California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed SB 988, the California Motor Vehicle Glass Act, his office announced in a Sept. 27 legislative update. The law gives policyholders filing first-party glass claims the right to choose where their glass work and advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) recalibration are performed.
For collision repair shops, the California Motor Vehicle Glass Act reaches calibration work tied to glass replacement. The act defines repair or replacement of damaged glass to include calibrating or recalibrating an ADAS when an incident requires damaged glass to be replaced, according to the enrolled bill text.
The right to choose covers both glass repair shops and recalibration facilities, including independent shops, network and non-network shops, affiliated and nonaffiliated repair facilities, dealerships, and qualified specialists capable of the work.
What insurers can and cannot do
Under the new law, claim payments and other policy benefits cannot hinge on an insured's use of a particular glass repair shop or recalibration facility, according to the bill. Insurers, insurance producers, adjusters, and anyone acting on their behalf may not "purposefully mislead, threaten, or coerce" an insured to use or avoid a particular shop or recalibration facility.
The act still permits insurers and their representatives to recommend a glass repair shop and explain available coverage and liability limits. Insurers may also keep a network of glass repair shops. That provision does not create a private cause of action.
Duties for glass-focused shops
The act's shop-level requirements apply to a "motor vehicle glass repair shop," defined as a person or business "primarily engaged in automotive glass replacement," per the enrolled text. The version introduced in February covered any person paid to repair or replace damaged vehicle glass, a definition that would also have reached collision shops installing glass as part of larger jobs.
Before servicing a vehicle, a covered shop must tell the customer whether the vehicle has ADAS, according to the enrolled bill. If it does, the shop must also disclose whether the manufacturer's recommendations call for calibration or recalibration following the windshield work; whether the shop plans to perform that calibration to manufacturer specifications; and if the shop can't or won't perform the calibration, that the vehicle should go to the manufacturer's certified dealership or a qualified specialist
If a calibration is performed, the shop must notify the customer in writing whether it succeeded. If it failed, the shop must warn the customer against relying on the ADAS until a certified dealership or qualified specialist completes a successful calibration.
A covered shop also cannot contract for work paid by a first-party policy until three conditions are met: the person has made a glass claim, the shop has received a claim or referral number, and the shop has made the required ADAS disclosures, according to the bill. Shops must provide a good-faith estimate, an updated estimate before work begins, an itemized invoice, and a receipt upon payment. The act bars covered shops and paid claim solicitors from offering rebates, gift cards, cash, or other inducements in exchange for directing or filing a glass claim.
Assignment of benefits and penalties
The California Motor Vehicle Glass Act prohibits insureds with policies covering windshield and calibration repair or replacement from assigning their policy rights or benefits to another party, before or after a loss, according to the enrolled text. Any contract signed on or after Jan. 1, 2027, that violates this provision cannot be enforced. Insureds may still authorize payment to a provider for covered services or pay the provider themselves.
Violations carry civil penalties of up to $500 for a first offense and up to $2,000 for each subsequent offense. A city attorney, county counsel, or the state attorney general may bring the enforcement action.
Statutes signed this year take effect Jan. 1, 2027, according to a Bureau of Automotive Repair presentation on legislation and regulations.
