New Hampshire Committee Defeats Bill Requiring Pre-Service Calibration Disclosure

A New Hampshire legislative push for calibration disclosure requirements failed at the committee stage in March 2023. House Bill 304, sponsored by Rep. Tim McGough (R), received an "Inexpedient to Legislate" designation from the New Hampshire House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee.

The bill had been characterized by its sponsor as a "calibration consumer protection" measure. It would have required motor-vehicle glass shops to notify customers prior to a replacement if ADAS recalibration was required after the work, giving consumers an opportunity to understand the full cost of service before committing to a job.

The Auto Glass Safety Council (AGSC) framed the committee's decision as a missed opportunity to protect consumers. The AGSC and other calibration advocates have argued consistently that customers have a right to know upfront — before glass is broken out — whether their vehicle will need a recalibration appointment and what that will cost.

Opponents of disclosure mandates often argue that the requirements create paperwork burdens on small shops, could introduce liability for incomplete pre-service assessments, and that consumer education is better achieved through industry certification programs and voluntary best-practices standards than through legislative compulsion.

Despite the New Hampshire outcome, the broader disclosure debate continued to gain legislative traction in other states throughout 2023. Maryland would ultimately enact a more comprehensive ADAS disclosure and consumer protection law by mid-year. The contrast between states illustrated how patchwork the regulatory environment was becoming for shops operating across state lines.

For shop owners anywhere, the New Hampshire debate reinforced a practical best practice: documenting ADAS status and calibration requirements in writing before every job — regardless of whether state law requires it — protects the shop, informs the customer, and builds the kind of trust that generates referrals. That written explanation also gives the customer a clearer basis for comparing estimates that may treat calibration differently.