Editorial Policy: How We Verify Every Rule

1. Official sources come first

We use sources in this order of authority:

1. The statute itself, from the state legislature’s official website.
2. Regulations and administrative rules that apply the statute, such as the Texas Administrative Code.
3. Agency guidance from the body that runs the program, such as a state DMV, attorney general or department of consumer affairs.
4. Court decisions that interpret the law, such as the California Supreme Court’s 2024 ruling on used cars.
5. Official jury instructions and court forms.

We read law firm articles, news coverage and owner forums to learn what people ask and where they get confused. We never use them as the source for a legal rule.

2. Two checks before anything is published

Each state’s rules are stored as one structured data file: tests, time windows, deadlines, notice rules, fees, remedies, agency contacts and sources. Every field is traced to its source and checked a second time before the state goes live. If a rule cannot be verified from an official source, we leave it out or say clearly that it depends on facts we cannot know, such as whether a California manufacturer opted in to AB 1755.

3. Every page carries a date

Each state guide shows a “last verified” date, and each report generated by the checker shows the date of the rules it used. We change a page’s modified date only when its content changes.

4. How the checker works

The checker applies the state’s presumption tests to the visits you enter, counts only visits inside the legal time and mileage limits, and calculates deadlines with calendar-month rules. The engine is tested against worked examples for each state, including month ends and leap years. Results describe what the law presumes from your facts. They are not a prediction of how a hearing or court will decide.

5. Plain language

We write for a stressed car owner, not a lawyer. Short sentences, real examples, tables where they help, and legal terms explained the first time they appear.

6. Tools we use

We use software, including AI-assisted research and drafting tools, to find sources and prepare drafts. Software does not decide what the law says. Every legal rule is checked against its primary source before it is published.

7. Independence

No manufacturer, dealer, law firm or advertiser can buy a result, a ranking or a change to our content. Any future advertising or referral partner will be clearly labeled and kept separate from the checker’s answer.

8. Corrections

If you find an error, please contact us with the page and the source. We review every report against the official source and update the page and its date when a correction is confirmed. The rules behind our lemon law qualification tool are updated at the same time.