Why Don't We Sell Cars on Sunday's in Indiana?

So I decided to start writing a blog today. My objective, educate the general public on car buying and to answer questions I hear all the time as a professional in the auto sales industry. I will be discussing cars sales in general, specifically for the state of Indiana, since car buying rules/laws change slightly from state to state. I am not a lawyer nor do I hold a Jurist Doctorate Degree, my information will be based on my personal and professional experience and reference material I will note either in the footnotes or directly in the paragraph. I will however be as honest as I possibly can in this blog, so if I show a considerable lack of knowledge on a specific subject, well that is because I don't know anything about it and I’m trying not to BS you (and I was too lazy to look up the answer), this is my attempt at dry humor.

If any of you have questions or comments you can contact me at anthony.turner@anthonytsellscars.com

That brings me to my subject of the day.

1) I often hear…. I was here last Sunday looking at a vehicle on your lot and no one was there, why? I tried several other lots in the area and none of them were open either, why?

Well that's a good question, I often answer this question with “Because it is illegal to sell cars in the State of Indiana on Sundays”. I answer this way because, that is what I have been told and like most others in this profession, I am just regurgitating information I have heard without any real understanding or regard for “fact”. This is what I was told several years ago and so this is what I tell anyone who asks. So I decided as the subject of my first blog to dig in, find the truth and explain why cars dealers are closed on Sunday in the State of Indiana.

This is what I found – BLUE LAWS. Yes it is illegal to sell cars on Sunday in the State of Indiana because of the blue laws. What are blue laws you ask? I asked the same question and this is what I found out. Blue laws are laws that were put in place to restrict certain activities for religious reasons or to promote the observance of a “day of worship”. The following paragraph is a copy and paste directly from Wikipedia on the subject of “blue laws”

Blue laws, also known as Sunday laws, are laws designed to restrict or ban some or all Sunday activities for religious reasons, particularly to promote the observance of a day of worship or rest. Blue laws may also restrict shopping or ban sale of certain items on specific days, most often on Sundays in the western world. Blue laws are enforced in parts of the United States and Canada as well as some European countries, particularly in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and Norway, keeping most stores closed on Sundays.

In the United States, the U.S. Supreme Court has held blue laws as constitutional numerous times, citing secular bases such as securing a day of rest for mail carriers, as well as protecting workers and families, in turn contributing to societal stability and guaranteeing the free exercise of religion. The origin of the blue laws also partially stems from religion, particularly the prohibition of Sabbath desecration in Christian Churches following the first-day Sabbatarian tradition. Both labor unions and trade associations have historically supported the legislation of blue laws. Most blue laws have been repealed in the United States, although Indiana banned the sale of alcoholic beverages on Sundays until repealed on February 28, 2018, and many states ban selling cars on Sundays.

So as you can see, it has been illegal to sell cars in the State of Indiana for a long time and this continues to be the case. Just as the law against the sale of alcohol changed in 2018, the law against selling cars in the State of Indiana may change in the future but for now it remains the law of the land.

Is Indiana the only State that restricts the sale of cars on Sunday? The quick answer is “no”, in Colorado, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, New Jersey, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin car dealerships continue to operate under blue-law prohibitions in which an automobile may not be purchased or traded on Sundays. In Indiana, it is a Class B misdemeanor for a car dealership to open its doors on a Sunday, punishable by $1000.00 fine and 180 days in jail.

As a car sales man I prefer the closed Sundays as it allows me to spend time with my family and get ready to serve to good folks in my community.

Please check out my new web page at www.anthonytsellscars.com and my YouTube channel for more informative information on cars and buying cars and come see me for you next car purchase at Bob Rohrman Subaru.