Motorcycle Legislation
Due to the archaic "blue laws" first implemented during the Colonial Period, Sunday motorcycle sales are prohibited in many states.
But there is a trend brewing, and many states are removing this ban, including Indiana. Its House of Representatives voted Monday 68-31 on a bill that would remove the ban on Sunday motorcycle sales.
The bill was sponsored by Rep. Ed Soliday, who argues Indiana motorcycle dealers are losing business to neighboring states that offer motorcycle sales on Sundays, such as Ohio and Kentucky.
The bill is now awaiting approval from Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels. If Daniels signs the bill into law, it will go into affect in July.
The latest state to allow Sunday motorcycle sales was Pennsylvania. After Pa. Gov. Tom Corbett signed the bill into law in July, Pennsylvania joined New York, Ohio, Maryland and New Jersey in allowing Sunday motorcycle sales. Besides Pennsylvania, New Jersey is the newest state to offer Sunday motorcycle sales; they signed the bill in March, 2011.
Other states that currently prohibit the Sunday sales of motorcycles and automobiles are Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, North Dakota and Wisconsin.
Although motorcycles can be sold on Sundays, cars sales are still outlawed on Sundays due to these vintage "blue laws" that prevent many Sunday activities, like hunting and at one point the sale of alcoholic beverages.
