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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>74199</law_id><section_number>46.2-1568.1</section_number><catch_line>Discrimination by manufacturers or distributors prohibited</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="46.2">Motor Vehicles</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="IV">Dealers and Driver Training Schools</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="15">Motor Vehicle Dealers</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="7">Franchises</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>No <span class="dictionary">manufacturer</span> or <span class="dictionary">distributor</span>, or any officer, <span class="dictionary">agent</span>, or representative of either, shall discriminate against a <span class="dictionary">dealer</span> holding a <span class="dictionary">franchise</span> of the <span class="dictionary">manufacturer</span> or <span class="dictionary">distributor</span> in favor of another <span class="dictionary">dealer</span> or other <span class="dictionary">dealers</span> of the same <span class="dictionary">line-make</span> in the Commonwealth by:</p></section>
						<section id="1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> Selling or offering to sell a <span class="dictionary">new motor vehicle</span> to a <span class="dictionary">dealer</span> at a lower actual price, including the price for vehicle transportation, than the actual price at which the same model similarly equipped is offered to or is available to another <span class="dictionary">dealer</span> in the Commonwealth during a similar time period; <a id="paragraph-266814" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/46.2-1568.1/#1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="2"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> Using a promotional program or device or an incentive, payment, or other benefit, whether paid at the time of the sale of the <span class="dictionary">new motor vehicle</span> to the <span class="dictionary">dealer</span> or later, that results in the sale or offer to sell a <span class="dictionary">new motor vehicle</span> to a <span class="dictionary">dealer</span> at a lower price, including the price for vehicle transportation, than the price at which the same model similarly equipped is offered or is available to another <span class="dictionary">dealer</span> in the Commonwealth during a similar time period. This subdivision shall not prohibit a promotional or incentive program that is functionally available to competing <span class="dictionary">dealers</span> of the same <span class="dictionary">line-make</span> in the Commonwealth on substantially comparable terms; <a id="paragraph-266815" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/46.2-1568.1/#2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="3"><p><span class="prefix-number">3.</span> Providing lead information to a <span class="dictionary">dealer</span> when the address provided by the prospective customer (or the preferred contact address, if more than one address is provided) is in the <span class="dictionary">relevant market area</span> of another <span class="dictionary">dealer</span> or other <span class="dictionary">dealers</span> of the same <span class="dictionary">line-make</span> without providing or offering to provide the same information on equal terms to the <span class="dictionary">dealer</span> or <span class="dictionary">dealers</span> of the same <span class="dictionary">line-make</span> in whose <span class="dictionary">relevant market area</span> the prospective customer&#x2019;s address (or preferred contact address, if more than one address is provided) is located. The foregoing requirement of this subdivision shall not apply if (i) the lead information is generated under any program administered by an entity in which one or more <span class="dictionary">dealers</span>, together with the <span class="dictionary">manufacturer</span> or <span class="dictionary">distributor</span>, hold an ownership interest, where the program is designed to facilitate sales of motor vehicles through <span class="dictionary">dealers</span> participating in the program, provided that ownership or the right to participate in the entity has been made available to all <span class="dictionary">dealers</span> of the same <span class="dictionary">line-make</span> in the Commonwealth on substantially comparable terms or (ii) the prospective customer requests that the lead information be forwarded to a particular <span class="dictionary">dealer</span> or (iii) the lead information is the result of the prospective customer&#x2019;s request for a specific type of vehicle when the specific type of vehicle in the color and with the equipment desired by the prospective customer is not available at a <span class="dictionary">dealer</span> or <span class="dictionary">dealers</span> of the same <span class="dictionary">line-make</span> in whose <span class="dictionary">relevant market area</span> the prospective customer&#x2019;s address (or preferred contact address, if more than one address is provided) is located. For purposes of this subsection, &#x201C;lead information&#x201D; is information concerning a prospective customer (i) who contacts the <span class="dictionary">manufacturer</span> or <span class="dictionary">distributor</span> in response to an advertisement, a solicitation, or a message broadcast, distributed, or made available to the public by the <span class="dictionary">manufacturer</span> or <span class="dictionary">distributor</span> or (ii) who is contacted by the <span class="dictionary">manufacturer</span> or <span class="dictionary">distributor</span>, and (iii) such contact is in relation to the sale of, service on, or parts or accessories for new or <span class="dictionary">used motor vehicles</span>. This subdivision shall not be construed to permit provision of or access to customer information that is otherwise protected from disclosure by <span class="dictionary">law</span> or by agreement between a <span class="dictionary">dealer</span> and a <span class="dictionary">manufacturer</span> or <span class="dictionary">distributor</span>. <a id="paragraph-266816" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/46.2-1568.1/#3"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2001, cc. 817, 849.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
