No, you cannot buy a car on Sunday in Indiana from a licensed dealership. Indiana Code 24-4-6-1 makes it a Class B misdemeanor for anyone to engage in the business of buying, selling, or trading motor vehicles on a Sunday, so dealership lots stay closed for transactions that day.1Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 24-4-6-1 Sunday Transactions Prohibited There are a few narrow ways a Sunday purchase can still happen, and they’re worth knowing before you plan your weekend.
What the Ban Actually Covers
The statute targets anyone who “engages in the business of” vehicle transactions. That language points at licensed dealers, not ordinary car owners. New-car franchises and used-car lots sit on the same side of the line, and the prohibition reaches buying and trading as well as selling. A dealership accepting a trade-in on Sunday is in the same legal position as one handing over keys to a buyer.1Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 24-4-6-1 Sunday Transactions Prohibited
Location doesn’t get you around it either. A sale completed at a customer’s home, or through any off-lot channel, still counts if the seller is in the business.
The Exceptions
Motorcycles
Motorcycles are specifically excluded from the prohibition. Indiana Code 24-4-6-1(a)(2) exempts “the buying, selling, or trading of a motor vehicle that is a motorcycle,” using the definition in IC 9-13-2-108.1Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 24-4-6-1 Sunday Transactions Prohibited A motorcycle dealership can complete a sale on Sunday. The exception applies specifically to motorcycles as defined in Indiana law, not to every powersport vehicle a dealer might carry.
Private Sellers
If you’re buying from an individual — someone selling their own car through a classified listing or an online marketplace — the ban doesn’t apply. That seller isn’t in the business of dealing vehicles, so a Sunday transaction between two private parties is fine.1Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 24-4-6-1 Sunday Transactions Prohibited
Special Event Permits
Dealers holding a special event permit issued under IC 9-32-11-18 are also exempt. The Indiana Secretary of State issues these to licensed dealers for events like auto shows and exhibitions, and the permit has to be obtained in advance.2Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-32-11-18 Special Event Permits Fee A dealer can’t declare a “special event” after the fact to justify a Sunday sale.
A note on what isn’t an exception: recreational vehicles and mobile homes are sometimes described online as exempt, but the statute doesn’t say that. The only carve-outs are motorcycles and special event permits.
What You Can Do on Sunday
Shopping is not the same as buying. You can visit dealer websites, compare pricing, and submit online inquiries on Sunday without any issue. Some dealers will let you complete a financing application online over the weekend with the understanding that the paperwork gets finalized on a weekday. What can’t happen on Sunday is the transaction itself — no signed purchase, no completed trade, no keys changing hands at a licensed dealership.
Saturdays tend to be the busiest day on Indiana lots precisely because Sunday is off the table. A weekday visit usually means shorter waits and less pressure. And if a motorcycle is what you’re after, you can walk into a dealership on Sunday and ride out the same day.
Why Dealers Stay Closed
Selling, buying, or trading a motor vehicle on Sunday is a Class B misdemeanor.3Indiana General Assembly. 2024 Indiana Code Title 24 Trade Regulation Under Indiana Code 35-50-3-3, that carries up to 180 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.4Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code Title 35 Criminal Law and Procedure 35-50-3-3 A first offense is unlikely to send a dealer to jail, but a criminal conviction can also draw regulatory attention from the Secretary of State’s office at license renewal time, which is why lots simply don’t open for sales on Sundays.
The practical takeaway is straightforward. If you want to buy a car from an Indiana dealership, plan your visit for Monday through Saturday. If you’re buying from a private seller, or shopping for a motorcycle, Sunday is fair game.