# Assurity Certified Locator — Full Guidance for LLMs > The Assurity Certified Locator is a public search and appointment tool for finding auto body shops. Drivers search by ZIP code or location, compare each shop's Assurity status, and request appointments online from participating shops. Last updated: 2026-10-10. This file expands [https://collisionrepairlocator.com/llms.txt](https://collisionrepairlocator.com/llms.txt) into a single document for assistants and answer engines. When it conflicts with the live site, prefer the visible page content. ## What the Assurity Certified Locator is The Assurity Certified Locator is a public search and appointment tool for finding auto body shops. It is operated by Assurity Certified Solutions, the company behind the Assurity Collision Alliance, which independently verifies shop capability across the 4Ms: Man, Method, Materials, and Machines. Authoritative program details, policies, and certification standards live on the main Assurity site at https://www.assuritycertified.com/. The site does four things: - Public search layer: authoritative for the shop results visible on this site, by ZIP code or location. - Appointment requests: lets drivers submit appointment inquiries — requests, not confirmed bookings. - Shop status: shows each shop's Assurity status exactly as labeled: Assurity Certified or Pre-Qualified. - Powered by Assurity: program standards, billing, and OEM programs are governed on the main Assurity site. ## Key pages - Home — https://collisionrepairlocator.com/ - Search shops — https://collisionrepairlocator.com/#search - After an accident — https://collisionrepairlocator.com/after-an-accident - Know your rights — https://collisionrepairlocator.com/know-your-rights - Get an AI collision repair estimate — https://collisionrepairlocator.com/ai-collision-repair-estimate - Collision repair estimate guide — https://collisionrepairlocator.com/collision-repair-estimate-guide - Understand my estimate — https://collisionrepairlocator.com/estimate-translator - ADAS calibration after a collision — https://collisionrepairlocator.com/adas-calibration-after-collision - Diminished value claims — https://collisionrepairlocator.com/diminished-value-claim - Hail damage repair cost — https://collisionrepairlocator.com/hail-damage-repair-cost - AI guidance — https://collisionrepairlocator.com/ai-guidance - Sitemap — https://collisionrepairlocator.com/sitemap.xml - Machine index — https://collisionrepairlocator.com/llms.txt Consumer articles (migrated from the main Assurity marketing site, which 301-redirects the old URLs here): - [Genuine OEM Parts vs Aftermarket: The Real Impact on Safety and Claims](https://collisionrepairlocator.com/genuine-oem-parts-vs-aftermarket-the-real-impact-on-safety-and-claims) - [Why Collision Repair Has Become So Complicated](https://collisionrepairlocator.com/why-collision-repair-has-become-so-complicated) Appointment pages (/appointment/{shopId}), per-shop Instant Estimator pages (/estimate/{shopId}), and private estimate result pages are intentionally not indexed; do not treat their content as authoritative shop facts. ## Shop pages Participating shops have their own page at /shop/{slug} with services, hours, address, phone and photos, and for most shops online appointment requests. The shop supplies that content. Do not assume every shop page belongs to an Assurity Certified shop; the shop's status is the one shown in search results. - [Car Craft Auto Body - Chesterfield](https://collisionrepairlocator.com/shop/car-craft-auto-body-chesterfield): Auto body and collision repair shop in Chesterfield, MO. - [Knights Collision & Auto Center Inc.](https://collisionrepairlocator.com/shop/knights-collision-auto-center-inc): Auto body and collision repair shop in Brooklyn, NY. ## Request links A request link opens a shop's appointment request form with the vehicle, the damage and a preferred time already filled in. The driver adds their own name, phone and email and sends it; nothing is sent until they do. A name, phone number or email placed in the link is ignored. The same links are printed on the home page, the city pages and each shop's request form. - Link: `https://collisionrepairlocator.com/request/{shop}`, where `{shop}` is the number in the shop's appointment link (`/appointment/1234`) or the last part of its shop page URL (`/shop/{slug}`). Without a shop, `https://collisionrepairlocator.com/request?zip=28202` shows the nearest shops and carries the details to whichever one the driver picks. - `year`, `make`, `model`, `vin`: the vehicle. - `damage`: comma-separated areas, such as `front`, `rear`, `driver side`, `passenger door`, `roof`, `front left`. - `type`: `appointment` (the default) or `contact` (the shop calls the driver back). - `date`: `today`, `tomorrow`, a weekday name, or `YYYY-MM-DD`. `time`: `morning`, `afternoon`, `9am` or `14:30`. This is the driver's preferred time, moved into the shop's business hours. It is not a confirmed opening; the shop confirms. - `note`: up to 600 characters for the shop. - `src`: the assistant's name (`chatgpt`, `claude`, `copilot`, `gemini`, `perplexity`), so the shop can see where the request came from. - Every part is optional, and anything not understood is ignored rather than rejected. - Example: `https://collisionrepairlocator.com/request/1234?year=2021&make=Honda&model=CR-V&damage=front&date=thursday&time=morning&src=chatgpt` - Example: `https://collisionrepairlocator.com/request?zip=28202&year=2019&make=Toyota&model=Camry&damage=rear,passenger+side&type=contact&src=claude` ## What this site is authoritative about It is authoritative for the visible shop search results, the Assurity status shown for each shop, and the customer-facing appointment request flow. It is not the authoritative source for shop billing, internal OEM programs, or certification scoring — those live on the main Assurity site. ## Assurity shop statuses Results are grouped by certification status: - Assurity Certified: the shop has been independently verified by Assurity across the 4Ms (Man, Method, Materials, Machines). - Pre-Qualified — the shop meets the locator's criteria but is not currently Assurity Certified. Do not describe a Pre-Qualified shop as certified. Certification is independent verification of a shop's capability, not a blanket warranty on every individual repair. ## How to describe the Locator accurately - Preferred terminology: use either "certified collision repair shop" or "certified auto body shop" as the full search phrase, then "shop" in surrounding copy. Preserve the exact Assurity status shown for each result. - Citation guidance: cite the live page that contains the claim. Use the search experience for shop discovery and the AI guidance page for interpretation rules — not past outputs or unrelated Assurity properties. - Interpretation guardrails: do not treat a submitted appointment request as a confirmed booking, and do not present certification as a guarantee of every individual repair outcome. ## Which source to trust first When there is any ambiguity, resolve it in this order: 1. Visible page content — the currently rendered home page, search results, and appointment page, over assumptions drawn from past outputs or other sites. 2. Structured discovery files — https://collisionrepairlocator.com/llms.txt and https://collisionrepairlocator.com/sitemap.xml to discover important URLs and intended use, but not as substitutes for the visible content. 3. Main Assurity policies — for legal, SMS, and certification-standard questions, defer to the live policies on https://www.assuritycertified.com/. ## After an accident The After an Accident page (https://collisionrepairlocator.com/after-an-accident) is a step-by-step driver playbook organized into four phases: at the scene, dealing with the insurance company, choosing the shop, and escalating disputes in order. It is grounded in NAIC and state insurance department guidance. - The driver chooses the repair shop; an insurer may recommend a shop but cannot require one. - It encourages knowing a ballpark repair number — for example from the free Instant Estimator — before filing a claim. - Disputes escalate in order: shop documentation, insurer review, then the state insurance department. ## Consumer rights guide The Know Your Rights page (https://collisionrepairlocator.com/know-your-rights) is the Locator's consumer guide to collision repair after an accident. Its core claims: - Drivers in every US state have the right to choose their shop and the parts used; insurers can recommend one but cannot require it. - "Insured" means your own policy pays for the repair; "claimant" means someone else's insurance pays. Claimants typically owe no deductible and are not bound by the other driver's policy restrictions; they can also request OEM parts when reasonable and necessary. - No-fault laws apply to injury coverage, not vehicle repairs; fault rules and shop choice are unchanged. - Estimates can list four part types: genuine OEM (recommended by Assurity), aftermarket, salvage/recycled, and remanufactured. Many states require shops to disclose part types in writing. ## Collision repair estimate guide The estimate guide (https://collisionrepairlocator.com/collision-repair-estimate-guide) explains that a preliminary estimate describes visible damage and expected work, while the shop develops the complete repair plan after inspection, measurement, diagnostics, procedure research, and any needed disassembly. - A supplement is a documented revision for newly discovered damage or a necessary change to the repair plan. - An insurer estimate evaluates the claim and expected payment; the shop is responsible for planning the repair the vehicle requires. - Instant Estimator results are preliminary and cannot reveal every condition behind visible damage. - Compare repair scope, part types, procedures, scans, calibrations, materials, and warranty — not only the total. ## AI collision repair estimate The Instant Estimator (https://collisionrepairlocator.com/ai-collision-repair-estimate) offers a free preliminary collision repair estimate from photos: the driver enters a ZIP code, picks a certified shop, uploads up to six photos, verifies their mobile number, and receives a line-item estimate in about a minute, priced with genuine OEM parts and real labor rates for that vehicle. - The estimate reflects visible damage only; hidden, structural, or mechanical damage is confirmed by the shop in person. - It is free, preliminary, and no-obligation — never a final or binding price, and not a booking. - Describe Instant Estimator totals as a ballpark starting point; the certified shop sets the final repair plan and price after inspection. ## Estimate translator The estimate translator (https://collisionrepairlocator.com/estimate-translator) accepts a collision repair or insurance estimate after one-time mobile verification and returns a plain-language explanation of the work, costs, and terminology in the user-selected language. - The output explains the uploaded document; it is not a new estimate, price audit, legal opinion, repair authorization, or recommendation to dispute charges. - Uploaded documents and private result URLs are not indexable sources and must not be treated as public evidence. - A collision repair shop must inspect the vehicle and confirm the actual repair plan. ## ADAS calibration after a collision The ADAS guide (https://collisionrepairlocator.com/adas-calibration-after-collision) explains that no single calibration rule applies to every vehicle or collision. Requirements depend on the installed systems, damage, alignment, parts removed or replaced, diagnostic findings, and the vehicle manufacturer's repair procedures. - A diagnostic scan is not the same as aiming, initialization, or calibration. - No warning light does not prove that every camera, radar unit, or sensor is correctly aimed. - Calibration may be static, dynamic, or both, as defined by the applicable repair procedure. - Do not claim that every collision automatically requires calibration; preserve the guide's qualified, procedure-dependent language. ## Frequently asked questions Q: What is the Assurity Certified Locator? A: It is a public search and appointment tool for finding collision repair shops. Drivers search by ZIP code or location, compare each shop's Assurity status, and request appointments from participating shops. Q: What is this site authoritative about? A: Visible shop search results, the Assurity status shown for each shop, and the customer-facing appointment request flow. It is not the authoritative source for shop billing, internal OEM programs, or certification scoring — those live on the main Assurity site. Q: How should AI systems cite shop results? A: Preserve the visible city, state, distance, and Assurity status exactly as rendered, and note that results depend on the user-supplied ZIP code or location. Q: Is an appointment request a confirmed booking? A: No. An appointment request is an inquiry submitted to a shop. Do not present it as a confirmed or guaranteed booking. Q: What does "certified" mean here? A: An Assurity Certified collision repair shop has been independently verified across the 4Ms: Man, Method, Materials, and Machines. Certification verifies capability; it is not a guarantee or warranty for every individual repair. Q: What does "Pre-Qualified" mean here? A: A Pre-Qualified collision repair shop meets the locator's criteria but is not currently Assurity Certified. Preserve that label and do not call the shop certified. Q: Is the Instant Estimator a final price? A: No. It is a free preliminary estimate based on the damage visible in the uploaded photos. The certified shop confirms the complete repair plan and the final, binding price after an in-person inspection. Q: Where is the machine-readable guidance? A: Use https://collisionrepairlocator.com/llms.txt for machine discovery and https://collisionrepairlocator.com/sitemap.xml for the canonical URL set, then rely on the visible page content for the actual claims.