Does Farm Bureau Cover Windshield Replacement? Deductibles and Claims

Farm Bureau does cover windshield replacement, provided the vehicle carries comprehensive coverage on its policy. Glass damage from a rock, hail, a falling branch, or similar causes is paid under comprehensive (sometimes labeled “Other Than Collision”), and you’ll owe your comprehensive deductible on a full replacement in most states. Small chip repairs usually come with the deductible waived. If the glass broke in an actual crash, the claim shifts to collision coverage instead.¹

One thing to know up front: Farm Bureau isn’t a single national insurer. It’s a network of state-level companies that share the name, and each sets its own terms. The framework below holds across the affiliates, but the exact deductible, filing process, and phone number depend on which state wrote your policy.

What Coverage You Need on Your Policy

Comprehensive is the coverage that pays for glass. If your policy is liability-only, Farm Bureau will not pay for damage to your own windshield, and you’ll cover the replacement yourself. Check your declarations page: you’re looking for comprehensive or “Other Than Collision” listed as an active coverage with a dollar deductible next to it.

If the windshield cracked during a collision rather than from a flying rock or weather, the claim may run under your collision coverage instead, with the collision deductible applying.¹

What You’ll Pay Out of Pocket

For a full windshield replacement, your comprehensive deductible applies. If you picked a $500 deductible when you bought the policy, that’s what you owe before Farm Bureau pays the rest. Indiana Farm Bureau’s lowest available deductible for Other Than Collision coverage is $100, and higher deductibles are common where policyholders chose them to keep premiums down.²

Chip repairs are treated differently. North Carolina Farm Bureau waives the deductible for a chip repair but charges the full comprehensive deductible for a replacement. If a chip repair fails and the windshield later needs replacing, the deductible kicks in at that point.³ Indiana Farm Bureau follows the same pattern: deductible waived for repairs (with some limitations), deductible applied for replacements.²

The Farm Bureau affiliates reviewed don’t appear to sell a standalone “full glass” endorsement that eliminates the deductible on glass claims specifically. You work within the standard comprehensive deductible you already carry.³²

Three States Where You Owe Nothing

In Florida, Kentucky, and South Carolina, state law overrides whatever deductible appears on your policy for windshield claims. Farm Bureau has to waive it, same as every other insurer.

Florida. Insurers cannot apply a comprehensive deductible to windshield repair or replacement.⁴
Kentucky. KRS 304.20-060 requires that repair or replacement of safety glass in windshields, doors, and windows be covered with no deductible for anyone carrying comprehensive. Call-center staff sometimes don’t know the law, so be prepared to push back if you’re told a deductible applies.⁵⁶
South Carolina. Under SC Code Section 38-77-280(B), insurers must waive the deductible for safety glass replacement when the policyholder has comprehensive coverage.⁷

Will They Repair It or Replace It?

The shop, not you, makes this call based on the damage. Safelite, which handles glass claims for many Farm Bureau affiliates, considers a crack generally repairable if it’s shorter than a dollar bill, about six inches.⁴ Replacement is typically required when damage goes past the halfway point of the glass thickness, when there are more than two damaged spots, when a crack runs edge to edge, or when the damage sits in the driver’s direct line of sight.⁸

The money gap is significant. A chip repair often runs under $100. A full replacement starts around $300 to $500 for older vehicles and can top $1,000 for newer cars equipped with advanced driver-assistance systems, because the cameras and sensors mounted to the glass have to be recalibrated after the swap.⁹ Idaho Farm Bureau notes that recalibration may be required for vehicles with features like lane departure warnings or automatic braking, and the repair shop is responsible for confirming those requirements with the owner.¹⁰

OEM Versus Aftermarket Glass

Farm Bureau policies generally cover replacement glass of “like kind and quality,” which means aftermarket glass meeting the original specifications. Idaho Farm Bureau reimburses the full cost of original equipment manufacturer (OEM) glass on current-year vehicles and those one model year older. For anything older, if you specifically want OEM glass you pay the price difference yourself.¹⁰

You’re usually free to pick your own shop, but choosing a provider outside the insurer’s preferred network, such as a dealership, can leave you owing the difference between that shop’s price and the rate Farm Bureau has negotiated elsewhere.³

How to File the Claim

Most Farm Bureau affiliates route glass claims through Safelite Solutions or a similar third-party glass network that schedules the work and coordinates with a local shop. The entry point depends on the affiliate: some offer online glass claim filing through the member portal, others ask you to call a dedicated glass number, and nearly all let you contact your local agent to start the process.¹¹³¹² You’ll need your policy number and the approximate date of the damage. Mobile service is widely available, so the shop can usually come to your home or workplace rather than requiring you to drive on cracked glass.

If you don’t want the damage repaired at all, Idaho Farm Bureau will pay the claim but then remove comprehensive and collision coverage on the damaged parts of the vehicle going forward.¹⁰

Should You Even File?

A glass claim doesn’t automatically raise your premium, but it’s not guaranteed to be free of consequence either. Indiana Farm Bureau says filing a claim may affect your insurance record and that the company re-evaluates risk periodically using claims history as one factor.² Idaho Farm Bureau notes similarly that rates are influenced by the number and cost of claims filed.¹⁰

Do the math before you call. If your deductible is $500 and the replacement is $400, there’s no point filing. You’d pay the full cost either way, and nothing lands on your record. Indiana Farm Bureau itself suggests that when the repair cost is minimal or less than the deductible, paying out of pocket may be the better choice.² A chip repair with the deductible waived is almost always worth filing. A replacement priced close to your deductible usually isn’t.

Because terms, deductibles, and processes vary by state affiliate, confirm the specifics with the local Farm Bureau agent listed on your declarations page before scheduling work.

1
Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance. Does Car Insurance Cover a Cracked Windshield
2
Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance. Does a Windshield Claim Increase Your Car Insurance in Indiana
3
NC Farm Bureau Insurance. Claims Glass
4
U.S. News & World Report. Does Insurance Cover Windshield Replacement
5
Kentucky Department of Insurance. Auto Home Rates Combined
6
LEX18 News. Got Insurance State Law Allows for Free Auto Glass Replacement
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South Carolina Department of Insurance. Auto Glass Coverage FAQ
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Safelite. Damaged Windshield Repair Replace
9
AAA. Car Insurance Cover Auto Glass Damage
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Idaho Farm Bureau Insurance. Auto Claim FAQs
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Virginia Farm Bureau. How to Submit Online Glass Claim
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Farm Bureau Financial Services. Auto Claims Center