{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/46.2-1573.21.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/46.2-1573.21.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/46.2-1573.21.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/46.2-1573.21.html"}],"law_id":63879,"edition_id":1,"section_id":63879,"structure_id":16127,"section_number":"46.2-1573.21","catch_line":"Operation of dealership by manufacturer","history":"1996, cc. 1043, 1052, \u00a7 46.2-1992.73; 2015, c. 615.","full_text":"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:\n\n1\n\nThe operation by a manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, distributor branch, or subsidiary thereof, of a dealership for a temporary period, not to exceed one year, during the transition from one owner or operator to another;2\n\nThe ownership or control of a dealership by a manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, distributor branch, or subsidiary thereof, while the dealership is being sold under a bona fide contract or purchase option to the operator of the dealership; or3\n\nThe ownership, operation, or control of a dealership by a manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, distributor branch, or subsidiary thereof if the Commissioner determines, after a hearing at the request of any party, that there is no dealer independent of the manufacturer or distributor, factory branch or distributor branch, or subsidiary thereof available in the community or trade area to own and operate the franchise in a manner consistent with the public interest.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":232663,"text":"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:","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"next_prefix":"1"},"1":{"id":232664,"text":"The operation by a manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, distributor branch, or subsidiary thereof, of a dealership for a temporary period, not to exceed one year, during the transition from one owner or operator to another;","type":"section","prefixes":["1"],"prefix":"1","entire_prefix":"1","prefix_anchor":"1","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":"2"},"2":{"id":232665,"text":"The ownership or control of a dealership by a manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, distributor branch, or subsidiary thereof, while the dealership is being sold under a bona fide contract or purchase option to the operator of the dealership; or","type":"section","prefixes":["2"],"prefix":"2","entire_prefix":"2","prefix_anchor":"2","level":1,"prior_prefix":"1","next_prefix":"3"},"3":{"id":232666,"text":"The ownership, operation, or control of a dealership by a manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, distributor branch, or subsidiary thereof if the Commissioner determines, after a hearing at the request of any party, that there is no dealer independent of the manufacturer or distributor, factory branch or distributor branch, or subsidiary thereof available in the community or trade area to own and operate the franchise in a manner consistent with the public interest.","type":"section","prefixes":["3"],"prefix":"3","entire_prefix":"3","prefix_anchor":"3","level":1,"prior_prefix":"2"}},"ancestry":[{"id":16127,"edition_id":1,"name":"Trailer Franchises","identifier":"7.3","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13356,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 04:06:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 04:06:49","permalink":{"id":231637,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":16127,"identifier":"7.3","token":"46.2\/IV\/15\/7.3","url":"\/46.2\/IV\/15\/7.3\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13356,"edition_id":1,"name":"Motor Vehicle Dealers","identifier":"15","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13355,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:42","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:42","permalink":{"id":231067,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13356,"identifier":"15","token":"46.2\/IV\/15","url":"\/46.2\/IV\/15\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13355,"edition_id":1,"name":"Dealers and Driver Training Schools","identifier":"IV","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12770,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:42","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:42","permalink":{"id":231065,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13355,"identifier":"IV","token":"46.2\/IV","url":"\/46.2\/IV\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12770,"edition_id":1,"name":"Motor Vehicles","identifier":"46.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:52","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:52","permalink":{"id":225289,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12770,"identifier":"46.2","token":"46.2","url":"\/46.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":81000,"structure_id":16127,"section_number":"46.2-1573.13","catch_line":"Applicability of requirements to certain trailers","url":"\/46.2-1573.13\/","token":"46.2\/IV\/15\/7.3\/46.2-1573.13","metadata":false},{"id":76422,"structure_id":16127,"section_number":"46.2-1573.14","catch_line":"Trailer dealers filing of franchises","url":"\/46.2-1573.14\/","token":"46.2\/IV\/15\/7.3\/46.2-1573.14","metadata":false},{"id":70177,"structure_id":16127,"section_number":"46.2-1573.15","catch_line":"Exemption of franchises from Retail Franchising Act","url":"\/46.2-1573.15\/","token":"46.2\/IV\/15\/7.3\/46.2-1573.15","metadata":false},{"id":83510,"structure_id":16127,"section_number":"46.2-1573.16","catch_line":"Coercion of retail dealer by manufacturer or distributor with respect to retail installment sales contracts prohibited; 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This law was first created in 1996. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapters 1043<\/a> and 1052<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. It has been modified 1 time. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. That modification is as follows: in 2015, chapter 615<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":231671,"object_type":"law","relational_id":63879,"identifier":"46.2-1573.21","token":"46.2\/IV\/15\/7.3\/46.2-1573.21","url":"\/46.2-1573.21\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/46.2-1573.21\/","token":"46.2\/IV\/15\/7.3\/46.2-1573.21","dublin_core":{"Title":"Operation of dealership by manufacturer","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 46.2-1573.21","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

It shall be unlawful for any trailer<\/span> manufacturer<\/span>, factory branch<\/span>, distributor, distributor branch<\/span>, or subsidiary thereof to own, operate, or control any trailer<\/span> dealership in the Commonwealth. However, this section shall not prohibit:<\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

1.<\/span> The operation by a manufacturer<\/span>, factory branch<\/span>, distributor, distributor branch<\/span>, or subsidiary thereof, of a dealership for a temporary period, not to exceed one year, during the transition from one owner<\/span> or operator<\/span> to another; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

2.<\/span> The ownership or control of a dealership by a manufacturer<\/span>, factory branch<\/span>, distributor, distributor branch<\/span>, or subsidiary thereof, while the dealership is being sold under a bona fide contract<\/span> or purchase option to the operator<\/span> of the dealership; or <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

3.<\/span> The ownership, operation, or control of a dealership by a manufacturer<\/span>, factory branch<\/span>, distributor, distributor branch<\/span>, or subsidiary thereof if the Commissioner<\/span> determines, after a hearing<\/span> at the request of any party<\/span>, that there is no dealer<\/span> independent of the manufacturer<\/span> or distributor, factory branch<\/span> or distributor branch<\/span>, or subsidiary thereof available in the community or trade area to own and operate the franchise<\/span> in a manner consistent with the public interest. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nOPERATION OF DEALERSHIP BY MANUFACTURER (\u00a7 46.2-1573.21)\n\nIt shall be unlawful for any trailer manufacturer, factory branch, distributor,\ndistributor branch, or subsidiary thereof to own, operate, or control any\ntrailer dealership in the Commonwealth. However, this section shall not\nprohibit:\n\n1. The operation by a manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, distributor\nbranch, or subsidiary thereof, of a dealership for a temporary period, not to\nexceed one year, during the transition from one owner or operator to another;\n\n2. The ownership or control of a dealership by a manufacturer, factory branch,\ndistributor, distributor branch, or subsidiary thereof, while the dealership is\nbeing sold under a bona fide contract or purchase option to the operator of the\ndealership; or\n\n3. The ownership, operation, or control of a dealership by a manufacturer,\nfactory branch, distributor, distributor branch, or subsidiary thereof if the\nCommissioner determines, after a hearing at the request of any party, that there\nis no dealer independent of the manufacturer or distributor, factory branch or\ndistributor branch, or subsidiary thereof available in the community or trade\narea to own and operate the franchise in a manner consistent with the public\ninterest.\n\nHISTORY: 1996, cc. 1043, 1052, \u00a7 46.2-1992.73; 2015, c. 615.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}