House Bill 196 Summary

• Amends Idaho Code Section 49-1602 to include limited liability companies in motor vehicle dealer and salesman licensing provisions, allowing the department to refuse licenses to applicants if one or more members or managers have had licenses revoked or suspended.

• Expands Section 49-1613 to prohibit manufacturers and distributors from engaging in direct sales to consumers except through franchised dealers, with exceptions for temporary operations not exceeding two (2) years or retail operations for sale to qualified independent buyers.

• Authorizes the department to deny new licenses when issuance would cause a manufacturer or distributor to violate franchise restrictions, and clarifies the department may take action against current licensees.

• Amends Section 49-1615 to allow manufacturers to request experience and professional qualification information from non-family member successors to dealership ownership, in addition to existing personal and financial data requests for family members.

• Establishes timeframes for manufacturer refusal of succession (60 days to refuse, 90 days minimum notice before franchise discontinuance) and requires specific grounds to be stated in refusal notices.