Car dealerships in Maryland are open on Sundays only in Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George’s counties. Everywhere else in the state, Maryland Business Regulation Code §18-101 bars new and used automobile dealers from selling, trading, or offering vehicles for sale on Sundays, so the lots stay closed for business.1Maryland General Assembly. Fiscal and Policy Note for House Bill 600
Where You Can Shop on Sunday
Three counties are carved out of the ban: Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George’s. Dealers in those jurisdictions can sell vehicles seven days a week. In every other Maryland county and in Baltimore City, dealers must keep sales operations shut down on Sundays.1Maryland General Assembly. Fiscal and Policy Note for House Bill 600
People often get this backwards. The three exempt counties sit in the D.C. metro area and hold a large share of the state’s population, so if you’ve seen dealerships open on Sundays near Silver Spring, Columbia, or Bowie, that’s not the statewide rule. Drive an hour out and it changes.
What “Closed” Actually Means
In the counties where the ban applies, a covered dealer cannot sell, barter, deliver, give away, show, or offer for sale a motor vehicle or a certificate of title on a Sunday.1Maryland General Assembly. Fiscal and Policy Note for House Bill 600 That language is broad. It reaches test drives and showroom walkthroughs when they’re part of a sales effort, and even parking a car on a lot with a price sticker can count as offering it for sale.
Some dealers in non-exempt counties still open their service departments or use Sundays for inventory prep and paperwork. What you can’t do is sit down with a salesperson and buy a car.
Private Sales Are Not Covered
The statute reaches “new or used automobile dealers.” If you’re buying from a neighbor, a coworker, or anyone selling their own vehicle rather than operating as a dealer, the Sunday restriction does not apply. Two people meeting in a driveway on a Sunday afternoon to sign over a title are outside the law’s scope regardless of which county they’re in.
Sunday Vehicle Shows
Maryland lets dealers participate in a limited number of vehicle shows away from their licensed premises. Under Maryland Transportation Code §15-304, a new vehicle dealer can take part in up to two vehicle shows per dealer location each year, with an application filed with the Motor Vehicle Administration at least 60 days in advance listing participating dealers, the location, and the dates. Motorcycle franchises can attend more than two, and motor home or trailer dealers up to three. A manufacturer’s display or exhibit is not counted as a show as long as no purchase orders are signed and no deposits are collected there.2Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Transportation Code 15-304 – Location and Service Requirements; Vehicle Shows
The show rules sit separately from the Sunday ban. A show held on a Sunday in a non-exempt county still has to respect the Sunday restriction unless it’s a display-only event with no orders and no deposits changing hands.
Practical Advice for Sunday Shoppers
If Sunday is your only day to shop, check the dealership’s county before you drive. Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George’s are the safe bets. Shoppers in surrounding counties routinely cross over on Sundays because it’s the only way to see inventory in person, and that cross-county traffic is one of the reasons the ban comes up in Annapolis from time to time.1Maryland General Assembly. Fiscal and Policy Note for House Bill 600
In non-exempt counties, Saturdays absorb the demand the ban pushes off Sunday. Expect crowded lots, longer waits for a salesperson, and less flexibility on appointments. If your schedule allows a weekday visit, you’ll usually get more attention. And if you’re buying from a private seller, the day of the week doesn’t matter under Maryland law.