Auto Repair Authorization Form: What It Must Say
An authorization form is the customer's written permission to do specific work at a specific price under your terms. It needs the vehicle, the approved lines and total, payment terms, parts and warranty policy, and a signature with a date.
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Tick the terms you want, add your business name and print a form the customer signs before you start.
Open the authorization form makerTerms that save you
Payment is due when the work is complete, before the vehicle is driven.
Added work needs a new approval before it is done. Nothing is free because you forgot to ask.
Customer supplied parts carry no warranty, and labor is billed again if the part is wrong or fails.
Diag time is billed whether or not the repair is approved.
Your warranty in plain words: what it covers, for how long, and that it covers your work, not the whole car.
Permission to test drive and to move the vehicle on the property.
Keep it tied to the numbers
A signature on a blank terms sheet is weak. A signature under the exact lines and total is strong. Put the terms on the estimate itself so one signature covers the price and the rules.
State rules
California, Florida, Michigan and others have repair laws that spell out what goes on an estimate and when you need written approval for added work. If you work in one of those states, read the state page and match your form to it. Everywhere else, this list is still the standard.
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Common questions
Do mobile mechanics need an authorization form?
Yes. It is the only proof the customer agreed to the work and the price. Without it a dispute is your word against theirs.
Can the customer sign on their phone?
Yes. An approval tap with a signature, time stamp and the exact estimate attached is at least as good as paper and much easier to find later.
What if the customer is not there when I arrive?
Send the estimate and get the approval before you start. No approval, no wrenching. A text that says "go ahead" is better than nothing but tie it to the actual estimate.
Do I need a separate terms and conditions page?
Put the short terms on every estimate. A longer terms page on your website is a good backup, but the signature needs to sit next to the terms that matter.
Related: terms and conditions for mechanics, work order template, and how to get paid.