Choosing a repair shop: direct repair programs and your rights

You can usually choose any licensed repair shop after a claim, and several states make it illegal for an insurer to require a particular one. Insurers will often suggest a shop from their direct repair network, which can mean faster approvals and an insurer-backed repair guarantee. Choosing your own shop can mean more control over parts and methods, but you may have to resolve price differences between the shop's estimate and the insurer's.

Your right to choose

Rules vary by state, but the core principle is common: the insurer pays for a proper repair, and you decide where it happens. Two examples of how states write it:

• New York. Insurance Law § 2610 says no insurer providing collision or comprehensive coverage "shall require that repairs be made to such vehicle in a particular place or shop." Except for glass-only claims, the insurer may not even recommend a shop unless you ask, and its estimate must include a printed notice that you have the right to have the car repaired in the shop of your choice.
• California. Claims regulations bar insurers from requiring repairs at a specific shop and, once you have chosen a shop, from suggesting you switch, except as state law permits (10 CCR 2695.8(e)).

Some states write similar rules for glass. Kentucky, for example, says an insured making a glass claim shall not be required to use a particular glass shop, while still allowing insurers to maintain glass networks (KRS 304.20-060).

The NAIC's model claims regulation adds a practical balance: if your chosen shop's estimate is higher than the insurer's, the insurer must either pay the difference or name at least one shop that will do the work for its estimate (NAIC Model Regulation 902). That second option is where most disputes start, so understand it before you choose.

How direct repair programs work

A direct repair program (DRP) is a network of shops that have agreements with an insurer. The shop typically writes the estimate itself, follows the insurer's guidelines on labor rates, parts and photos, and gets paid directly. In return, the insurer sends it customers.

Benefits insurers commonly offer at network shops:

• Faster start. The shop can often begin without waiting for a separate appraiser.
• A repair guarantee. Progressive, for example, offers a limited lifetime guarantee on covered repairs at its network shops for as long as you own or lease the vehicle, and says work done by shops outside its network voids that guarantee (Progressive, as of October 2026).
• Less paperwork. Payment and supplements are handled between the shop and insurer.

The trade-off is that a DRP shop has two customers: you and the insurer that sends it business. Most do good work, but the incentives favor the insurer's cost guidelines, including on the choice between OEM parts and aftermarket parts.

Comparing your options

What to ask any shop

1. Is the shop licensed or registered where required, and does it carry its own insurance for cars in its care?
2. What training or certifications do its technicians have? Industry training such as I-CAR and manufacturer certification programs for specific brands show investment in current repair methods.
3. Will it follow the manufacturer's repair procedures and document them in the file?
4. How does it handle sensors and cameras? If your car has driver-assistance features, ask whether the shop performs ADAS calibration or sends the car to a dealer. See driver-assistance sensors and the cost of repairs.
5. Which parts will it use, and will it tell you before installing non-OEM or recycled parts? If parts matter to you, see OEM parts endorsements: guaranteeing factory parts.
6. What is the written warranty, and who honors it if the shop closes?
7. How will it handle supplements and communicate delays?

When your shop and the insurer disagree

Price gaps usually come from labor rates, the number of hours for a task, or parts. To resolve them:

• Ask your shop to send its estimate and supporting documents, such as manufacturer procedures, directly to the claims adjuster.
• Ask the insurer to identify, in writing, the specific line items it will not pay and why.
• If the insurer names a shop that will do the work for its price, you can use that shop or pay the difference yourself. Ask whether the named shop will guarantee the repair.
• If the disagreement is about the amount of the loss, your policy's appraisal clause may apply.

Practical cautions

• Do not sign over control at the tow yard. Tow operators sometimes steer cars to particular shops. You can tell the tow driver where to take the car. See predatory towing and body shop scams.
• Get the final invoice. It should list the parts installed and any calibrations performed.
• Inspect before you leave. Check panel gaps, paint match in daylight, warning lights and that features like parking sensors work.

For a broader look at parts choices in insurance repairs, read Aftermarket vs OEM parts in insurance repairs.

Key takeaways

• In many states, including New York and California, insurers cannot require you to use a particular repair shop.
• Direct repair network shops offer speed and often an insurer-backed guarantee, such as Progressive's limited lifetime guarantee at network shops.
• Choosing your own shop gives you more control, but the insurer may only pay its estimate or offer a shop that will work for that price.
• Ask any shop about manufacturer procedures, ADAS calibration, parts and warranty before work starts.