GA Motor Vehicle Franchise Practices Act (8) The ownership, operation, or control by a manufacturer of not more than five locations licensed as new motor vehicle dealerships for the sale of new motor vehicles and any number of locations that engage exclusively in the repair of such manufacturer’s line make of motor vehicles, provided that such manufacturer was selling or otherwise distributing its motor vehicles at an established place of business in this state as of January 1, 2015, and: (A) The manufacturer manufactures or assembles zero emissions motor vehicles exclusively and has never sold its line make of motor vehicles in this state through a franchised new motor vehicle dealer; and (B) The manufacturer has not acquired a controlling interest in a franchisor or a subsidiary or other entity controlled by such franchisor, or sold or transferred a controlling interest in such manufacturer to a franchisor or subsidiary or other entity controlled by such franchisor. (b) It shall be unlawful for a manufacturer or franchisor or any parent, affiliate, wholly or partially owned subsidiary, officer, or representative of a manufacturer or franchisor to compete unfairly with a new motor vehicle dealer of the same line make, operating under a franchise, in the State of Georgia, and, except as otherwise provided in this subsection, the mere ownership, operation, or control of a new motor vehicle dealer by a manufacturer or franchisor under the conditions set forth in paragraphs (1) through (8) of subsection (a) of this Code section shall not constitute a violation of this subsection. For purposes of this Code section, a manufacturer or franchisor or any parent, affiliate, wholly or partially owned subsidiary, officer, or representative of a manufacturer or franchisor shall be conclusively presumed to be competing unfairly if it gives any preferential treatment to a dealer or dealership of which any interest is directly or indirectly owned, operated, or controlled by such manufacturer or franchisor or any partner, affiliate, wholly or partially owned subsidiary, officer, or representative of such manufacturer or franchisor, expressly including, but not limited to, preferential treatment regarding the direct or indirect cost of vehicles or parts, the availability or allocation of vehicles or parts, the availability or allocation of special or program vehicles, the provision of service and service support, the availability of or participation in special programs, the administration of warranty policy, the availability and use of after warranty adjustments, advertising, floor planning, financing or financing programs, or factory rebates. (c) Except as may otherwise be provided in subsection (a) and subsection (b) of this Code section, no manufacturer or franchisor shall offer to sell or sell, directly or indirectly, any new motor vehicle to a consumer in this state, except through a new motor vehicle dealer holding a franchise for the line make covering such new motor vehicle. This subsection shall not apply to manufacturer or franchisor sales of new motor vehicles to the federal government, charitable organizations, or employees of the manufacturer or franchisor. Part 6: Enforcement of Article and Fees 10-1-665. “Commissioner” and “department” defined. As used in this part, the term: (1) “Commissioner” means the state revenue commissioner. (2) “Department” means the Department of Revenue. 10-1-666. Enforcement of article by state revenue commissioner. As an alternative to and in addition to any civil or criminal enforcement of this article, the state revenue commissioner by and through the Department of Revenue is authorized to enforce the provisions of this article and any order issued pursuant to the enforcement of this article. 10-1-667. Administrative review of alleged violation of this article. Any dealer, distributor, or manufacturer who is aggrieved by a violation of any provision of this article may file a petition with the Department of Revenue setting forth the facts supporting the allegation of such violation. The commissioner shall issue an administrative order, whenever the commissioner, after notice to all parties and after a hearing, determines that a violation of this article or any order issued under this article has occurred. The notice and the hearing and any administrative review thereof shall be conducted in accordance with the procedure for contested cases under Chapter 13 of Title 50, the ‘Georgia Administrative Procedure Act.’ 84 | 2025 MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY | 2026 MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTg3NDExNQ==