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Auto Repair Invoice Template: What Must Be on It

A complete auto repair invoice template with worked numbers, and the items state laws require: itemized labor and parts, new or used parts labels, the warranty, registration numbers, tax and record keeping.

Ijharul Islam October 21, 2026 9 min read

An auto repair invoice template saves your counter time, but only if it carries what your state requires. Most states with repair laws ask for the same core items: the date and mileage, every service and part itemized with a price, whether each part is new or not, and the total. Some add a registration number, a warranty statement or a rule against generic charges.

More on this topic: Running an auto repair shop, every guide in one place.

Below is a state-by-state list of required invoice items from the regulations themselves (read in October 2026), how to label parts, what to say about warranty and tax, and a full template with example numbers.

The short answer

An auto repair invoice template, in short: shop and customer details, registration number, date, vehicle and odometer reading, each service and part itemized with prices, each part marked new, used, rebuilt or reconditioned, labor, fees, subtotals, tax, total, warranty terms and any phone approvals. California, Florida, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania require most of these by law.

Key takeaways

Itemize every service and every part with its price; a single lump sum fails most state rules.
Mark any part that isn't new as used, rebuilt or reconditioned; California also wants crash parts marked OEM or non-OEM.
Florida requires your warranty's time and mileage on the invoice, and Connecticut's Attorney General says to state any warranty.
California bans generic shop supplies lines and puts sales tax only on the invoice; tax on repairs otherwise varies by state.
Keep invoices at least as long as your state requires: three years in California, 12 months in Florida.

Disclosure: we make BayRobin, an AI receptionist and front office for independent repair shops, and show where it fits. Everything here works without it. Figures from other companies come from their public pages, checked in October 2026 and linked at the end.

What must be on an auto repair invoice?

At minimum, what you did, what you installed, what each cost and the total, plus the details that identify the shop, car and date. Here's what each state's rule lists:

State	Required invoice items	Source
California	Registration number, name and address; every service (including diagnosis and warranty work) priced; every part priced and marked new, used, reconditioned or rebuilt (crash parts OEM or non-OEM); parts not returned; service and parts subtotals; tax; total; a legible copy	16 CCR 3356; Write It Right
Florida	Date and odometer reading; work done; itemized labor, parts and merchandise with costs, warranty items marked; used, rebuilt or reconditioned parts; guarantee with time and mileage; registration number	Fla. Stat. 559.911
Massachusetts	Customer and shop names and addresses; delivery date; year, make, registration number and odometer; itemized repairs; parts by name and number with prices; non-new parts marked; labor hours, rate and total; total	940 CMR 5.05(9)
Pennsylvania	Same pattern as Massachusetts: names, delivery date, vehicle and odometer, itemized services, parts by name or number with prices, non-new parts marked, labor hours, rate and total	37 Pa. Code 301.5(8)
New Jersey	All work recorded, parts and labor itemized separately, new, rebuilt, reconditioned or used parts stated; a legible copy	N.J.A.C. 13:45A-26C.2
New York	Shop name, address and facility number; date; all parts and labor with the cost of each	15 NYCRR 82.5
Ohio	Itemized repairs, parts and materials with costs, labor, who did the work, and parts used, remanufactured or rebuilt if not new	Ohio Adm. Code 109:4-3-13

Notice the conflict: Massachusetts and Pennsylvania ask for the labor rate on the bill, while California's Write It Right says the labor rate isn't included on estimates or invoices. Build one template per state you operate in.

How should you label used, rebuilt and aftermarket parts?

Label every part that isn't new, on its own line, every time. Every rule in the table above asks for it, and Florida makes substituting used, rebuilt, salvaged or straightened parts for new without notice an unlawful act. Practical labels:

New: "New, OEM" or "New, aftermarket" with the brand and part number.
Remanufactured or rebuilt: "Remanufactured alternator, [brand] [part no.]". Ohio's rule uses "remanufactured"; most others use "rebuilt" or "reconditioned".
Used: "Used, from salvage, [mileage if known]".
Crash parts in California: OEM or non-OEM aftermarket. BAR says terms such as "Opt-OEM", "Alt-OEM" and "Quality Replacement Part" don't meet the rule.
Kits: California allows a kit as one line if the brand and part number are listed.

Write descriptions in plain words. BAR names "R&R" and "TPS" as acronyms that don't meet its rule.

Should the invoice include a warranty statement?

Yes. Florida requires the guarantee and its time and mileage on the invoice (559.911), Connecticut's Attorney General says the invoice must state any warranty, and everywhere else it settles comeback arguments before they start. One line is enough: "Parts and labor warranted for 24 months or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first. Details on the back or at [link]." The terms are an example; set your own with our warranty policy guide. Also record warranty and no-charge work on the invoice at $0.00, as California requires, so the vehicle's history is complete.

What does a complete auto repair invoice look like?

Here's a full template with example numbers for a 2017 midsize SUV at 98,420 miles. Prices, tax and the labor rate are illustrations, not a price guide.

Header

[Shop name], [address], [phone], [email]. State registration no. [number]. EPA ID no. [number, if you charge a hazardous waste fee]
Invoice no. 10482. Date 10/22/2026. Repair order 10482
Customer: [name], [phone], [address]
Vehicle: 2017 [make] [model], VIN [VIN], plate [plate], odometer in 98,420, out 98,426

Work performed

Line	Description	Qty or hours	Price
Labor	Diagnosis: grinding noise from front brakes, road test and inspection	0.5 h	$70.00
Labor	Replace front brake pads and rotors, both sides	1.6 h	$224.00
Part	Front brake pad set, new, aftermarket, [brand] [part no.]	1	$64.95
Part	Front brake rotor, new, aftermarket, [brand] [part no.]	2	$139.90
Labor	Replace right front brake caliper (approved by phone, 10/22/2026 2:14 pm, J. Rivera, (555) 010-0142, taken by Sam)	0.6 h	$84.00
Part	Right front brake caliper, remanufactured, [brand] [part no.]	1	$89.00
Fee	Hazardous waste disposal (brake fluid), EPA ID [number]	1	$4.50
Warranty	Re-torque wheel lug nuts, no charge		$0.00

Totals and terms

Labor subtotal $378.00. Parts subtotal $293.85. Fees $4.50.
Sales tax [your state's rate on whatever your state taxes]: [amount]. Total: [amount].
Replaced parts: returned to customer [ ] / inspected [ ] / not returned (core exchange) [ ].
Warranty: [months and miles, parts and labor].
Payment: [method, amount paid, balance due].

The labor lines use an example rate of $140 an hour; leave the rate off in California and show it in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. If you use separate estimates and invoices, the invoice should match the authorized estimate line for line, with any approved changes recorded like the caliper line above. Our authorization form guide covers that approval line.

How should you handle sales tax and fees on the invoice?

Show tax as its own line, and check what your state taxes, because it varies. California's BAR says sales tax appears only on the invoice, never the estimate. Whether labor, parts or fees are taxable differs by state: Virginia's Tax Bulletin 17-7, for example, says a separately stated shop supplies charge is taxable there. Check your state revenue department's rules for repair services before you set up the tax line.

Fees need care too. California bans separate billing for "items generically noted as shop supplies, miscellaneous parts" (16 CCR 3356(g)); Florida allows a shop supplies or waste charge on the estimate with a prescribed statement. Our shop supplies fee guide has the state rules.

How long should you keep repair invoices?

As long as your state requires, and longer if your warranty runs longer. California requires invoices, estimates and work orders for at least three years; Florida requires estimates and invoices for at least 12 months, open to the customer to inspect and copy. If your warranty runs 24 or 36 months, keep invoices at least that long so you can check a comeback claim. This isn't legal advice: rules change and cities or counties can add their own, so check the current text or ask a lawyer or your state association before you change your forms.

Invoice checklist before it goes out

Registration number, shop details and invoice number.
Date, vehicle and odometer reading.
Every service and part on its own priced line, in plain words.
Every part marked new, used, rebuilt, remanufactured or reconditioned.
Any phone or text approval for added work, with date, time, name and number.
Warranty and no-charge work shown at $0.00.
Subtotals, tax on its own line, total, warranty terms and returned-parts note.

Frequently asked questions

What should be on a mechanic invoice?

The shop and customer details, date, vehicle and odometer reading, every service and part itemized with prices, each part marked new, used, rebuilt or reconditioned, subtotals, tax, total and warranty terms. Several states add a registration number.

Does an auto repair invoice have to be itemized?

In most states with repair laws, yes. California, Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania all require labor and parts to be itemized with prices.

Do I have to show the labor rate on the invoice?

It depends on the state. Massachusetts and Pennsylvania ask for labor hours, the rate and the total; California's BAR says the labor rate isn't included on estimates or invoices.

Is labor taxable on an auto repair invoice?

It varies by state, and so does tax on parts and fees. Check your state revenue department's rules for repair services before you set up the tax line.

How long do repair shops keep invoices?

California requires at least three years; Florida requires at least 12 months. Keep them at least as long as your warranty runs.

Where BayRobin fits

In BayRobin, approved work on the repair order becomes the invoice, sent by text with a pay link for card payments through your own Stripe account or PayPal, and Ready for pickup texts send the total with the link. You set the line wording, so match it to your state's invoice rules. More on inspections, estimates and invoices. BayRobin is free until your first 10 booked jobs, no card up front. Start free or see pricing.

Sources

Competitor details in this post were checked against these public pages in October 2026. Products and prices change, so confirm with each vendor before you decide.

#invoices #templates #state law #getting paid