{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-47-47-565.3","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 47, § 47-565.3","heading":"Notice to manufacturer or distributor of proposed sale,","body":"transfer, or assignment of franchise.\n\nA. A franchised new motor vehicle or new powersports vehicle\n\ndealer proposing a sale, transfer, or assignment of a franchise\n\nagreement or the business and assets of a dealership or an interest\n\nin a dealership to another person, hereinafter transferee, shall\n\nnotify the manufacturer or distributor whose vehicles the dealer is\n\nfranchised to sell of the proposed action of the dealer. The\n\nmanufacturer or distributor may make written request to the proposed\n\ntransferee to submit completed application forms and related\n\ninformation generally utilized by a manufacturer to evaluate such a\n\nproposal and a copy of all agreements related to the proposed sale,\n\ntransfer, or assignment.\n\nB. The approval by the manufacturer or distributor of the sale,\n\ntransfer, or assignment shall not be unreasonably withheld unless\n\nthe proposed transferee is not of good moral character or fails to\n\nmeet the written, reasonable, and uniformly applied requirements of\n\nthe manufacturer or distributor relating to prospective franchisees.\n\nApproval of the transfer shall not be made contingent upon the\n\ntransferee meeting unreasonable facility requirements or performance\n\nstandards different than those contained in the transferor's\n\nfranchise agreement and related addendum and agreements, and any\n\nwritten notices provided to the existing dealer prior to the\n\nmanufacturer's or distributor's receipt of any written notice from\n\nthe existing dealer of the proposed transfer. However, to be valid,\n\nany proposed change to the franchise pursuant to written notice from\n\nthe manufacturer or distributor shall be in compliance with existing\n\nlaw. The burden of proof shall be upon the manufacturer or\n\ndistributor to show good cause existed to withhold approval. The\n\nmanufacturer or distributor that has made such a determination shall\n\nsend a letter by certified mail to the dealer and the applicant of\n\nits refusal to approve the proposal, which shall include a statement\n\nof the specific grounds for refusal, within sixty (60) days after\n\nthe later of:\n\n1. Receipt by the manufacturer or distributor of the notice of\n\nthe proposed sale, transfer, or assignment; or\n\n2. Receipt by the manufacturer or distributor of the\n\ninformation requested from the proposed transferee pursuant to\n\nsubsection A of this section if the manufacturer or distributor has\n\nrequested such information within fifteen (15) days of receipt of\n\nwritten notice of the proposed sale, transfer, or assignment.\n\nC. Failure of the manufacturer or distributor to send its\n\nnotice of refusal pursuant to subsection B of this section shall\n\nmean that the application for the proposed sale, transfer, or\n\nassignment is approved.\n\nD. If the proposed sale, transfer, or assignment is to an\n\nexisting owner's family member or other existing owner, the\n\nmanufacturer or distributor's evaluation of the proposal is limited\n\nto the written, reasonable, and uniformly applied requirements of\n\nthe manufacturer or distributor relating to good moral character and\n\nfinancial qualifications. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a change\n\nin dealer operator shall be addressed pursuant to the provisions of\n\nSection 565.1 of this title.\n\nE. A dealership or dealership owner receiving notice of refusal\n\nof the sale, transfer, or assignment shall have the right to file a\n\nprotest with the Oklahoma New Motor Vehicle Commission within thirty\ns. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a change\n\nin dealer operator shall be addressed pursuant to the provisions of\n\nSection 565.1 of this title.\n\nE. A dealership or dealership owner receiving notice of refusal\n\nof the sale, transfer, or assignment shall have the right to file a\n\nprotest with the Oklahoma New Motor Vehicle Commission within thirty\n\n(30) days of receipt of the refusal. In the event a protest is\n\nfiled, the manufacturer or distributor shall have the burden of\n\nproof to establish the proposed transferee or the proposed\n\ntransferee's controlling executive management is not of good moral\n\ncharacter or fails to meet the written reasonable and uniformly\n\napplied requirements of the manufacturer or distributor relating to\n\nprospective franchisees or that the facility requirements are not\n\ndifferent than those contained in the transferor's franchise\n\nagreement.\n\nF. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the\n\ndealer shall submit a signed copy of the dealer sales and service\n\nagreement resulting from any completed sale, transfer, or assignment\n\nof a franchise to the Oklahoma New Motor Vehicle Commission within\n\nfifteen (15) business days.","path":["OK Code","Title 47"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os47.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"5ebe3d2ab004c86ca51c82f8fdeffdc269273dfe13800d2cbd8cdebf58ae7faa","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-47-47-565.2v2","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-47-47-565.4"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}