Title 46.2, Motor Vehicles

A. It shall be unlawful for any motor vehicle manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, distributor branch, or subsidiary thereof, to own, operate, or control, either directly or indirectly, any motor vehicle warranty or service facility located in the Commonwealth. Nothing in t…

At any time before a hearing under this article is commenced before the Commissioner, either party to a franchise agreement for the sale or service of passenger cars, pickup trucks or trucks may demand that a dispute be submitted to nonbinding mediation as a condition precedent t…

No motor vehicle manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, distributor branch, or subsidiary thereof shall obtain from a motor vehicle dealer a waiver of the dealer's rights by threatening to impose a detriment upon the dealer's business or threatening to withhold from the deale…

A. Any performance standard or program that is used by a manufacturer or distributor for measuring dealership performance and may have a material effect on a dealer, and the application of any such standard or program by a manufacturer or distributor, shall be fair, reasonable an…

A. In every case of a hearing before the Commissioner authorized under this article, the Commissioner shall give reasonable notice of each hearing to all interested parties, and the Commissioner's decision shall be binding on the parties, subject to the rights of judicial review …

Any party to a proceeding under § 46.2-1573 who is found to have violated any provision of this article may be ordered by the circuit court before which an application therefor is pending to pay the reasonable attorney's fees and costs incurred by the complaining party, including…

Notwithstanding any provision of this title to the contrary, a motor vehicle dealer shall have the right, for 180 days following the termination of its franchise, to continue to sell and advertise as new any existing new motor vehicle inventory of the line-make of the terminated …

If a licensee or registrant is a partnership or corporation, it shall be sufficient cause for the denial, suspension, or revocation of a license or certificate of dealer registration that any officer, director, or trustee of the partnership or corporation, or any member in the ca…

A license or certificate of dealer registration or qualification issued under this subtitle may be denied, suspended, or revoked on any one or more of the following grounds: 1. Material misstatement or omission in application for license, dealer's license plates, certificate of d…

A. Except as provided in § 46.2-1527.7 and subsections B and C of this section, no license or certificate of dealer registration or qualification issued under this subtitle shall be suspended or revoked, or renewal thereof refused, until a written copy of the complaint made has b…

Any person aggrieved by the action of the Board in refusing to grant or renew a license or certificate of dealer registration or qualification issued under this chapter, or by any other action of the Board which is alleged to be improper, unreasonable, or unlawful under the provi…

Either party may appeal from the decision of the court under § 46.2-1577 to the Court of Appeals. These appeals shall be taken and prosecuted in the same manner and with like effect as is provided by law in other cases appealed as a matter of right to the Court of Appeals.

The remedy at law provided by §§ 46.2-1577 and 46.2-1578 shall not in any manner impair the right to applicable equitable relief. That right to equitable relief is hereby preserved, notwithstanding the provisions of §§ 46.2-1577 and 46.2-1578.

For purposes of this chapter, a violation of the following regulated advertising practices shall be an unfair, deceptive, or misleading act or practice. 1. A vehicle shall not be advertised as new, either by word or implication, unless it is one which conforms to the requirements…

A. The Board may promulgate regulations reasonably necessary for enforcement of this article. B. In addition to any other sanctions or remedies available to the Board under this chapter, the Board may assess a civil penalty not to exceed $1,000 for any single violation of this ar…

As used in this article, unless the context requires a different meaning: "Certificate of qualification" means a designation issued by the Board acknowledging that the individual has been certified by the Board as an independent dealer-operator pursuant to § 46.2-1511. "Course" m…

A. The Board shall transmit a recertification notice to the home address, email address of record, or digitally to an independent dealer-operator at least 90 days prior to the expiration date of his certificate of qualification. Failure to receive a recertification notice does no…

A. Independent dealer-operator certificates of qualification are valid for 24 months and shall expire on the last day of the twenty-fourth month. Certificates of qualification shall be deemed not to have expired if the recertification is completed within 60 days of the expiration…

A. To become recertified, an independent dealer-operator shall (i) complete one live instructor-led course certified by the Board with at least four hours of instruction and pass an examination that may be administered in person or virtually by the course provider or (ii) pass th…

A. The Board may approve a course provider, provided that: 1. The course provider has submitted an application to the Board prior to offering the course; 2. The submitted application includes at a minimum the following information: a. Name of provider; b. Proposed course schedule…

Approved course providers shall: 1. Provide to each participant who successfully completes the required recertification course a certificate providing, at a minimum, (i) the name of the provider, (ii) name of the participant, and (iii) the date of completion; 2. Maintain all reco…

A. The recertification application fee shall be $50 for taking the course and shall be paid directly to the course provider. B. The fee for returned checks shall be $35. C. In addition to the recertification application fee, course providers may charge applicants a course fee of …

With respect to a motor vehicle dealer electing continuous bonding under § 46.2-1527.9, whenever any person is awarded a final judgment in a court of competent jurisdiction in the Commonwealth against the dealer for (i) any loss or damage in connection with the purchase or lease …

Nothing contained in this article shall limit the authority of the Board to take disciplinary action against any licensee or registrant for any violation of this chapter or any regulation promulgated under this chapter.

Applicants for a renewal of a motor vehicle dealer's license may elect to obtain and continuously maintain a bond in the amount of $100,000 in lieu of participation in the Motor Vehicle Transaction Recovery Fund, provided that such applicants have not been the subject of a claim …

Franchised late model or factory repurchase motor vehicle dealers shall have the same rights and obligations as provided for franchised new motor vehicle dealers in Article 7 (§ 46.2-1566 et seq.) of this chapter, mutatis mutandis.

It shall be unlawful for any recreational vehicle manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, distributor branch, or subsidiary thereof to own, operate, or control, either directly or indirectly, any recreational vehicle warranty or service facility located in the Commonwealth. No…

A. In every case of a hearing before the Commissioner authorized under this article, the Commissioner shall give reasonable notice of each hearing to all interested parties, and the Commissioner's decision shall be binding on the parties, subject to the rights of judicial review …

Franchised late model or factory repurchase recreational vehicle dealers shall have the same rights and obligations as provided for franchised new recreational vehicle dealers in this article, mutatis mutandis.

Each recreational vehicle manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, distributor branch, or subsidiary thereof shall file with the Commissioner a true copy of each new, amended, modified, or different form or addendum offered to more than one dealer that affects the rights, respo…

Franchises subject to the provisions of this chapter shall not be subject to any requirement contained in Chapter 8 (§ 13.1-557 et seq.) of Title 13.1.

A. It shall be unlawful for any manufacturer or distributor, or any officer, agent, or representative of either, to coerce or attempt to coerce any retail recreational vehicle dealer or prospective retail recreational vehicle dealer in the Commonwealth to sell, assign, or transfe…

It shall be unlawful for any manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch, or any field representative, officer, agent, or their representatives: 1. To coerce or attempt to coerce any dealer to accept delivery of any recreational vehicle or recreational vehicl…

Notwithstanding the terms of any franchise agreement, in the event of a proposed sale or transfer of a dealership, the manufacturer or distributor shall be permitted to exercise a right of first refusal to acquire the new recreational vehicle dealer's assets or ownership, if such…

If the contract between a distributor and a manufacturer or importer is terminated or otherwise discontinued, all franchises granted to recreational vehicle dealers in the Commonwealth by that distributor shall continue in full force and shall not be affected by the discontinuanc…

A. Each recreational vehicle manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch shall (i) specify in writing to each of its recreational vehicle dealers licensed in the Commonwealth the dealer's obligations for preparation, delivery, and warranty service on its prod…

It shall be unlawful for any recreational vehicle manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, distributor branch, or subsidiary thereof to own, operate, or control any recreational vehicle dealership in the Commonwealth. However, this section shall not prohibit: 1. The operation b…

A. For the purposes of this article: "Dealer" and "trailer dealer" includes watercraft trailer dealers and dealers of new trailers with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 30,000 pounds. "Trailer" includes watercraft trailers and new trailers with a gross vehicle weight ra…

Each trailer manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, distributor branch, or subsidiary thereof shall file with the Commissioner a true copy of each new, amended, modified, or different form or addendum offered to more than one dealer that affects the rights, responsibilities, …

Franchises subject to the provisions of this chapter shall not be subject to any requirement contained in Chapter 8 (§ 13.1-557 et seq.) of Title 13.1.

A. It shall be unlawful for any manufacturer or distributor, or any officer, agent, or representative of either, to coerce or attempt to coerce any retail trailer dealer or prospective retail trailer dealer in the Commonwealth to sell, assign, or transfer any retail installment s…

It shall be unlawful for any manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch, or any field representative, officer, agent, or their representatives: 1. To coerce or attempt to coerce any dealer to accept delivery of any trailer or trailers, parts or accessories t…

Notwithstanding the terms of any franchise agreement, in the event of a proposed sale or transfer of a dealership, the manufacturer or distributor shall be permitted to exercise a right of first refusal to acquire the new trailer dealer's assets or ownership, if such sale or tran…

If the contract between a distributor and a manufacturer or importer is terminated or otherwise discontinued, all franchises granted to trailer dealers in the Commonwealth by that distributor shall continue in full force and shall not be affected by the discontinuance, except tha…

A. Each trailer manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch shall (i) specify in writing to each of its trailer dealers licensed in the Commonwealth the dealer's obligations for preparation, delivery, and warranty service on its products and (ii) compensate t…

It shall be unlawful for any trailer manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, distributor branch, or subsidiary thereof to own, operate, or control any trailer dealership in the Commonwealth. However, this section shall not prohibit: 1. The operation by a manufacturer, factory …