Your systems are half of it. This is the other half.
A compliant DMS can still be run by a store that improvises. The CARS Act’s failure modes are operational — a step nobody owned, a verbal quote that drifted from the written one, a notice that never got posted, a trade wholesaled on day two. Eighteen questions tell you whether the store — not the software — is ready for October 1. Scored, in about five minutes.
Compliance failures are almost never a missing rule.
They are a step nobody owned. The statute’s requirements land on handoffs — between the salesperson and the BDC, the desk and F&I, the tower and the office. Software will scan your advertising and archive your records, but it cannot decide who answers when a buyer calls on day three, or keep a verbal quote honest, or make the used-car desk hold a trade it could sell today. This check walks those seams: ownership and control points, sales-floor conduct, F&I practice, cancellation operations, complaints and record ownership, and the other 2026 changes hitting the same back office.
If you’ve already taken the DMS readiness assessment, this is its companion — the systems half and the operational half together cover the store. Answer for how your store runs today. You’ll get a scored breakdown and a copy by email.
This is an operational self-check, not a compliance audit and not legal advice. M@B Consulting advises on operations and process; for how SB 766 applies to your specific situation, work with your own counsel or your state association. For what the statute actually says, our CARS Act Readiness page has the requirements in plain terms.
SB 766 (Allen), Chapter 354, Statutes of 2025. Signed October 6, 2025; operative October 1, 2026. Adds Title 1.5B to the Civil Code, commencing with Section 1784.20. This page last reviewed August 7, 2026.