The Ohio Board of Motor Vehicle Collision Repair Registration and Attorney General Marc Dann’s office filed injunctions on 23 separate collision repair facilities in late 2007. Each shop is accused of being in violation of Ohio’s collision repair registration laws. In early 2007, the Board was granted injunctions in one county against four illegal repair shops.

“Enforcement efforts against illegal repair facilities increased in 2007, and will continue this year," said Michael Greene, executive director.   "It is not the Board’s intention to close down repair shops, but rather bring them into compliance with state and federal regulations.”

Attorney and consumer advocate Erica Eversman and others alerted the Ohio Department of Insurance last June to the problem of unregistered shops in Ohio and how some of them were on insurers’ preferred programs.

Shops that are properly registered are listed at  www.collisionboard.ohio.gov. Shops should encourage consumers to visit the site and learn the rights of motorista when seeking auto repairs.

The Ohio Board of Motor Vehicle Collision Repair Registration was created in 1999 to regulate the collision repair industry and provide consumer protection. The Board is entirely funded by registration fees from collision shops, auto glass businesses, paintless dent repair companies and airbag replacement units throughout Ohio. The Board is made up of five collision repair shop owners, one mechanical repair shop owner and one person to represent the public who has no financial interest in the auto repair industry.