Colorado Windshield Replacement Law
There’s no law in Colorado that governs windshield replacement or related insurance coverage, but you can be ticketed if a windshield crack is too big.
Written by Jasmine Kanter
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
There is no
Colorado
windshield replacement law that regulates your windshield's condition, its replacement, or whether your car insurance
company can charge you a deductible to repair it.Does Colorado law cover windshield replacement?
No. In Colorado, a windshield replacement is the same as any other car repair. Depending on the circumstances, it’s up to you or your
insurance to cover windshield crack repair
costs.Who pays for windshield replacement in Colorado?
It depends on the cause of the damage and what kind of coverage the policyholder has.
- If the collision was your fault, use collision coverage. If you accidentally backed your hatchback into a tree, your rear windshield would be covered bycollision insurance. Collision insurance pays for repairs after you hit another car or stationary object, even if you're at fault.
- If there was no collision, use comprehensive coverage. Alternatively, if your windshield was damaged by hail, vandalism, fire, or some other outside force, it would fall undercomprehensive insurance.
- After a collision that was another person’s fault, file a windshield claim with their company. If the damage was caused by another person in a car accident,file a car insurance claimwith the other driver’s insurance company. UnderColorado car insurance laws, drivers must carry a minimum of $15,000 inproperty damage liability. This should cover the cost of repairing or replacing a windshield.
- If you had no coverage, pay out-of-pocket. This is the worst-case scenario, where you’re at fault and/or you aren’t carrying any extra coverage. In this case, you’d have no choice but to pay for the repairs yourself.
Important note: If another driver damaged your windshield, but they’re uninsured (or underinsured), you’ll be left holding the bill unless you’re carrying
uninsured motorist coverage
.Before you file a glass claim against your insurance policy for windshield replacement, consider the issue of insurance deductibles.
If the cost of fixing or repairing your windshield is less than your per-incident deductible, it may be simpler to pay out of pocket rather than filing a claim.
Say your comprehensive deductible is $500 and your auto glass repair will cost $450. You’ll end up paying the $450 anyway, so that’s a classic case of
when not to make a claim
with your car insurance company.Does Colorado law require auto insurance coverage for windshield repair?
No—car insurance coverage is not required to pay for broken windshield repairs in Colorado.
Glass damage may be covered by collision, comprehensive, or uninsured motorist insurance, but these are all optional coverages in Colorado.
Furthermore, the law doesn't require an insurance agency to use the original manufacturer's equipment (OEM) to repair your vehicle. Instead, they may fix your damaged windshield with a used or aftermarket type of glass. For instance, if you want a genuine
Dodge
windshield on your Dodge Ram 2500
, consider OEM coverage
or ask for an OEM rule on your policy.Other states: In Arizona and Kentucky, policyholders are guaranteed full glass coverage without a deductible to people who have comprehensive coverage. In New York, Massachusetts, and Florida, providers must offer some glass coverage for a zero-deductible. Unfortunately, this is not available in Colorado.
Do I need to replace my cracked windshield in Colorado?
Possibly. A good rule of thumb is that whenever you see damage on the glass bigger than a three-quarter-inch circle (or within three inches of another damaged area), it's time for glass repair or glass replacement.
A small crack can turn into a big problem if it’s struck with enough force. Safety glazing is required on auto glass, so it won't shatter, but you won’t be able to see anything past the thick spider web of cracks in front of you.
Colorado specific laws: According to the Colorado Revised Statutes, every driver's vision must be "normal and unobstructed" (
C.R.S. 42-4-201
). In other words, if a police officer thinks the cracks count as obstructions, they have a legal basis to ticket you under state laws. This is even true if you’ve merely forgotten to clean the inside of your car windshield
!Federal law: Federal highways carry their own rules and regulations. If your windshield cracks are bigger than a quarter inch or intersect with another crack, the Federal Highway Administration can penalize you.
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