Motor vehicle repair; creating the Oklahoma Motor Vehicle Consumer Protection Act; establishing certain hourly market rate for labor. Effective date.

New fee limits for totaled vehicle owners

Beginning November 1, 2025, Oklahoma limits auto body shop charges for vehicles declared a total loss. Administrative fees cannot exceed four hours at the prevailing hourly market labor rate. These fees cover tasks such as file setup, communications, cleaning, photos, and moving removed parts. The Insurance Commissioner can adjust the labor rate annually for inflation starting January 1, 2027, using market surveys. For the first ten days, daily storage is capped at $39, including for marine vessels. The cap is $125 for lithium-ion battery vehicles with battery-pack damage, fire, smoke, or popping or hissing sounds. That special rate requires storage that follows the vehicle maker's requirements. Starting on calendar day 11, the caps can rise to $75 and $200, respectively. Those increases require insurer approval of the total-loss estimate or supplement request to remain outstanding beyond seven days. The shop must record the date, time, and type of communication requesting a supplement. Supplement requests to determine a total loss must be made within ten days after the initial request. These caps do not apply when an insurer approves required indoor storage in advance at an agreed rate. Shops must provide written invoices and answer invoice requests about vehicle pickup, release, or delivery within eight business hours. Storage rules also apply to direct repair programs. The Oklahoma Insurance Department can approve higher storage caps based on market conditions and issues annual adjustments through Consumer Price Index-based bulletins. The department must adopt rules to carry out the storage and invoicing requirements.