Why You Might Not Be Able To Buy A Car On Sunday

Many are used to not being able to buy alcohol and certain chicken sandwiches on Sundays, but it may be surprising to hear that applies to cars as well. After all, it seems like an ideal day to purchase a new vehicle. One tends to be too tired for a large purchase of that nature after work, and it's not something you can accomplish during a lunch break, so a Saturday or Sunday seems ideal. But, if you showed up on the latter, there might be no salesperson to greet you. Just a lot full of cars you can't test drive.

One wouldn't think that buying a car had any relation to buying liquor until you consider Blue laws. These are laws that were originally developed to prohibit certain activities on specific days, and in the case of Sundays, often enacted so religious people could worship and/or rest for the Sabbath. There are 12 states that prohibit car sales on Sundays, including Colorado, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Maine, Mississippi, Louisiana, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The laws tend to vary from state to state, and while some don't restrict purchases, they may limit the hours, including states like Maryland, Michigan, and Nevada, among several others.

But there's a reason there hasn't been a major uproar against car dealerships often being closed on Sundays. Car salespeople are no different from most others in hoping to avoid work on the weekend, and dealership management typically seeks to give their employees a rest. Selling cars is difficult work, and being open too often could lead to overworking and sales issues. It would also make it difficult to hire people in the first place if Sunday work is required. Some people turn down entire careers so they don't have to work on the weekend.

The other issue with Sundays is that buying a car isn't like buying a candy bar; various entities often need to be involved in the transaction, like banks, insurance companies, and government offices for vehicle registration. All of them tend to be closed on Sunday as well, and this can sometimes delay core elements of the car buying process, like auto loans going through. But again, this often depends on the locality, and financing may still be available regardless.

In any case, knowing the reasons may alleviate some of the frustration when you feel like buying a car on Sunday, and wonder why local dealerships don't feel like selling you one. It may just have to wait until the following Saturday when the dealership is probably very busy as a result.