Administering the Laws and Regulations to the Motor Vehicle Dealers of the Commonwealth of Virginia

Franchise Dealer-Operators

Responsible for day-to-day operations of the franchise dealership and primary contact with the MVDB.

How to Become a Franchise Dealer-Operator

Fill out the MVDB-57 and bring it to any DMV Customer Service Center with a valid driver’s license or passport and the exam fee. If you currently have an active Virginia salesperson license, check the ‘Dealer-Operator Franchiseon the form. If you don’t, check the ‘Combined Dealer-Operator Franchise. You’ll be notified whether you pass or fail after the exam. If you fail, you may retake the exam as many times as needed, but you must pay the exam fee for each attempt.

Study guides – the MVDB-35 for Salesperson and MVDB-34 for Dealer-Operator –  and a practice exam are available to help you prepare.

Submitting the Paperwork

Congratulations! Passing the exam qualifies you to be a Franchise Dealer-Operator. To assign you as the Dealer-Operator, the dealership owner must submit an MVDB-10. If you passed the Combined Dealer-Operator Franchise exam, they’ll also need to submit a MVDB-61 for your Salesperson license. For guidance on submitting a MVDB-61, click here.