Sponsored by:
Senator MICHAEL L. TESTA, JR.
District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes means by which customers may submit written authorization approving repairs to be made by automotive repair dealers.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning written authorization for automotive repairs and supplementing P.L.1960, c.39 (C.56:8-1 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. As used in this act:
“Contact information” means the first and last name of the customer and an e-mail address, mobile phone number, or home phone number by which to reach the customer.
“Motor vehicle” means vehicles propelled by otherwise than by muscular power, excepting such vehicles as run only upon rails or tracks, low-speed electric bicycles, low speed electric scooters, and motorized bicycles.
“Written authorization” means a contract from an automotive repair shop agreed to by a customer or a writing such as, but not limited to, an e-mail or mobile text message from the customer with the information as required under this act included.
2. a. An automotive repair dealer shall only make repairs to a motor vehicle upon receipt of a written authorization by a customer.
b. The written authorization shall contain:
(1) the first and last name of the customer requesting the repair;
(2) contact information for the customer;
(3) the specific nature of the repair; and
(4) a reading of the odometer of the motor vehicle to be repaired.
c. If the specific nature of the repair is unknown to the customer, a description explaining the problem to the automotive repair dealer shall be deemed sufficient.
3. An automotive repair shop that performs services without receiving a written authorization containing the information required pursuant to subsection b. of section 2 of this act shall be liable for a penalty of not more than $1,000 for a first offense and not more than $3,000 for a second and each subsequent offense.
4. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes that a customer can authorize, in writing, an automotive repair dealer to make repairs to a motor vehicle through a contract with the dealer that is agreed to by the customer or by other forms of writing to include, but not be limited to, an e-mail and a mobile text message. All forms of written authorization are to contain the first and last name of the customer requesting the repair, contact information for the customer, the specific nature of the repair, and the odometer reading of the motor vehicle to be repaired. “Contact information” is defined in the bill as the first and last name of the customer and an e-mail address, mobile phone number, or home phone number by which to reach the customer. If the specific nature of a repair is unknown to the customer, a description explaining the problem to the automotive repair dealer is deemed sufficient. An automotive repair shop that performs services without receiving a written authorization containing the required information is liable for a penalty of not more than $1,000 for a first offense and not more than $3,000 for a second and each subsequent offense.