Repeal law that bans Sunday new-car sales? No thanks, car dealers say

The economy is rolling and people have shown a willingness to spend money.

Isn’t it about time to repeal that crazy law that prohibits car dealerships from selling new vehicles on Sundays?

No, thank you, say representatives of the car-dealing industry.

If a debate were conducted on the topic, you’d probably find more dealers on the side of keeping the prohibition than fighting to let people kick the tires and sign the paperwork on a new car on Sundays.

Sunday closure ordinances are known as “blue laws,” but car dealers are anything but blue about not being allowed to be open.

In a state spoiled by the availability of 24/7 retail, a consumer can’t take a dealership test drive on the most appropriate day to take a Sunday drive.

And most dealers are just fine with that.

“We’re pretty happy with the way things are,” said Wayne Frediani, executive director of the Sparks-based Nevada Franchised Auto Dealers Association. “Long ago, our membership supported the idea that we close on Sundays. I think everybody has gotten used to it to the point that now they like it. I don’t see that changing anytime soon.”

The county ordinance that prohibits Sunday sales clearly differentiates the sale of new and used cars. It also prescribes a fine or jail time for violating it.

“Motor vehicle dealers licensed pursuant to NRS 482.078 (‘New Vehicle Dealer’) that are engaged in the sale of new cars or trucks, or both new and used cars or trucks (but only if the new and used vehicles are located at the same business address), shall not be open for business on Sundays,” the ordinance says.

“Any violation of the provisions of this chapter is a misdemeanor and may result in a fine not exceeding $1,000, or result in imprisonment in the county jail for a period not to exceed six months, or both such fine and imprisonment. A separate offense shall be deemed committed on each day during or on which a violation occurs or continues.”

separating church and business

When Clark County commissioners debated the ordinance in 2000, the arguments fell along the lines of whether it should be the government’s responsibility to mandate the closure of a private business.

The dealerships already were pretty much in agreement that they wanted to be closed Sundays. Making the policy a law assured that what began as a handshake agreement couldn’t be broken by a new entrant to the market in the future.

It was sold as a plus for neighborhoods near the dealerships because motorists on test drives wouldn’t be cruising residential streets when people were home on Sundays.

But longtime dealership executives say the primary reason for wanting to keep dealerships closed on Sundays was so that business obligations wouldn’t conflict with Sunday church activities.

“Most of the old guard dealers that opened the first sales locations in Southern Nevada were Mormons,” said Rick Glenn, director of Internet car sales for Findlay Toyota in Henderson.

“It really didn’t matter too much to them — they were the bosses and wouldn’t be working Sundays anyway,” he said. “But they have a lot of employees who are grateful that they would have Sundays off, and they hired from among the people they knew.”

Glenn said many of the original dealers — Cliff Findlay, Jim Cashman and Fletcher Jones among them — had a gentlemen’s agreement to stay closed on Sundays.

“It’s nice if you have kids,” Glenn said. “When you’re working Saturdays, it’s ‘See you later, Little League,’ and ‘See you later, Pop Warner.’” Being closed Sundays gives you the opportunity to spend at least one day with the family.”

And Glenn pointed out that it isn’t as if a lot being closed means there aren’t going to be customers looking at cars. It’s not uncommon for car shoppers to walk the lot, take a close look at vehicles and read the stickers on Sundays, then come back another day for a test drive.

“I’ve been in the dealership working on Sunday and people will come in and practically yank their arm off thinking the door is open,” he said. “We don’t advertise it, but there are some Sundays when there are a lot of people here.”

why mess with a good thing?

Glenn said it’s not as if consumers don’t have other opportunities to come in. On most days, lots are open until 10 p.m. In the summer months, many of them don’t close until midnight because customers come in after the sun goes down and it isn’t as hot outside.

It’s not as if the dealerships need Sunday sales.

Glenn said in Findlay’s Western group, the Las Vegas dealers outsell those in other states without the extra day. Lots are open Sundays in Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Wyoming. Californians are among the most surprised to see dealerships closed, since most are open Sundays in the Golden State. True to the influence of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah, lots are closed Sundays there.

Glenn has worked in places where dealerships were open Sundays and he said the traffic doesn’t justify the additional hours open.

Another reason dealers would prefer to keep the dealership blue law in place is that they know if one new market entrant decided to open the doors on Sunday, everybody else would have to follow suit to keep up with the competition.

“Why mess with something that everybody already likes?” Frediani said. “The consumers like it, the neighbors like it, the executives like it, the mechanics like it and the sales reps like it. Why change it?”

“It would be expensive for everybody if it were changed,” Glenn added. “We’d have to add staff or change schedules. It isn’t worth whatever marginal benefit we would get.”

Contact reporter Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Find him on Twitter @RickVelotta.