Tampa Bay · guide · checked October 2026
Out-of-state car insurance and a Tampa windshield.
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Florida's no-deductible windshield rule is written for Florida policies. Plenty of cars around the bay carry a policy from somewhere else: a student's car insured at home, a family that moved here this summer, a winter resident. Here is how to tell which rules your windshield falls under.
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The words that matter
“Delivered or issued in this state”
Florida's windshield statute, § 627.7288, opens with the policies it covers: those "delivered or issued in this state" that carry comprehensive or combined additional coverage. For those, the deductible does not apply to the windshield. In short, $0 Deductible with Comprehensive Coverage, on a Florida policy.
Where the car is parked doesn't change the policy. A car registered and insured in Ohio, New York or Illinois is driven on Florida roads under the policy its owner bought there, with that policy's glass terms. Some policies from other states carry full glass coverage and some put the windshield under the regular comprehensive deductible. Only the policy itself tells you which.
Which one are you
Three kinds of out-of-state driver
Florida's registration rules decide how long a car can stay on an out-of-state policy, so they are the place to start. Both rules below were read on the state's own sites.
| Driver | What Florida law says | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time college student from another state | A nonresident enrolled full-time at a qualifying college or university is exempt from Florida registration for as long as the enrollment lasts (§ 320.38) | The car can stay registered and insured at home. Read that policy: is there comprehensive, and what is the deductible on glass? |
| Someone who just moved here | A new resident needs Florida insurance from a licensed Florida agent within 10 days to title and register the car, and a Florida license within 30 days (FLHSMV). Taking a job here or enrolling a child in a public school counts toward residency | Until the Florida policy starts, the old policy's glass terms apply. Once it starts, the Florida rule applies if you bought comprehensive |
| Seasonal resident | A visitor who keeps a home and registration elsewhere and does not take Florida work can stay on the home policy | Look up the glass deductible on the home policy before the season, not after the crack |
Living in Florida more than six months in a row is one of the signs of residency the state lists. If that is you, ask your agent which policy you should be on.
Students
USF, UT and a parent's policy
The University of South Florida puts its enrollment at nearly 50,000 students, with the main campus in Tampa, and the University of Tampa sits across the Hillsborough River from downtown. A lot of those students drive cars that are registered at a parent's address and insured on the family policy back home, which is allowed while they are enrolled full time.
That is usually fine until a rock comes off a truck on Fowler Avenue or I-275. Then the windshield is handled under the family's policy, with the family's deductible, and the claim is opened by the policyholder, often a parent in another state. It goes faster if the student has the insurer's name, the policy number and a photo of the insurance card on their phone before anything happens.
If the parent opens the claim, we can talk the details through with them by phone, and install at the student's apartment complex once the leasing office's vendor rules are met.
New to Tampa Bay
Moving here and switching policies
Anyone moving here from another state goes through a short stretch between the old policy and the new Florida one. Two things trip people up in it.
First, the date. A windshield that cracks the week before your Florida policy starts is usually a claim on the old policy, under its terms. If your Florida policy is a few days away and the crack is not in your line of sight, ask your new agent when coverage begins before you file anything.
Second, the minimum. Florida requires $10,000 of personal injury protection and $10,000 of property damage liability before you can register a car. Neither one covers your own glass. A Florida policy bought at the bare minimum has no comprehensive coverage, so the windshield rule never comes into play. If you want it, ask for comprehensive when you buy the policy.
Before you call anyone
What to have in hand
- The declarations page of the policy, wherever it was issued. It lists comprehensive and the deductible, and sometimes a separate glass deductible.
- The state the policy was issued in, printed on the declarations page or the insurance card.
- The policyholder's name and a way to reach them, if that is not you.
- The VIN, so the glass can be quoted whichever way you pay.
Send us the declarations page and we read it with you before anything is booked. If you claim, we help you file; if paying yourself costs less than the deductible, we tell you that too.
Out-of-state policy questions
Have the declarations page ready and call our Tampa line, (727) 270-8521, or text it to (877) 350-5962.
My car is registered in Florida but insured in another state. Which rule applies?
The statute follows where the policy was delivered or issued, not the plate. Florida also expects a Florida-registered car to carry a Florida policy, so if that is your situation, talk to your agent about it before you need a claim.
I'm a USF student. Can I file the claim myself on my parents' policy?
That depends on the insurer. Many let a listed driver report a claim, but some want the policyholder. Call the number on the insurance card and ask.
Is the windshield cheaper if I just pay for it?
Sometimes. If the deductible on your out-of-state policy is higher than the price of the glass for your car, paying yourself costs less. We quote the price in writing so you can compare.
Policy from another state?
Send the declarations page and the VIN. We tell you what the windshield costs and how your policy treats it, then fit it at your home, campus apartment or office.
From Bang AutoGlass
More for seasonal residents
A snowbird's windshield claim checklist
For winter residents on a home-state policy.
Sources
Facts checked October 16, 2026
- Fla. Stat. § 627.7288, comprehensive deductible and windshields, The Florida Senate
- Fla. Stat. § 320.38, when the nonresident exemption is not allowed, The Florida Senate
- New Florida residents, Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
- Insurance requirements, Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
- About USF, University of South Florida
Things change. If something here is out of date, tell us on our Tampa Bay line, (727) 270-8521.
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