Ohio Auto Dealer Advocacy and Government Affairs
NOADA is the Northeast Ohio voice for franchised new-car and -truck dealers - and a working participant in the policy decisions that shape how dealerships and the local BMV operate every day. Since 1927, the Northeast Ohio Automobile Dealers Association has represented the interests of local dealers, the buying public, and the automotive trade across Summit County and the wider region. Our ohio auto dealer advocacy work is where that mission gets practical: protecting the franchised-dealer system, defending the privatized BMV that serves your customers, and keeping Northeast Ohio dealers informed and represented at the Statehouse and in Washington.
This page explains what we advocate for, how our local work fits with the state (OADA) and national (NADA) layers, and how members benefit. When you are ready to go deeper, follow the links to our legislative, regulatory, action center, and PAC pages.
Why advocacy matters for Northeast Ohio dealers
A dealership is one of the most heavily regulated small businesses in any community. The price you can charge for paperwork, the way you advertise, the reimbursement you receive for warranty work, the data your manufacturer can demand, the rules for selling an electric vehicle, and the speed of titling and registration at the counter - all of it is set by someone in Columbus or Washington. When dealers are not at the table for those decisions, the rules get written by people who have never run a store.
NOADA exists so that does not happen to Northeast Ohio. We are close enough to know the legislators who represent this district, the agencies our members deal with weekly, and the regional media that covers them. That local proximity is the entire point of a regional association. A statewide or national body operates at altitude; NOADA operates on the ground in Akron.
We are also unusual among trade associations because we have a second identity. NOADA operates the Akron BMV - Ohio Deputy Registrar Agency 7731 - serving the walk-in public for registration, plates, driver licenses, and IDs. That makes our advocacy on BMV and deputy-registrar policy something more than a position paper. We live the consequences of those decisions at our own counter, which gives our testimony a credibility few associations can match. Learn more about that dual role on About the Akron BMV agency.
Our top advocacy priorities
NOADA’s government-affairs agenda tracks the issues that most directly affect local franchised dealers and the customers they serve. The detail lives on the legislative and regulatory pages; here is the overview.
1. Sustainable deputy-registrar funding
Ohio’s privatized deputy-registrar system, locally owned BMV offices contracted with the Ohio Department of Public Safety, has saved taxpayers money while delivering some of the shortest wait times and highest satisfaction scores in the country. But the deputy fee that funds those offices has lagged inflation, and offices around the state have begun to close. NOADA has joined the Ohio Deputy Registrars Association (ODRA) in urging the legislature to set the deputy fee at a level that keeps local offices open. Because NOADA operates the Akron BMV, our staff have testified before the legislature on this issue from first-hand experience.
2. The franchised-dealer system and direct-sales law
Ohio’s motor-vehicle franchise law (Revised Code Chapter 4517) protects the dealer-franchise model that keeps vehicle sales and service local, competitive, and accountable to consumers. NOADA supports OADA and NADA in defending that framework against direct-to-consumer end-runs, including the litigation now testing Ohio’s direct-sales limits. Our position aligns with the ATAE Principles for Successful Distribution of Electric Vehicles: franchised dealers are all-in on EVs, and existing state franchise law is part of - not an obstacle to - getting EVs to consumers successfully.
3. Fair dealer law: warranty reimbursement and data
When manufacturers shift costs onto dealers - underpaying for warranty labor and parts, mandating expensive facility “image” upgrades, or mishandling dealer-supplied customer data - local stores absorb the hit. NOADA backs state legislation that brings warranty reimbursement closer to retail rates, limits forced facility renovations, and protects customer information that dealers provide to manufacturers.
4. Documentary fees and the cost of compliance
The documentary service charge a dealer may collect is capped in Ohio law and is now indexed to inflation. NOADA helps members understand and apply the current cap correctly and supports keeping it tied to real costs. See the regulatory page for current figures.
5. Federal issues, NADA-aligned
On federal policy - FTC dealer rules, financing and advertising oversight, and the defense of the franchise system - NOADA stands with NADA. The recent vacatur of the FTC’s “CARS” Vehicle Shopping Rule is a reminder that federal regulation can reshape the showroom overnight, and that organized dealer advocacy works.
How the federal, state, and local layers work together
Dealers sometimes ask whether a regional association duplicates the state and national groups. It does not. The three operate as a stack, each doing what it is positioned to do best:
- NADA (Washington, D.C.) - federal advocacy, defense of the franchise system, FTC and financing issues, and the national PAC.
- OADA (Columbus) - Ohio Statehouse advocacy, statewide dealer-law work, and programs like group-rated workers’ compensation, representing franchised dealers across Ohio.
- NOADA (Akron) - the local layer: BMV and deputy-registrar policy we live first-hand, Northeast Ohio relationships and media, and member mobilization in this district.
NOADA coordinates closely with both. When a bill moves in Columbus or a rule changes in Washington, our job is to translate it for Northeast Ohio members and to make sure this region’s voice is part of the response. See how the layers stack on the membership page.
How members benefit
Advocacy is one of the clearest returns on a NOADA membership, even though it never shows up as a line item on an invoice.
- A protected business model. Franchise-law and direct-sales defense preserve the competitive, locally accountable system your dealership is built on.
- A functioning local BMV. Our deputy-registrar advocacy helps keep the Akron BMV - and offices like it across Ohio - open and staffed, so your customers’ titles, plates, and registrations keep moving.
- Plain-language alerts. Members get our read on what a new law, fee change, or FTC action actually means for a Northeast Ohio store, without wading through statute.
- A real voice, amplified. Through our Action Center, your message reaches the legislators who represent you, joined to every other dealer in the district.
- Strength through dealer PACs. Voluntary, compliant support for pro-dealer candidates keeps dealers in the conversation, through NADA PAC and the state dealer PAC. See the PAC page.
Our economic weight is part of the argument. Franchised dealers are among Northeast Ohio’s largest private employers and tax generators - the numbers are laid out on About: Economic Impact, and they are the foundation of every advocacy conversation we have.
How NOADA advocates
We do not run negative campaigns or chase headlines. Our approach is the plainspoken, relationship-first style that has served Northeast Ohio dealers for nearly a century:
- Testimony and direct engagement at legislative hearings on issues like deputy-registrar funding and dealer law.
- Coalition work with ODRA, OADA, and NADA, so one regional voice joins a larger chorus.
- Member mobilization through grassroots tools when a vote is near.
- Education - keeping members ahead of compliance-affecting changes through the regulatory page and member communications.
Frequently asked questions
What does NOADA advocate for? NOADA advocates for Northeast Ohio’s franchised new-car and -truck dealers on the issues that affect them most: sustainable deputy-registrar/BMV funding, the franchised-dealer and direct-sales framework, fair dealer law on warranty reimbursement and data, the documentary-fee cap, and federal (FTC, NADA-aligned) matters.
Does NOADA replace my OADA or NADA membership? No. NOADA is the local layer that complements OADA (state) and NADA (federal). The three coordinate rather than overlap.
Why does the Akron BMV connection matter for advocacy? Because NOADA operates a deputy-registrar agency, our advocacy on BMV and deputy-registrar policy reflects first-hand operating experience, not theory. That makes our testimony credible. See About the Akron BMV agency.
How can I get involved? Start at the Action Center to contact your legislators, and consider supporting the PAC. Members also receive policy alerts directly.
Is NOADA partisan? No. Dealer advocacy is bipartisan. NOADA and its national partners support pro-dealer candidates of both political parties based on the issues, not the party.
Get involved
Advocacy works when dealers show up. Here is where to start:
- Take action now - contact your legislators in minutes
- Track state legislation - session priorities and testimony
- Read regulatory updates - BMV, FTC, and compliance changes
- Support the PAC - strengthen the dealer voice
- Join NOADA - add your store to the regional voice