A new Michigan law buried in HB 6393 imposes strict limits on cell phone calls and texts to customers—and violations carry per-call fines.
Most auto service owners don't realize that Michigan is about to impose one of the strictest cell phone contact rules in the country—and it could affect how you reach customers about service reminders, recalls, or appointment confirmations.
Here's what's happening: Michigan's HB 6393 includes a provision (Section 3(1)(c)) that bans unsolicited robocalls, autodialed calls, and recorded-voice calls to cell phones unless you have prior express written consent from the customer first.
If your shop uses any kind of automated calling or texting system—whether it's appointment reminders, service alerts, or marketing outreach—this law applies to you. It doesn't matter if the call is brief or friendly. If it's dialed by a machine or uses a recorded message, and the customer didn't explicitly agree in writing beforehand, you're potentially in violation.
The law does carve out a narrow exemption for certain types of calls, but those exceptions are limited and specific. Most routine business outreach won't qualify.
This is where the real exposure sits. Each violation is treated as a civil infraction, and fines can reach $500 per call or text. If you send 50 appointment reminders without proper consent, that's a potential $25,000 liability—even if every customer appreciated the reminder.
That per-call structure means the cost of non-compliance scales quickly, and it creates litigation exposure beyond just fines. Customers or third parties could pursue claims, and defending those claims is expensive regardless of outcome.
Before using any autodialing, robocall, or recorded-message system to reach customers on cell phones, you need to obtain prior express written consent. That means documented agreement—not a verbal okay or a checkbox buried in terms and conditions. The consent needs to be clear, specific, and tied to the type of contact you're planning to make.
If you're currently running any automated outreach campaigns, review them now. Identify which calls or texts go to cell phones, and audit your consent records. If you don't have written consent on file, you'll need to either obtain it or stop the outreach.
HB 6393 is tied to HB 6394 (H07692'26). The law's effective date is contingent on HB 6394 being enacted. Until both bills are signed into law, the exact implementation date isn't set. However, it's prudent to assume this could take effect within months, not years.
Check with your trade association or legal counsel for updates on the enactment timeline, and begin auditing your current calling and texting practices now. The cost of getting ahead of this is far lower than the cost of paying fines after the fact.
Source: Michigan HB 6393, Section 3(1)(c); tied to HB 6394 (H07692'26).