Connecticut auto repair estimate rules

Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 14-65f

Before performing any repair work, a Connecticut motor vehicle repair shop must obtain a written authorization on a signed invoice that includes a written estimate of the maximum cost of parts and labor for the specific job authorized. The shop may not charge for work or parts beyond that written authorization or in excess of the estimate unless the customer separately consents, orally or in writing. The shop must also get a written acknowledgment - a specific statutory sentence - that the customer knows they have the right to choose which licensed shop repairs the vehicle; a shop may not repair the vehicle without that acknowledgment on file. If the shop cannot estimate cost because the needed repairs are not yet known when the vehicle is dropped off, the written authorization does not need to include a cost estimate at that stage, but the shop must still get authorization before proceeding once the scope is known.