, honest, and unbiased information about the insurance products and services we review. Our hard-working team of data analysts, insurance experts, insurance agents, editors and writers, has put in thousands of hours of research to create the content found on our site.
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