Gov. Doug Burgum today signed an executive order temporarily suspending the minimum sales requirement for licensed automobile dealerships that have seen significantly lower demand for new and used vehicles during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dozens of dealerships were at risk of not meeting the minimum annual sales requirement of eight vehicles as required under state law. The executive order signed today suspends the minimum sales requirement through Dec. 31, 2020, which will allow the North Dakota Department of Transportation to renew auto dealership licenses for 2021 regardless of the number of retail sales completed in 2020. The order was requested by the Automobile Dealers Association of North Dakota.
“Many of our state’s auto dealerships have experienced a significant decline in sales through no fault of their own. Today’s action will help preserve jobs and ensure that this sector of the economy is able to serve customers as North Dakota emerges from the pandemic, especially in our rural communities where many of these dealerships are located,” Burgum said.
The governor also issued an executive order terminating 31 prior orders that were issued during the COVID-19 state of emergency and have fulfilled their stated objectives and are no longer necessary.