--- title: "Is This Mobile Mechanic Legitimate? | Curbside Mechanics" description: "Four questions to ask on the phone, one free business lookup, and the paperwork that protects you. Under ten minutes and it catches most problems." lang: en json-ld: | [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://curbsidemechanics.com/#organization", "name": "Curbside Mechanics", "url": "https://curbsidemechanics.com", "logo": "https://curbsidemechanics.com/logo-mark.svg" }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://curbsidemechanics.com/#website", "name": "Curbside Mechanics", "url": "https://curbsidemechanics.com", "publisher": { "@id": "https://curbsidemechanics.com/#organization" } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://curbsidemechanics.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "DFW", "item": "https://curbsidemechanics.com/dfw" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Guides", "item": "https://curbsidemechanics.com/dfw/guides" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "How to check a mobile mechanic before you hand over keys", "item": "https://curbsidemechanics.com/dfw/guides/is-this-mobile-mechanic-legitimate" } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://curbsidemechanics.com/dfw/guides/is-this-mobile-mechanic-legitimate#webpage", "url": "https://curbsidemechanics.com/dfw/guides/is-this-mobile-mechanic-legitimate", "name": "Is This Mobile Mechanic Legitimate? | Curbside Mechanics", "description": "Four questions to ask on the phone, one free business lookup, and the paperwork that protects you. Under ten minutes and it catches most problems.", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://curbsidemechanics.com/#website" } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do mobile mechanics need a license in Texas?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "There is no single general mechanic license to ask for. Anyone servicing motor vehicle air conditioning for money must hold EPA Section 609 certification. If somebody claims a state license, ask which one and check with that agency." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What is the fastest way to check a shop is real?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Ask for the exact registered business name and search it in the Texas Comptroller Taxable Entity Search. Free, and it takes about a minute." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Should I pay before the work is done?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Parts up front on a big job is normal. Paying the whole bill before the car runs is not. Pay on completion, with an itemized receipt." } } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Service", "serviceType": "Mobile Mechanic", "areaServed": { "@type": "AdministrativeArea", "name": "Dallas–Fort Worth" }, "provider": { "@id": "https://curbsidemechanics.com/#organization" } } ] --- [![Curbside Mechanics](/logo-horizontal.svg)![Curbside Mechanics](/logo-horizontal-white.svg)](/) [Claim a listing](#for-owners)[Add your shop](#for-owners) [Home](/) / [DFW](/dfw) / [Guides](/dfw/guides) / How to check a mobile mechanic before you hand over keys # How to check a mobile mechanic before you hand over keys A stranger is coming to your house to work on the thing you drive your kids in. Ten minutes of checking is not paranoid, it is normal. None of this requires a subscription or a background check service. It is four phone questions, one free state lookup, and a receipt. ## Ask these four on the phone 1. What is the exact registered business name? A person who will not say it plainly is the whole answer. 2. What is the hourly labor rate, and what is the diagnostic fee? 3. Does the diagnostic fee come off the repair if I approve the work? 4. Do you carry liability or garage keepers insurance, and can you send the certificate? ## Look the business up, free Take the registered name and search the Texas Comptroller Taxable Entity Search. It is free and it takes a minute. A business that files in Texas shows up. If nothing comes back, ask why before anybody touches the car. ## About licenses in Texas There is no single general mechanic license to ask for. One thing is federally required: anyone servicing motor vehicle air conditioning for money must hold EPA Section 609 certification. If somebody says they are state licensed, ask which license and from which agency, then check with that agency yourself. ## Get the receipt right - Business name and a phone number that is answered. - Vehicle and mileage at the time of the work. - Parts listed individually with prices, and the part brand. - Labor listed separately. - Warranty in months or miles, in writing. Cash is fine. Cash with no itemized receipt is not, because you have just given up your warranty and any way to dispute the work. [ ### Dallas Best Mobile Mechanic Unclaimed Unclaimed listing. We collected these details from the shop's own website. Confirm them when you call. Closed Daily 6:00am – 9:00pm Dallas · Southlake · Garland · Grand Prairie · Plano · Denton +2 more Diagnostics Brakes Electrical No-start Oil / Maintenance ](/m/dallas-best-mobile-mechanic) [Call](tel:+12148170427) [Text](sms:+12148170427) (214) 817-0427 Copy number [ ### DFW Mobile Auto Repair & Classic Car Garage Unclaimed Unclaimed listing. We collected these details from the shop's own website. Confirm them when you call. Closed Mon–Fri 8am–6pm · 24/7 emergency 24/7 Emergency Fort Worth · Arlington · Grand Prairie · Dallas · Mansfield · Kennedale +9 more Diagnostics Electrical No-start Brakes ](/m/dfw-mobile-auto-repair-classic-car-garage) [Call](tel:+16822305736) [Text](sms:+16822305736) (682) 230-5736 Copy number [ ### Fort Worth Mobile Mechanic Unclaimed Unclaimed listing. We collected these details from the shop's own website. Confirm them when you call. Closed Mon–Fri 8am–5pm · Sat–Sun 24 hrs 24/7 Emergency Fort Worth · Dallas · Plano · Arlington · Irving · Hurst +2 more A/C Brakes Electrical Oil / Maintenance Diagnostics No-start ](/m/fort-worth-mobile-mechanic) [Call](tel:+18173818939) [Text](sms:+18173818939) (817) 381-8939 Copy number [ ### Fort Worth's Best Mobile Mechanic Unclaimed Unclaimed listing. We collected these details from the shop's own website. Confirm them when you call. Closed Call for hours Fort Worth · Arlington · Irving Diagnostics Brakes Electrical Oil / Maintenance ](/m/fort-worths-best-mobile-mechanic) [Call](tel:+16822071912) [Text](sms:+16822071912) (682) 207-1912 Copy number [ ### InstantCarFix Unclaimed Unclaimed listing. We collected these details from the shop's own website. Confirm them when you call. Closed Online booking Denton · Grand Prairie · Dallas · Fort Worth Diagnostics Brakes Oil / Maintenance ](/m/instantcarfix) [Book online](/out/instantcarfix?t=website&p=city_list&page=%2Fdfw%2Fguides%2Fis-this-mobile-mechanic-legitimate&s=2f615d34-85da-4e33-bcb6-6cb575926abf) [ ### Lone Star Mobile Mechanics Unclaimed Unclaimed listing. We collected these details from the shop's own website. Confirm them when you call. Closed Mon–Sun 7:00am – 8:00pm Dallas · Plano · McKinney · Frisco · Carrollton · Addison +9 more Diagnostics Electrical A/C No-start Brakes Tires ](/m/lone-star-mobile-mechanics) [Call](tel:+12145514796) [Text](sms:+12145514796) (214) 551-4796 Copy number ## Claim your listing Already listed here without a badge? Claim your listing, confirm your details, get the owner-confirmed badge. Free. Verification is by email. You confirm from the address already on the listing or one at your business domain, and the badge goes live. Verified means the owner confirmed his own contact details, not that we vouch for his work. Claiming is free, and it is also the gate. Every city page has one featured spot at the top, $79 a month, first come first served, and only an owner who has claimed his listing and confirmed his email can take it. Standard listings underneath stay unlimited and free. Featured means paid placement. It is not us saying a mechanic is good. City taken? Join the line. First shot when it opens. Joining the line is free too, and it does not skip the claim step. A text-to-claim option is coming. There is no claim phone number published yet, so do not text a number you found somewhere else. ## Questions ### Do mobile mechanics need a license in Texas? There is no single general mechanic license to ask for. Anyone servicing motor vehicle air conditioning for money must hold EPA Section 609 certification. If somebody claims a state license, ask which one and check with that agency. ### What is the fastest way to check a shop is real? Ask for the exact registered business name and search it in the Texas Comptroller Taxable Entity Search. Free, and it takes about a minute. ### Should I pay before the work is done? Parts up front on a big job is normal. Paying the whole bill before the car runs is not. Pay on completion, with an itemized receipt. ## Claim your city $79 per month That is the price, stated plainly. There is no quote to request, no setup fee, and no contract term. - Top placement on the city page you pick, above the standard listings - One featured spot per city page. Not a rotation, not three shops sharing the top. - $79 a month, flat. No per-lead charge, no commission, no contract term. - First come, first served. - Your service list, hours, and service radius on the listing - A direct link to your own site or booking page - The owner-confirmed badge, once you confirm your details - Standard listings underneath are unlimited and free, now and later. City taken? Join the line. First shot when it opens. The order matters. Claim your listing, confirm your email, and then the featured spot is yours to take if the city is still open. You cannot buy the spot on a listing nobody has claimed. What it does not get you: we do not promise you calls, jobs, or revenue, and we will not tell you what to expect from a placement. We do not sell leads, we do not take a percentage of your work, and we do not sit between you and the customer. The driver calls your number directly. [Claim this city](/claim-city) ![Curbside Mechanics](/logo-horizontal.svg)![Curbside Mechanics](/logo-horizontal-white.svg) [Directory](/)[DFW pages](/dfw)[FAQ](/faq)[Blog](/blog) Curbside Mechanics is an independent directory of mobile mechanics. We are not a repair shop and we do not dispatch anyone. Confirm the price and the timing with the shop before any work starts. Site created and managed by [Dynamic Buzz Digital](https://dynamicbuzzdigital.com) What's wrong with my car? [Edit with ](https://lovable.dev/projects/lovp_4d6q7742vj9j5szksptwvw70q3?utm_source=lovable-badge)