Which coverages have no deductible, and which sometimes do

A deductible attaches to coverages that repair or replace property, and only to those. Collision and comprehensive always have one, liability and the bodily injury side of uninsured motorist coverage have none, and medical payments usually has none. Three coverages sit in the middle: uninsured motorist property damage, personal injury protection (PIP) and glass. Whether they carry a deductible depends on your state and on the policy you bought, so the declarations page settles the question, not a general rule.

The reason this matters is practical. Drivers who see one big deductible on their policy often assume every claim will cost that much, or that nothing else will cost anything. Both assumptions are wrong in ways that show up on the worst day of the year.

Why some coverages have a deductible and others do not

A deductible is the first slice of a loss that you pay. The Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I) says deductibles "generally apply to property damage, not to the liability portion" of an auto or homeowners policy, and that on auto and home policies the deductible applies each time you file a claim (Triple-I, understanding your insurance deductibles).

That pattern follows from who is being paid:

• Liability pays other people for harm you caused. The injured party is not a party to your deductible choice, so the insurer pays them up to your limit and nothing is held back from their recovery.
• Collision and comprehensive pay you for your own car. The deductible keeps small, frequent repairs off the insurer's books and gives you a stake in avoiding losses. It is also the lever that moves your premium.
• Medical and accident-benefit coverages pay for injuries. They are built to pay from the first dollar, but a few states let you choose a deductible in exchange for a lower price.

Everything below is a variation on those three ideas. For the mechanics of how the deductible is subtracted from a repair bill, see how the deductible is applied to a repair claim, step by step.

Coverage by coverage

The table gives the usual answer and the exceptions. "Usual" means what a standard personal auto policy does. Your insurer's forms and your state's law control.

Two cautions. First, "no deductible" does not mean "no cost." Limits, waiting periods, exclusions and the requirement that the underlying loss be covered all still apply. Second, the insurance regulator in Texas, in a guide last updated in December 2025, tells drivers they might have to pay a deductible when PIP or medical payments covers part of their medical bills, and lists uninsured and underinsured motorist claims among those where a deductible applies (Texas Department of Insurance, auto insurance guide). The guide does not say which part of uninsured motorist coverage it means. The property damage side is where a deductible normally sits, but the regulator's wording is a good reason to read your own policy.

Liability, uninsured motorist injury and medical payments

Liability has no deductible because it is not your property being repaired. If you cause a crash that does $18,000 of damage to another car and your property damage limit is $25,000, the insurer pays the $18,000. You pay nothing toward the other driver's repair, though you may pay your own collision deductible for your own car in the same crash.

Uninsured motorist bodily injury works the same way. If a driver with no insurance hurts you, your own coverage pays your medical bills and related losses up to your limit, and the standard form has no deductible on that portion. See uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage explained for how the limits are set and when stacking applies.

Medical payments, called MedPay, is the coverage most likely to be described loosely. It pays reasonable medical expenses for you and your passengers regardless of fault, up to a small limit, and usually without a deductible. Because some policies and some states differ, treat "none" as the default and confirm it. How MedPay interacts with your health plan is covered in MedPay or health insurance: who pays first after a crash.

The in-between coverages

Uninsured motorist property damage

Uninsured motorist property damage (uninsured motorist property damage, UMPD) pays for damage to your car or property when an uninsured or unidentified driver is at fault. In some states the law sets a small deductible.

• North Carolina: the statute reduces the purchased property damage limits by "an exclusion of the first one hundred dollars ($100.00) of such damages" (N.C. Gen. Stat. 20-279.21, checked November 2026).
• Oregon: the first $200 of damage is not covered in most cases, and the first $300 when the accident involves a hit-and-run or phantom vehicle (ORS 742.510, checked November 2026).
• California: the NAIC notes that UMPD is limited to $3,500 when purchased without collision coverage, and that drivers who have collision coverage buy a collision deductible waiver instead (NAIC 2022/2023 Auto Insurance Database Report, released February 2026). The waiver is a separate way of avoiding your collision deductible when an uninsured driver hits you.

Other states and policy forms use their own figures, so read yours. If you carry collision, you may be able to choose between claiming against UMPD and claiming against collision; uninsured motorist property damage vs collision: which to use explains how the choice affects what you pay.

Personal injury protection

PIP pays medical and related benefits in no-fault and some other states. Most drivers never see a deductible on it. A few states allow or require insurers to offer one:

• Florida requires insurers to offer PIP deductibles of $250, $500 and $1,000. The deductible applies to 100 percent of the expenses and losses, after which each insured can receive up to $10,000 in total benefits. The named insured may apply the deductible to themself alone or to themself and dependent relatives in the household, and each election "shall result in an appropriate reduction of premium" (Fla. Stat. 627.739).
• Michigan lets an insurer offer deductibles and exclusions "reasonably related to other health and accident coverage on the insured," which must be priced at a reduced premium that reflects the expected savings and must be approved by the state's director (MCL 500.3109a). They apply to the named person, a spouse and resident relatives.
• Massachusetts lets an insured choose a PIP deductible of up to $8,000 for themself and family members, which the NAIC notes "would in effect eliminate" the $8,000 of PIP coverage (NAIC database report, above).

If you live in a no-fault state, look for a PIP deductible on the declarations page. It is a trade of premium for exposure on your own medical bills, and it matters most if you have a high-deductible health plan. The broader picture is in Personal injury protection (PIP) explained.

Glass

Glass is the exception inside comprehensive. In most states a cracked windshield is an ordinary comprehensive claim and the full deductible applies, which often means you pay the whole bill. Three states change that by law:

• Florida: the deductible provisions of a motor vehicle policy "shall not be applicable to damage to the windshield" (Fla. Stat. 627.7288). The rule covers the windshield, not side or rear glass.
• Kentucky: a policy with comprehensive coverage must, for a glass-only claim, "provide complete coverage for repair or replacement of damaged motor vehicle glass without regard to any deductible or minimum amount." Since April 2, 2024, glass work includes recalibrating driver-assistance systems when a replacement requires it (KRS 304.20-060).
• South Carolina: a policy deductible "does not apply to automobile safety glass" (S.C. Code 38-77-280(B)).

Elsewhere, an insurer may sell a full glass endorsement or a separate glass deductible. full glass coverage and zero-deductible windshield repair has the state-by-state table.

Coverages with limits instead of deductibles

Rental reimbursement, towing and labor, and roadside help limit what the insurer pays rather than what you pay first. Progressive's coverage page, for example, says it will pay for a rental car in a covered accident "up to your policy's limits" (Progressive, auto coverages, checked November 2026). A typical policy might say $40 a day to a $1,200 total for rental or $100 per tow; those are hypothetical figures, and your limits are on your declarations page.

Two points trip people up:

1. The underlying loss still has its deductible. Rental reimbursement pays for a car while yours is being repaired after a covered collision or comprehensive loss. It has no deductible of its own, but the repair it relates to does. The NAIC notes that comprehensive coverage "even pays a reasonable amount for substitute transportation" after a covered loss, again without a separate deductible for the rental.
2. A limit is a ceiling, not a promise. If repairs take six weeks and your rental limit runs out after 30 days, the rest is yours.

Gap coverage is a different animal. It pays the difference between what you owe on a loan and what the insurer pays for a total loss. It does not apply a deductible to its own payment, but whether it also covers your collision deductible depends on the product. Some pay part of it and some exclude it, so read the contract.

A worked example: one crash, five coverages

Say you slide on ice and hit a guardrail on a Sunday. Your car is towed 20 miles, a passenger has a sprained wrist, and you rent a car for ten days while it is repaired. All numbers are hypothetical.

The only dollars out of your pocket come from collision. The rest of the claim is limited by caps, not reduced by a deductible. In a state with PIP and a $500 PIP deductible that you elected for yourself and your family, a passenger who is not covered by your election would not be subject to it. Who the deductible applies to is part of the election, which is one more reason to read it.

Now change the facts. An uninsured driver runs a stop sign and hits you. In North Carolina, UMPD would pay your repair minus the first $100 under the statute; in a state with no UMPD deductible, the insurer pays the repair up to the limit. Your collision deductible might not apply at all if you claim under UMPD. That is the kind of difference a declarations page shows and a general article cannot.

How to find each deductible on your declarations page

The declarations page lists coverages, limits, premiums and, for physical damage, deductibles. Not every layout is the same, so work through it in order.

1. Find the coverage list. Each line is a coverage with a limit or deductible beside it. Write down every coverage that appears.
2. Mark the ones with a dollar amount labeled "deductible" or "ded." Collision and comprehensive should have one. A line labeled "glass" may show a separate amount or "$0."
3. Look for coverage names that hide a deductible. UMPD may be listed as "uninsured motorist property damage" with a limit and a small deductible beside it. PIP may show "deductible" or "ded." for the named insured and for resident relatives.
4. Check the limit column on rental, towing and roadside. A figure like "$40/$1,200" means $40 per day up to $1,200. It is a ceiling.
5. Check the endorsement list. Full glass, a vanishing or disappearing deductible, or a deductible waiver can change the answer for a specific loss.
6. Compare to the policy form for anything unclear. The declarations page summarizes; the form controls.

For each line you cannot place, ask your agent or insurer: "Does this coverage have a deductible, and if so, what is it and how is it applied?" Get the answer in writing or in the policy documents.

What this means when you choose coverages

Knowing where deductibles live changes a few decisions.

• You can set the deductible you control. On a typical policy only collision, comprehensive and, in some states, PIP let you choose the amount. Raising a collision deductible lowers the premium for that coverage; it does not change what your passenger's medical payments or your liability pays. The deductible break-even calculator runs the break-even for the ones you choose.
• Buy the cheap coverages the deductible does not reach. Rental reimbursement and towing cost little and carry no deductible, so they soften the cost of a claim you are already paying a deductible on.
• Do not count on zero-deductible glass unless the state or policy says so. Where there is no statute, a $500 or $1,000 comprehensive deductible can swallow a windshield claim entirely.
• If you drop collision, know what UMPD covers. In states where UMPD is limited without collision, as the NAIC says California's is at $3,500, your protection against an uninsured driver's damage changes.

When one event triggers more than one deductible, such as hail followed by a fallen branch, the answer turns on how the policy counts a loss; One accident, two deductibles? How \"occurrence\" decides what you pay explains that.

Rules vary by state. To see what your state requires, use the state car insurance requirements lookup or your state insurance department's website. For a dispute over how a deductible was applied, a licensed attorney or your state insurance department is the place for specifics.

Common questions

Is there a deductible on liability if I cause a crash?

No. Liability pays up to your limit with no deductible. You may owe a collision deductible for your own car in the same crash, but that is a separate coverage.

Does uninsured motorist coverage have a deductible?

The bodily injury side normally does not. The property damage side may. North Carolina's statute excludes the first $100 and Oregon's the first $200, or $300 for hit-and-run or phantom vehicles. California limits UMPD to $3,500 when you do not carry collision. Other states and policies differ.

Can I pick a PIP deductible?

Only where the state or insurer offers one. Florida requires insurers to offer $250, $500 and $1,000 options. Michigan permits approved deductibles tied to other health coverage. Massachusetts allows up to $8,000. If your declarations page shows no PIP deductible, you probably have none.

Why does my windshield claim cost me anything if I have full coverage?

"Full coverage" is not a defined product, and comprehensive carries a deductible. Only Florida (windshield), Kentucky and South Carolina remove it by statute for glass, or your policy may include a glass endorsement. Check your declarations page for a glass line.

If rental and towing have no deductible, why was my payout lower?

Because they have limits. A daily rental cap or a per-tow cap means the insurer pays up to the limit and you pay the rest. A deductible is a different thing: the amount subtracted before the insurer pays at all.

Key takeaways

• Deductibles attach to property-damage coverages; liability, uninsured motorist injury and usually medical payments have none.
• Collision and comprehensive always carry one, and glass is the common exception: Florida (windshield), Kentucky and South Carolina waive it by law.
• UMPD and PIP vary by state. North Carolina and Oregon set small UMPD deductibles by statute; Florida, Michigan and Massachusetts allow PIP deductibles.
• Rental, towing and roadside have limits instead of deductibles, but the loss that triggers them may still carry one.
• Read the declarations page line by line and ask the insurer to confirm any coverage whose deductible you cannot see.