Revved Up Records: Why Every Deal Jacket Needs a Checklist

In today’s increasingly regulated dealership landscape, keeping your deal paperwork in check isn’t just good practice—it’s non-negotiable. With compliance standards tightening and fines growing steeper, every dealership needs an airtight strategy for managing deal jackets. And that strategy starts with one surprisingly powerful tool: a checklist.

A deal jacket is the complete set of paperwork tied to a vehicle transaction. It includes everything from personal customer info and signed agreements to compliance disclosures, finance records, trade-in documentation, and DMV materials. When even one item is missing, delayed, or improperly signed, the impact is immediate—and potentially costly.

A well-structured deal jacket checklist reduces human error, accelerates deal delivery, and protects your dealership from compliance slip-ups. Here’s how it transforms your process:

For dealer groups with multiple brands or locations, uniformity is key. That doesn’t mean one-size-fits-all—it means building a core checklist that can flex for franchise-specific or state-specific documentation. Sign-off fields at each stage allow staff to verify completeness and accuracy, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.

Sales might be solid, but deals can unravel after delivery if the paperwork isn’t in order. Missing documents can delay funding, stall registration, and frustrate customers—all while opening the door to regulatory penalties. Each error adds risk, and over time, risk erodes revenue.

Integrating a deal jacket checklist into your daily operations makes every transaction smoother and every team member sharper. You don’t just protect your business from fines—you elevate performance.

Author: Michele D’Antonio | [email protected]