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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>85388</law_id><section_number>46.2-1570</section_number><catch_line>Discontinuation of distributors</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 id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> If the <span class="dictionary">contract</span> between a <span class="dictionary">distributor</span> and a <span class="dictionary">manufacturer</span> or importer is terminated or otherwise discontinued, all <span class="dictionary">franchises</span> granted to <span class="dictionary">motor vehicle dealers</span> in Virginia by that <span class="dictionary">distributor</span> shall continue in full force and shall not be affected by the discontinuance, except that the <span class="dictionary">manufacturer</span>, <span class="dictionary">factory branch</span>, <span class="dictionary">distributor</span>, representative, or other person who undertakes to distribute <span class="dictionary">motor vehicles</span> of the same <span class="dictionary">line-make</span> or the same <span class="dictionary">motor vehicles</span> of a renamed <span class="dictionary">line-make</span> shall be substituted for the discontinued <span class="dictionary">distributor</span> under the existing <span class="dictionary">motor vehicle dealer</span> <span class="dictionary">franchises</span> and those <span class="dictionary">franchises</span> shall be modified accordingly. <a id="paragraph-305889" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/46.2-1570/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> If a <span class="dictionary">manufacturer</span> or <span class="dictionary">factory branch</span> (i)(a) discontinues its right to manufacture a <span class="dictionary">line-make</span> of <span class="dictionary">motor vehicles</span> or (b) sells or otherwise transfers its right to manufacture a <span class="dictionary">line-make</span> of <span class="dictionary">motor vehicles</span> to another <span class="dictionary">manufacturer</span> or <span class="dictionary">factory branch</span> that will manufacture <span class="dictionary">motor vehicles</span> of the same <span class="dictionary">line-make</span> and (ii) the acquiring <span class="dictionary">manufacturer</span> or <span class="dictionary">factory branch</span> does not honor the existing <span class="dictionary">franchise</span> agreements of <span class="dictionary">motor vehicle dealers</span> in Virginia of the same <span class="dictionary">line-make</span>, such discontinuation, sale, or transfer shall constitute a termination of the <span class="dictionary">franchise</span> pursuant to subdivisions 5b and 5c of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Other coercion of dealers; transfer, grant, succession to and cancellation of dealer franchises; delivery of vehicles, parts, and accessories" href="/46.2-1569/">46.2-1569</a> and such <span class="dictionary">motor vehicle dealers</span> shall be entitled to compensation pursuant to those subdivisions. <a id="paragraph-305890" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/46.2-1570/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1988, c. 865, &#xA7; 46.1-550.5:29; 1989, c. 727; 2019, cc. 77, 738.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
