This decades-old Texas law is the reason you can’t buy a car on Sundays
You can grocery shop, buy furniture and even pick up a new TV on a Sunday in Texas. But if you’re hoping to drive home in a new car, you’ll likely have to wait until another day.
Buying a vehicle is one of the few retail purchases still subject to Sunday sales restrictions in Texas.
The law dates back more than 60 years. Here’s what to know.
Why are car dealerships closed on Sundays in Texas?
Car dealerships in Texas are required to close one day each weekend because of one of the state’s last remaining blue laws.
Blue laws are laws that restrict certain sales and business activities on Sundays. They were originally intended to encourage religious observance and a day of rest.
Texas lawmakers passed a broad blue law in 1961 that prohibited the sale of 42 categories of goods, including clothing, appliances, housewares and hardware, on both Saturday and Sunday.
Most of those restrictions were repealed in 1985, but the weekend sale restriction for car dealerships remained in place.
Under the Texas Transportation Code, dealerships can’t sell or offer to sell vehicles on both Saturdays and Sundays.
Because Saturday is typically the busiest day for car sales, most dealerships remain open then and close on Sundays instead.
The law doesn’t require dealerships to close specifically on Sunday. It simply prohibits them from selling vehicles on both weekend days.
What happens if a dealership breaks the law?
Dealerships that don’t follow Texas’ weekend closing law can face civil fines. Under the Texas Transportation Code, a first violation can result in a fine of up to $500.
A second violation carries a fine of $500 to $1,000, while a third or later violation can result in fines ranging from $1,000 to $5,000.
Each day a dealership is found in violation counts as a separate offense. If a court determines a dealership knowingly or intentionally violated the law, it can increase the penalty.
The law also applies during holiday weekends. That means dealerships still can’t sell vehicles on both Saturday and Sunday, even if one of those days falls on a holiday such as the Fourth of July, according to the Texas Independent Automobile Dealers Association.
