Tow-in intake: getting a signed authorization when the customer isn't at the shop
Updated
When a car is towed in, the owner isn't at your counter, so the check-in has to come to them: text a link where they enter their contact, vehicle and insurance details and sign the repair authorization on their phone. Electronic signatures generally count under ESIGN and state e-sign laws, but confirm the signer is the owner or their authorized agent, record how the car arrived and its condition, and don't start work or charge storage until your state's authorization and notice rules are met.
Why tow-ins are different
A drop-off customer stands at your counter with a pen. A tow-in arrives on a flatbed, often after hours, sometimes sent by an insurer, a police tow or a family member, while the owner is at work, at home, at the hospital or in another city. The paper authorization sits in a tray until someone reaches them, and the car sits with it.
The risks are specific: work that starts before anyone authorized it, a signature from someone who doesn't own the car, storage charges nobody agreed to, and no record of the car's condition when it came off the truck. A tow-in process exists to close those gaps.
What to collect for a towed-in vehicle
| Information | Who provides it | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Owner name, mobile, email | Customer | Who to update and who signs |
| Signer's relationship to the car | Customer | Owner, spouse, fleet manager, renter: it changes who can authorize |
| Year, make, model, VIN, plate, color | Shop, from the car; customer confirms | The authorization has to identify the right vehicle |
| How it arrived | Shop | Tow company, date and time, who requested the tow, the tow invoice |
| Condition on arrival | Shop | Photos and odometer before anyone moves it again |
| Keys and personal items | Shop | What came with the car |
| Insurance carrier, claim number, adjuster | Customer | Starts the claim conversation on day one |
| How they'll pay | Customer | Insurance, out of pocket, or both |
| What happened | Customer | Points the estimator at hidden damage |
| Signed repair authorization | Customer or authorized agent | Nothing beyond an inspection should start without it |
How to get a repair authorization signed remotely
The simplest path is a link you text to the owner. They open it on their phone, fill in what you need, read the whole agreement, initial the clauses you mark and sign with a finger. No app, no fax, no printing at home.
An electronic signature generally has the same effect as a handwritten one under the federal ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. § 7001(a)) and state e-sign laws; our repair authorization guide covers consent and paper copies. A few habits make a remote signature easier to stand behind:
- Text the link to the number you got from the owner, the insurer or the police report, not to whoever called asking about the car.
- Have the signer confirm the VIN or plate on screen before signing.
- Record the time, IP address and device with the signature, and keep the exact text they saw.
- Send the customer a copy of what they signed.
Who can sign for a towed car?
The owner, or someone the owner has authorized. Not the tow driver, and not the insurer: the insurer decides what it will pay, but the authorization to repair should come from the person who owns the car or answers for it. If a spouse, adult child or fleet manager signs, have them state their relationship and, when in doubt, get the owner to confirm by text or a second signature.
Some states define the customer by who signed. In Florida, the "customer" is the person who signs the written repair estimate or a person they designate on it to authorize repairs (Fla. Stat. § 559.903(2)). In California, a lien for work or storage requested by someone other than the legal owner (often the lender or leasing company) is capped unless, before doing the work or starting storage, you gave the legal owner written notice and got their written consent (Cal. Civ. Code § 3068(c)). Financed and leased cars are common tow-ins, so ask who holds the title.
Photos when the customer isn't there
The owner can't photograph a car that's already on your lot, so the arrival photos are yours to take, ideally before it's moved off the truck or right after:
- All four sides and the four corners.
- Close-ups of the damage and of any older damage unrelated to the claim.
- The VIN plate, the odometer and the dash for warning lights.
- The interior and any personal items left in the car.
Ask the owner for any scene photos they took, and save them with your arrival photos. Together they show the car before and after the tow. For estimate requests where the customer does take the photos, see damage photo intake.
Get the insurance information up front
With the claim number in hand on day one, you can contact the insurer and line up an inspection without waiting to reach the owner. Ask for the carrier, the claim number, the adjuster if assigned, and whether the customer is claiming on their own policy or the other driver's. If the insurer had the car towed to you, it may already have an inspection plan; if it towed the car elsewhere and the owner wants your shop, the owner may still have the right to choose. In Texas, for example, an insurer or adjuster may not state or suggest that its policyholder must use a specific or preferred-list shop for the repair to be covered (Tex. Ins. Code § 1952.302), and an insurer may not require a third-party claimant to use a particular shop (§ 1952.301).
State rules that mention towed vehicles
Several states treat a car delivered by someone else differently from a counter drop-off. Examples from our research:
| State | Rule | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | If the customer lets another person deliver the car, there is an implied partial waiver of the written estimate; once the diagnostic work needed to estimate the repair is done, you must notify the customer before going further. | Fla. Stat. § 559.905(5); § 559.909 |
| Maryland | For a towed-in car or one left after hours, you may tell the customer their rights orally, but must record who was told, the date and time, and the signature of the staff member who told them. | Md. Com. Law § 14-1008(c) |
| California | If you provide or arrange the tow, towing fees go on a separate document from the repair estimate or invoice, and are authorized separately from the repair work. | 16 CCR § 3353(e) |
| New York | A designated representative form may not be combined with an estimate, an authorization to repair or an authorization to tow. | 15 NYCRR 82.18(c) |
| Texas | The garageman's lien for care includes reasonable towing charges to your place of business and excludes repair charges. | Tex. Prop. Code § 70.003(c) |
Storage and lien considerations for towed vehicles
A towed-in car can sit on your lot before anyone has agreed to storage terms, so settle them early. A few rules to know:
- Put the rate in writing before it runs. New York bars storage charges unless the customer got written notice, and none may be charged from the time the customer authorized repairs until one business day after you tell them to pick up (15 NYCRR 82.8(c)). Florida's written estimate must state the daily storage charge, which can't accrue until 3 working days after you notify the customer the repairs are done (Fla. Stat. § 559.905(1)(n)).
- Know whether you are storing with consent. In Texas, the vehicle storage facility licensing chapter does not apply to a vehicle stored with the owner's consent (Tex. Occ. Code § 2303.003). A car that arrived without the owner's request is a different situation; check your state's towing and storage rules.
- Keep the signed work order. If you ever need to enforce a lien, the paperwork starts with it. Texas, for example, requires a signed copy of the work order authorizing the repairs in the notice to title lienholders before a sale (Tex. Prop. Code § 70.006).
What to check before work starts on a tow-in
- The signer is the owner or has the owner's authority, and the VIN on the form matches the car.
- The authorization is signed, with every required initial and any separately signed notice your state requires.
- Your state's estimate rules are met: an estimate, a signed waiver, or the notice your state requires after diagnosis.
- Storage terms are in writing and the customer has seen them.
- Arrival photos, odometer and a personal property list are saved with the job.
- Insurance carrier and claim number are recorded, and you know whether an inspection is coming.
- If you arranged the tow, its charges are documented as your state requires.
How IntakeBay handles tow-ins
IntakeBay has a tow-in check-in with its own direct link, made for cars already on your lot. Text it to the owner and they enter their contact, vehicle, insurance and payment details, choose whether to get status texts (unless you've turned texting off), pick any add-on services you offer, then initial and sign your repair authorization on their phone. The screens are in English or Spanish; the agreement shows the wording you published, and Spanish-language customers are told it's in English. The flow skips the damage photo step because the car is already with you. The check-in lands in your inbox with the signed PDF, recorded with the time, IP address and device, and a customer who opted in gets a text saying the car is with you and the authorization is on file. It's part of digital check-in for body shops; see pricing.
This is general information, not legal advice. Have your attorney review your forms.
Questions
Can a customer authorize repairs without coming to the shop?
Yes. An electronic signature on the customer's phone generally counts under ESIGN and state e-sign laws. Keep a record of what they signed, when and from what device, and give them a copy.
What if the owner is in the hospital or out of town?
A texted link works from anywhere with a phone signal. If the owner can't sign at all, get their written authorization for someone else to sign, and record who signed and why.
Does the insurance company towing the car to my shop count as authorization?
Not by itself. The insurer decides what it will pay, but the authorization to repair should come from the owner or someone the owner has authorized. Get that signature before repairs start.
What if the customer doesn't have a smartphone?
No one has to sign electronically. Offer a paper form by mail or email, or your counter tablet if they can come in, and note on the job which way they signed.
Can I tear the car down to write the estimate before the authorization is signed?
Not safely. In California no work or charges may happen before authorization, and Florida lets a shop charge for making an estimate only if it discloses the charge first and gets the customer's authorization on the written estimate. Get at least a signed teardown authorization first.
Sources
- 15 U.S.C. § 7001, General rule of validity (ESIGN Act), Cornell Legal Information Institute (mirror) (accessed )
- Fla. Stat. § 559.903, Definitions, Florida Legislature (accessed )
- Fla. Stat. § 559.905, Written repair estimate, Florida Legislature (accessed )
- Fla. Stat. § 559.907, Charges for estimates, Florida Legislature (accessed )
- Fla. Stat. § 559.909, Notification and charges above the estimate, Florida Legislature (accessed )
- Cal. Civ. Code § 3068, Lien for work and storage, FindLaw (mirror) (accessed )
- Cal. Code Regs. tit. 16, § 3353, Estimates and authorization (incl. towing fees), Cornell Legal Information Institute (mirror) (accessed )
- Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 9884.9, Written estimate and authorization, FindLaw (mirror) (accessed )
- Md. Code, Com. Law § 14-1008, Repair authorization form, Maryland General Assembly (accessed )
- 15 NYCRR Part 82, Motor vehicle repair shops (DMV booklet CR-82), New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (accessed )
- Tex. Prop. Code § 70.003, Garageman's lien, texas.public.law (mirror) (accessed )
- Tex. Prop. Code § 70.006, Sale or disposal of motor vehicle, texas.public.law (mirror) (accessed )
- Tex. Occ. Code § 2303.003, Exemptions, texas.public.law (mirror) (accessed )
- Tex. Ins. Code § 1952.301, Policy coverage: parts and choice of repair facility, texas.public.law (mirror) (accessed )
- Tex. Ins. Code § 1952.302, Prohibited acts, texas.public.law (mirror) (accessed )