These Are The 13 States Where Blue Laws Still Ban Car Sales On Sunday

Due to the United States' Christian religious origins, there are a number of what are known as blue laws on the books to prohibit or limit the sale of certain products — or limit certain activities — on Sunday. They range from alcohol to horse racing, and even clothing in some instances. Back in 1961, the Supreme Court ruled in McGowan v. Maryland that these provide a uniform day of rest for workers, thus ensuring separation of church and state.

Blue laws also include the sale of automobiles, interestingly, which is why it may seem strange that your local dealership(s) aren't buzzing with people on the Lord's Day, depending on the state you live in. But that's much the same for any law, which can vary from state to state. Just as you might find certain driving habits are illegal when you cross a state line.

In fact, there are thirteen states where blue laws ban car dealership sales on Sunday. Take a sigh of relief over the fact that at least you won't encounter poor dealership experiences on the holy day. Then, there are other states that restrict dealership hours of operation on this day instead. Let's dig into which ones in particular, as well as where they must take a different day off.

When it comes to some form of ban on Sunday in particular, these are the 13 that have this form of blue law on the books: New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, and Wisconsin.

Pennsylvania says that buying, selling, exchanging, or trading motor vehicles or trailers on Sunday, new or used, is against the law. It doesn't specifically target dealers, but it must be done in the presence of a notary who's an authorized agent of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Finding one that's working on this day could prove troublesome.

Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Texas, and Utah limit the hours that car dealerships can operate on Sundays. Maryland allows it to be a county-by-county situation, meaning, they may have a full-on ban, restriction of hours, or designate a different day of the week off. Texas says dealerships can choose either Saturday or Sunday as their day off, Utah has a similar rule.

Interestingly, it's not like some of these bans have been around since each state was founded, like, y'know, back in olden, more religious times. Illinois' ban has only been on the books since 1984. Since then, proposals have cropped up that are similar to Utah and Texas, citing that Jews and Muslims don't observe Sunday as their holy day.

Blue laws are still very much a thing, and thirteen states still ban, or restrict, both the greedy dealers (and those of a less greedy variety) from selling cars on Sunday. If you're in the market for a new ride, it's a good idea to plan accordingly before you travel cross country to pick one up.