You can buy a car on Sunday in Texas from a private seller, but almost never from a dealership. Texas Transportation Code Section 728.002 prohibits dealers from selling motor vehicles on both Saturday and Sunday of the same weekend, and most dealerships choose to close on Sunday. Private, individual-to-individual sales are exempt and can happen any day.1State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 728.002 – Sale of Motor Vehicles on Consecutive Saturday and Sunday Prohibited
The Rule Is Saturday or Sunday, Not Just Sunday
The statute says no person may sell or offer to sell a motor vehicle on consecutive days of Saturday and Sunday. Each vehicle offered for sale and each completed sale on the prohibited second day counts as a separate violation.1State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 728.002 – Sale of Motor Vehicles on Consecutive Saturday and Sunday Prohibited
So dealers pick a weekend day and close. The law doesn’t name Sunday. A dealership could legally close Saturday and open Sunday instead. In practice, almost none do, which is why Sunday shopping in Texas usually means a locked gate and a dark showroom. Before you drive out, check the specific dealership’s hours. A handful open Sunday and close Saturday, and their websites will say so.
Buying From a Private Seller on Sunday
The statute explicitly exempts “the occasional sale of a motor vehicle by a person not in a business that includes the sale of motor vehicles.”1State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 728.002 – Sale of Motor Vehicles on Consecutive Saturday and Sunday Prohibited If you’re buying from a neighbor, a coworker, or someone off Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace, the day of the week doesn’t matter. You can hand over money and drive the car home Sunday afternoon.
The paperwork is the wrinkle. Title transfer, registration, and license plates run through your county tax assessor-collector’s office, and those offices are closed on weekends. You’ll need to finish the official transfer the next business day. Texas gives you 30 days from the date of sale to transfer title, so a Sunday purchase doesn’t create a deadline problem as long as you follow through that week.
A few practical points for a Sunday private-party purchase: bring the signed title, a bill of sale, and cash or verified funds, because you can’t run a wire or confirm a cashier’s check with a closed bank. Get a photo of the seller’s ID matched to the title. If the car isn’t insured under your policy yet, add it before you drive off.
What About Carvana, CarMax, and Vroom?
Online car-buying platforms are sometimes described as a Sunday workaround. They aren’t a clean one. Carvana, Vroom, and CarMax hold Texas motor vehicle dealer licenses and operate physical locations in the state. The statute applies to any “person” in the business of selling motor vehicles, and these companies meet that description.
Whether a fully online transaction completed on a Sunday, with no vehicle physically offered for sale at a Texas lot that day, violates the statute is an open legal question. The law was written for brick-and-mortar sales, and enforcement has historically focused there. Browsing inventory or building a deal on a Sunday is fine. Actual delivery and finalization from a licensed Texas dealer is another matter, and most major platforms schedule those steps around the restriction anyway.
Which Vehicles and Sellers Are Covered
“Motor vehicle” is defined broadly as any self-propelled vehicle with two or more wheels designed to transport a person or property.2State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 728.001 – Definitions That covers cars, trucks, SUVs, and motorcycles. The Occupations Code definition also reaches towable recreational vehicles like travel trailers, so motorcycle and RV dealers aren’t automatically exempt.
The rule covers anyone in the business of selling vehicles, franchised new-car dealers and independent used-car lots alike. The narrow carve-out in the statute is for motor homes and tow trucks quoted at approved shows or exhibitions.1State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 728.002 – Sale of Motor Vehicles on Consecutive Saturday and Sunday Prohibited
Businesses that don’t sell vehicles are unaffected. Repair shops, auto parts stores, and service centers can operate seven days a week. Rental agencies aren’t selling in the ordinary course, so their weekend hours aren’t restricted by this statute. If your Sunday errand is service, parts, or a rental, none of this applies.
Crossing State Lines for a Sunday Purchase
If you’re thinking about driving to a neighboring state to shop on Sunday, check first. Both Oklahoma and Louisiana also prohibit Sunday dealer sales. Oklahoma’s statute bans any person or business from selling motor vehicles on Sunday, with limited exceptions for antique and classic cars.3Justia. Oklahoma Code 21-918 – Sale, Barter or Exchange of Motor Vehicles on Sunday Prohibited – Activities Exempt Louisiana has a similar restriction. New Mexico and Arkansas do not, so those are the closer options if a Sunday dealer purchase genuinely matters to you.