ACT 327 Louisiana Motor Vehicle Glass Law
Can Your Insurance Company Choose Your Windshield Replacement Shop in Louisiana?
What Act 327 says about an insurer's repair-shop recommendations, preferred networks, policy benefits, and the separate rule on assigning glass-claim rights.
Published: September 4, 2026Last reviewed: September 4, 2026Technical reviewer: Jonathan Seals
Quick answer
A recommendation is not a requirement.
For a first-party motor-vehicle-glass claim, Act 327 says an insured may not be required to use a particular motor vehicle glass repair shop or recalibration facility to receive claim payments or other policy benefits.
The same section expressly allows insurers and producers to recommend a shop, explain available coverage or limits, and maintain a repair-shop network.
Shop choiceWhat the statute permits
Where the line sits
Act 327 makes room for insurer recommendations and networks, while preserving the first-party claimant's ability to choose a repair shop or recalibration facility. The question is not whether an insurer can recommend a provider; the statute says it can. The controlling language is that an insured may not be required to use a particular provider to receive claim payments or policy benefits.
Permitted
An insurer or producer may recommend a motor vehicle glass repair shop, explain available coverage or applicable liability limits, and maintain a network of repair shops.
Not a condition of benefits
For a first-party claim, the statute says the insured cannot be required to use a particular glass shop or recalibration facility to receive claim payments or policy benefits.
Ask for clarity
If a recommendation is unclear, ask the insurer whether it is a recommendation or a policy requirement, and ask the representative to identify the relevant policy language or claim instruction.
Keep your documentation
Save claim communications, estimates, invoices, and any written direction about coverage or provider choice. Those records help clarify what was actually said for a particular claim.
Policy rightsAssignment of benefits
You can direct payment without signing away policy rights.
Act 327 separately says an insured may not assign, delegate, or transfer duties, rights, or benefits under an insurance policy covering motor-vehicle-glass repair or replacement. A contract entered in violation of that rule is void and unenforceable.
What remains allowed
The statute does not prohibit an insured from authorizing or directing payment to a person, or paying a person, for covered services, materials, or other items.
Read intake paperwork
If paperwork uses terms such as assignment, delegation, or transfer of policy rights, ask what the document does before signing. A payment authorization is not the same thing as assigning policy benefits.
Claim assistance is not the same as control
A shop may help with practical claim steps, but the insured's policy rights are addressed directly by the statute. Keep your own copy of every authorization and repair document.
Specific disputes
Policy language and the facts of a claim can matter. For a dispute, consider the insurer's formal claim process, the Louisiana Department of Insurance, or a licensed attorney.
Before you choose a shop
Four practical questions for the claim call
- Is this provider a recommendation, or does the policy language say something else?
- What claim payment or policy benefit information applies to my selected shop?
- What documents should I retain before and after the work?
- Does any proposed form authorize payment only, or does it attempt to assign policy rights?
Educational information only—not legal or insurance advice. For a particular claim, review the policy, the enrolled law, and the relevant written communications. You can also contact the Louisiana Department of Insurance about an insurance concern.