Not all car insurance policies cover vandalism. Your car insurance covers vandalism if you have comprehensive coverage, but it won't be covered otherwise.

Written by Olivia Rose

Reviewed by Kathleen Flear

Updated on Dec 6, 2022

Table of Contents

Car vandalism definition
Insurance coverage
Does full coverage cover vandalism?
When to file a claim
How to make a claim
Do I have coverage?
FAQs

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Your car insurance will only cover vandalism if you have

comprehensive coverage

for your vehicle. Comprehensive coverage is not legally required in any state, so you’ll need to decide whether it’s worthwhile to purchase it from your insurance provider.

If you’re wondering whether your policy will cover vandalism damage, you’re in luck! The

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What is car vandalism?

Car or auto vandalism refers to criminal damage to your vehicle, such as broken windows, keyed or scratched paint, knifed or stolen tires, or spray paint on the body of your car.

MORE:

What does comprehensive insurance cover?

Does car insurance cover vandalism?

Your car insurance policy will only cover vandalism if you purchased comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage is optional and is not

required insurance

in any state, so you will need to opt in for comprehensive coverage when purchasing your policy.

It’s important to note that comprehensive coverage does not cover personal items stolen from your vehicle. If your car windows were smashed open and the vandal stole personal belongings (like a purse or laptop), your comprehensive coverage would only cover the windows.

That said, many home and renter’s insurance policies will cover stolen personal belongings.

Does full coverage car insurance cover vandalism to my vehicle?

Whether your

full-coverage car insurance

will cover vandalism depends on the details of your policy.

There is no strict definition of what "full-coverage" insurance is. It typically includes standard

liability insurance

, plus comprehensive and

collision insurance

. But since there are many different

types of insurance

, you’ll specifically need to pay for comprehensive coverage if you want vandalism covered.

Check with your insurance provider or review your policy to see whether or not you have comprehensive coverage. If you do, you're covered from vandalism.

Policy reviews are also a great time to ensure you’re getting the best price on your insurance.

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After providing you with a comprehensive cross-analysis of the best policies across providers, Jerry will handle the phone calls, paperwork, and renewals for your top pick so that you don’t have to. So why do all that extra work when Jerry can do it better?

Key Takeaway Your car insurance policy will not necessarily cover vandalism, even if your insurance is "full coverage." You will need comprehensive insurance to pay for damage from vandalism.

When should I make a vandalism claim?

Once you’ve verified your coverage, you can decide whether to make a claim for vandalism damage. Making a claim for vandalism isn’t necessarily your best option.

Even if you have comprehensive insurance that covers vandalism to your car, you’ll have to meet a

comprehensive deductible

before your insurance coverage kicks in. If the repair cost is only slightly more than your deductible, it might not be worth it to file a claim. Filing a claim can increase your premiums for a certain amount of time, so it might be worth it to just pay out of pocket instead to save money in the long run.

And if the repair cost is less than your deductible, it definitely isn’t worth it!

MORE:

How to choose a deductible for car insurance

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My car got vandalized, now what?

File a police report

Vandalism is a criminal offense and should be properly (and punctually) reported. If you file a claim with your insurance provider without having reported vandalism to the police, your provider is more likely to suspect insurance fraud.

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Safely document all the damage

Vandalism and

car theft

claims are often fraudulent, so this is an especially important step to make sure you’re properly covered for all the damage to your vehicle. Take pictures of the damage incurred to your vehicle when it was vandalized.

File a claim with your insurance company

To file a

car insurance claim report

, you’ll need to call your insurance company and speak with an agent or claims adjuster. Claims adjusters will do their due diligence to make sure an insurance claim isn’t an act of insurance fraud, so if you decide to file a claim for vandalism, it’s best to contact your provider as soon as possible.

Repair your vehicle

After the damage is assessed by the police and a claims adjuster, you’ll pay the deductible and have your vehicle repaired. You should not have your car repaired or altered in any way before it is fully assessed by the necessary parties. But once you get the go-ahead from your insurer, you can take your car in for repairs.

Your insurance provider might require that you use a certain auto body shop. After you pay the deductible, they will either reimburse you any cost beyond the deductible or pay the auto shop directly.

Key Takeaway If you decide to file a claim, be sure to file a police report and have an adjuster assess your vehicle before getting it repaired.

How to ensure you have coverage that protects you from vandalism

If you want coverage for vandalism, you’ll need to purchase comprehensive coverage—and

Jerry

is here to help.

Jerry is a

trustworthy licensed insurance broker

and car insurance comparison app that compiles car insurance quotes from over 55 car insurance providers to help you quickly and efficiently locate the best deals possible.

Purchasing additional coverage for your vehicle might mean paying a bit more each month—but the average Jerry customer saves $879 a year on their premium, meaning you’ll have some spare change to put towards additional peace of mind about your vehicle.

Jerry customers have nothing but praise for the money and time they’re saving:

"I was coming up on my renewal. My insurance went up to $225 from $185 with nothing on my driving record. After putting my information into the app,
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Frequently asked questions

Do you have to pay a deductible for vandalism?

Most of the time, yes. It’s rare to have comprehensive coverage without a deductible. But the amount of the deductible will depend on your policy. Check with your insurance provider to verify your comprehensive coverage and the amount of your deductible.

What do I do if someone vandalized my car?

First, report the vandalism to the police. Then, check with your insurance policy to see if you have comprehensive coverage that covers vandalism.

Have an auto body shop assess the damages and give you an estimated cost for repairs. If you have comprehensive coverage and the cost of repairs drastically exceeds your deductible, file a claim with your insurance provider to cover the cost of repairs.