A new Pennsylvania law requires auto repair facilities in Philadelphia to register with the city and report vehicles matching hit-and-run alerts to police—or face criminal penalties.
Most auto repair shop owners in Philadelphia haven't heard about a significant compliance requirement buried in SB1425, the Jayanna Powell Hit-and-Run Direct Notification System Pilot Program. But if you operate a commercial garage or repair facility in the city, this law directly affects how you do business.
What the Law Requires
Under SB1425, every commercial auto repair shop operating in Philadelphia must register with the city. Once registered, you have a new legal obligation: if a vehicle in your possession reasonably matches a hit-and-run alert issued by law enforcement, you must report it to police within 72 hours.
This requirement is spelled out in Section 5(a) of the bill. It's not optional, and it's not a suggestion. Failure to report a matching vehicle is classified as a third-degree misdemeanor under Pennsylvania law.
Who This Affects
The law applies to commercial garages and repair facilities—essentially any business that accepts vehicles for repair work. It applies only within Philadelphia, which is designated in the statute as a "city of the first class."
If you operate a shop elsewhere in Pennsylvania, this doesn't apply to you yet. But if you're in Philadelphia, you need to prepare now.
Timeline and Deadlines
The law takes effect 30 days from enactment. The city of Philadelphia has 6 months from that effective date to implement the hit-and-run alert system. Once the system is live, your registration and reporting obligations begin.
This means you should expect notification from the city about registration requirements within the coming months. The exact registration process and any associated fees have not yet been detailed publicly, so monitoring city announcements will be important.
What This Means for Your Operations
Practically speaking, you'll need to:
• Register your facility with the city when the system launches
• Monitor hit-and-run alerts issued by Philadelphia police
• Establish a process to match incoming vehicles against those alerts
• Document and report matches to law enforcement within 72 hours
• Keep records of your compliance efforts
The 72-hour window is tight, so having a clear internal procedure is essential. You may also want to consult with legal counsel about how to handle edge cases—for example, what "reasonably matches" means in practice, or how to document that a vehicle in your shop doesn't match an alert.
Why It Matters
Hit-and-run collisions often leave victims without immediate leads. This law is designed to close that gap by leveraging repair shops as a reporting point. From a business standpoint, it's a new compliance cost and operational responsibility. From a legal standpoint, it's a criminal penalty if you don't comply.
The good news: the requirement is straightforward. You're not being asked to investigate or make judgment calls about guilt. You're being asked to match vehicle descriptions and report matches.
If you operate an auto repair facility in Philadelphia, now is the time to understand this requirement and prepare your shop's processes. Your city or trade association may offer guidance as implementation details emerge.
Source: Pennsylvania SB1425, Section 5(a)