Hartford, Connecticut — A new law in Connecticut will prohibit tow truck operators from requiring customers to sign a storage agreement before the tow job is complete.
Signed into law by Gov. Ned Lamont on Tuesday, the decision amends Senate Bill 332 to restrict tow operators from requiring motorists to sign agreements for storage of any duration, where previously the bill would have allowed operators to require a storage agreement of up to 24 hours as part of the tow job.
Lawmakers and representatives from the insurance industry posit that this amendment will protect consumers from coercion at the hands of tow companies acting in bad faith.
The original bill faced scrutiny for seemingly granting insurance companies a 24-hour window to pressure customers into seeking repairs at a DRP.
The bill was also amended to make clear that the prohibitions “do not limit the owner and the wrecker from entering into contracts after the tow job is complete.”
The new law, an amendment of Section 14-66(b) of Chapter 246, will come into effect on Oct. 1.
State law already prohibits tow companies from requiring customers to sign repair contracts before the tow job is complete.
