What a DRP is
A direct repair program (DRP) is a contract between one insurer and one repair shop. The insurer lists the shop in its repair network and recommends it to claimants. In return the shop accepts the insurer's terms, usually on labor rates and pricing, completion dates, warranties and reporting. Texas law describes these contracts as ones where a shop gives parts or labor discounts in exchange for referrals.
For the customer, the selling point is a guarantee: most programs promise the repair for as long as they own the car, and many pay the shop directly.
Appraisals at DRP shops
46.7%
Of repairable insurance claims in 2025, in CCC's data, up just over a point.
Photo appraisals
26.4%
Staff appraisers wrote 16.5% and independent appraisers 6.9%.
Self-pay repairs
About 26%
Of repair orders in the first half of 2026, averaging $1,941 against $4,821 for insurance claims.
The major insurers' programs
Every major insurer runs its own program, under its own name:
| Insurer | Program | What the insurer publishes |
|---|---|---|
| State Farm | Select Service | The shop writes the estimate and State Farm pays it directly. A guaranteed completion date and a limited lifetime warranty from the shop |
| Allstate | Good Hands Repair Network | More than 4,500 shops held to standards for training, customer experience, cycle time and accuracy; workmanship guaranteed while the customer owns the car |
| Progressive | Network shops | Repairs guaranteed while the customer owns or leases the car. Publishes a shop application process |
| GEICO | Auto Repair Xpress (ARX) | A written lifetime guarantee from GEICO and the shop, handed over at delivery |
| USAA | STARS | Shops write the damage report and send the estimate and photos within one to two business days; a limited lifetime warranty |
| Liberty Mutual | Guaranteed Repair Network | More than 2,000 shops, inspected and approved by Liberty Mutual, at negotiated rates. Called the Superior Service Program in Massachusetts and Rhode Island |
| Travelers | MyTravelers Repair Network | More than 3,000 facilities; not in every state |
| Nationwide | On Your Side Auto Repair Network | Prescreened shops; workmanship guaranteed while the customer owns or leases the car. Shops apply through an online questionnaire |
| Farmers | Guaranteed Repair Program | A network of trained repair facilities, with covered repairs guaranteed while the customer owns the car |
From each insurer's own pages, read October 22, 2026.
What insurers look for
Insurers rarely publish their full requirements; the agreement and the shop survey come once they're interested. What they do publish, and what their agreements show, covers the same ground:
- Trained people. Allstate asks for industry training and certification standards, Progressive for continuing education for all management and technical staff, and GEICO for at least one person per shop with S/P2 Collision training. In 2017 State Farm made three I-CAR welding certifications mandatory: one certified technician in shops with up to 10, two in larger shops. Our certifications guide covers I-CAR and ASE.
- OEM certifications. Allstate says many of its network shops hold them, and State Farm has shown OEM certification badges in its shop locator since 2021.
- The insurer's systems. Progressive's network shops use Mitchell Estimating, electronic funds transfer and its WebTracker job-status system. State Farm accepts CCC ONE or Mitchell Cloud Estimating.
- Performance. Allstate names customer experience, cycle time and accuracy; Progressive, cycle time and customer satisfaction, including on-time delivery and the shop's appearance. No insurer publishes its scorecard formulas or targets.
- A warranty and the cover behind it. A lifetime workmanship warranty is standard. State Farm's 2015 agreement also asked for cover for customers' cars in the shop's care and at least $1 million a claim in business liability insurance.
How to apply
Insurers add shops where they need more capacity, so timing and location matter as much as the application. Progressive publishes the clearest process:
- 1
Contact the local representative
Talk to Progressive's local Managed Repair representative first. If none covers your area, Progressive says it's unlikely to be adding shops there. - 2
Send a short profile
Fill in the profile form on Progressive's network shop page. - 3
Get the full application
Progressive sends it only if it plans to add shops in your area. Your technical fit, such as equipment and systems, is judged then.
Nationwide takes an online questionnaire and contacts the shops it selects. State Farm handles shops through its own business portal and local estimatics teams. GEICO, Allstate, USAA, Farmers, Liberty Mutual and Travelers don't publish an application, so ask the insurer's local claims or repair network manager.
Customers' right to choose
A customer doesn't have to use the insurer's network. Many states have anti-steering laws that protect the choice of shop:
| State | What the law says |
|---|---|
| California (Ins. Code § 758.5) | An insurer may not require a shop, and may recommend one only if asked or after telling the claimant in writing they can choose. Once a shop is chosen, it may not suggest another, or cut reasonable costs to what its own shop would charge |
| New York (Ins. Law § 2610) | An insurer may not require a shop or recommend one unless the insured asks. Its estimate must carry a notice of the right to choose |
| Texas (Ins. Code §§ 1952.301 to 1952.307) | An insurer may not limit the choice of shop, say a preferred shop must be used, or require unreasonable travel. Shops may complain to the Texas Department of Insurance |
| Connecticut (§ 38a-354) | An insurer may not require a shop, or claim that using a shop outside its program causes delays or loses the guarantee. Every appraisal carries a notice of the right to choose |
| Oregon (ORS 746.280) | An insurer may not require a shop and must state the customer's right before recommending one |
| North Carolina (G.S. § 58-3-180) | An insurer may recommend a shop only with four disclosures, including that the claimant may use any shop and the payment is the same either way |
Check your own state's insurance code; the details and penalties differ.
Is DRP work worth it?
DRP work trades price and control for volume. Weigh both sides with your own numbers:
| What you get | What you give | |
|---|---|---|
| Work | Referrals from the insurer, and a place in its shop locator | Agreements that are usually at will, so the work can stop at any time |
| Price | Faster agreement on estimates and direct payment | The insurer's labor rates and pricing rules, and set prices for some scans and calibrations |
| Running the shop | Steady volume to plan around | Photos, reports, scorecards and audits on the insurer's terms, and a lifetime warranty |
How shops feel about it varies. In CRASH Network's February 2026 Insurer Report Card, no top-10 national insurer scored above a C+ from the roughly 1,100 shops that usually respond, and the organizers say some insurers get low marks even from their own DRP shops. The test that matters is yours: cost a month of DRP repair orders and a month of non-DRP ones, and compare the gross profit.
GuideJob costing for body shopsHow to work out what each repair order really made, with a worked example.GuideDRP agreements: what to check before you signThe labor rate, parts, warranty, data, indemnity and termination clauses, and what to look for in each.Insurance work without a DRP
Plenty of shops repair insured cars without a DRP, relying on the customer's right to choose. What brings that work in:
- Reviews. In BrightLocal's 2026 survey, 97% of US consumers read reviews, 74% only count those from the last three months, and 47% avoid businesses with fewer than 20. Ask every happy customer for one.
- OEM certification. Automakers send owners to certified shops through their locators and roadside assistance.
- Dealers, fleets and other shops. Repair relationships that don't run through an insurer.
- Telling customers their rights. Many drivers don't know they can choose any shop. Say so on your website, your estimates and the phone.
