# How to fill out the FTC Buyers Guide, field by field (Used Car Rule)
> A dealer's field-by-field guide to the FTC Buyers Guide: the front and back, As-Is vs Warranty, where to display it, and giving the buyer a copy.
- Source: https://www.dealervlo.com/blog/how-to-fill-out-ftc-buyers-guide
- Published: 2026-09-19
- Author: Chris Abouraad
- Tags: compliance, paperwork, used-car-rule
---

Every used car on your lot is supposed to be wearing one before a single buyer walks up: the FTC
Buyers Guide, the window sticker required by the federal **Used Car Rule** (16 CFR Part 455). It's
one of the few pieces of paperwork that has to exist *before* there's a deal — and it's a common
thing a new dealer gets wrong or skips, which is exactly the kind of miss the FTC enforces.

The good news is it's a fill-in-the-blanks form once you know what each field wants. Here's the
whole thing, front and back, field by field — what to write, which warranty box to check, where to
stick it, and the one rule about giving the buyer a copy that trips people up. (This is operational
guidance, not legal advice — confirm the current requirements with the [FTC's Used Car Rule](https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/rules/used-car-rule)
and your own attorney.)

## Do you even have to use one? (Almost certainly yes.)

If you sell **six or more used vehicles in a 12-month period**, you're a "dealer" under the Rule and
every used car you offer needs a completed Buyers Guide displayed on it — in plain view, both sides
readable. It's federal, so it applies in all fifty states (a few states pile on stricter versions).
"We don't really do stickers" isn't a defense; a missing or wrong Guide is the most avoidable
compliance ding there is.

## The front of the Guide

The front is the part the shopper reads first, and it's short:

![What a used-car dealer fills in on the front of the FTC Buyers Guide: the vehicle make model and model year, the VIN, an optional dealer stock number, the warranty box checked to match the sale, and the informational list of major systems to inspect.](/images/post/how-to-fill-out-ftc-buyers-guide/1)

The vehicle line (make, model, model year) and the **VIN** are the identity of the car — get the VIN
right, because it's what ties the Guide to that specific unit. The **dealer stock number** is
optional but worth adding so your Guide matches your inventory. Everything else on the front —
"Spoken promises are difficult to enforce," the "ask to have it inspected by your mechanic" line,
the list of major systems — is pre-printed language you don't write; you just don't remove it.

If you keep your inventory in a system that already has the VIN and decoded year/make/model, those
fields should populate themselves — in [DealerVLO](/used-car-dealer-software) the Buyers Guide pulls
the vehicle and your dealership details straight from the car, so the only real decision left is the
warranty box.

## The warranty box — the field that actually matters

This is the one you have to get right on every car, because it's a legal statement about how you're
selling it. You check **exactly one**:

![The three warranty options on the FTC Buyers Guide a dealer must choose between: As Is with no dealer warranty where state law allows, a dealer warranty stating percent of parts and labor covered systems and duration, or implied warranties only meaning no written promises but state implied warranties may apply.](/images/post/how-to-fill-out-ftc-buyers-guide/2)

**"As Is — No Dealer Warranty"** means you take no responsibility for repairs after the sale. It's
the common used-lot default — *but only where your state allows an as-is sale.* A handful of states
don't permit it, and in those you'll use "Implied Warranties Only" instead, so confirm which box
your state lets you check before you print a stack of them.

**"Dealer Warranty"** means you're making a written promise, and the Guide has to spell out the
terms: what **percent of parts and labor** you'll cover, **which systems**, and for **how long**.
Vague warranty language on the Guide is worse than none — it becomes the thing you're held to.

**"Implied Warranties Only"** means you make no written promises, but your state's implied
warranties may still give the buyer rights on serious problems that weren't apparent at sale.

Whatever you choose, if you're offering a **service contract**, check that box too and be ready to
disclose coverage, deductible, price, and exclusions.

## The back, and where to hang it

The back of the Guide carries your **dealership name and address**, the **name or position and phone
number** of whoever handles complaints, and the pre-printed list of major defects to look for. Fill
your contact info once and it's the same on every car.

Then display it right — this is where the easy points get lost:

![How to display and deliver the FTC Buyers Guide: complete a Guide for every used car before offering it for sale, display it prominently with both sides visible, update the warranty box if the deal changes it, and give the buyer a copy at sale that matches the final terms.](/images/post/how-to-fill-out-ftc-buyers-guide/3)

The Guide has to be **prominent and conspicuous, with both sides visible** — hung from the rear-view
mirror, on a side mirror, under a wiper, or on a side window. Not in a binder at the desk, not in
the glovebox.

## The rule people miss: the Guide beats the contract

Here's the one that costs dealers: **you must give the buyer the Guide (or a copy) at sale, and its
warranty terms override the sales contract if they conflict.** So if a car is stickered "As Is" but
you negotiated a 30-day warranty at the desk, the Guide has to be corrected to show that warranty
*before* the buyer signs — otherwise the outdated "As Is" Guide is what governs, and you've either
lost the protection you meant to keep or created a contradiction a buyer's attorney will happily
point out. Keep the Guide and the deal in sync, and hand over a copy that matches the final terms.

This is the same reason it helps to generate the Guide from the same record as the rest of the deal.
[DealerVLO](/used-car-dealer-software) produces the Buyers Guide from the car and the deal — VIN,
year/make/model, your dealership info, and the warranty selection all pre-filled — the same way it
fills your [state title and registration forms](/blog/automated-dealer-paperwork-by-state) from the
deal, so the sticker and the paperwork tell the same story. For the official window copy, remember
the FTC has strict formatting (minimum font sizes, and a **Spanish-language version** if you conduct
the sale in Spanish), so print the official fillable PDF from ftc.gov or use pre-printed stock for
the display sticker itself.

## Frequently asked questions

### Do used car dealers have to display a Buyers Guide?

Yes — the FTC Used Car Rule requires a completed Guide displayed prominently, both sides visible, on
nearly every used car offered for sale, before a buyer exists. It applies to any dealer selling six
or more used cars in 12 months, in every state.

### What goes on the Buyers Guide?

Front: vehicle make/model/year, VIN, optional stock number, and the warranty box. Back: your
dealership name and address, a complaint contact and phone, and the major-defects list.

### As Is vs Implied Warranties Only?

As Is = no dealer responsibility for post-sale repairs (only where state law allows). Implied
Warranties Only = no written promises, but state implied warranties may still apply. A few states
ban As-Is sales — confirm yours.

### Do I give the buyer a copy?

Yes, at sale, matching the final negotiated warranty — and the Guide overrides the contract if they
conflict, so keep them in sync.

### Can software fill it out?

DealerVLO pre-fills the vehicle, dealer, and warranty fields from the deal; for the official display
sticker, use the FTC's fillable PDF where strict formatting or a Spanish version applies.

## Bottom line

The Buyers Guide is easy points: a fill-in-the-blanks federal form that just has to be complete,
accurate to how you're selling the car, displayed with both sides visible, and handed to the buyer
in sync with the final deal. Get the VIN right, check the correct warranty box for your state, keep
the Guide and the contract consistent, and it's a non-issue.

The tedious part is doing it per car, every car, without a VIN typo — which is the part
[DealerVLO](/used-car-dealer-software) takes off your hands: it generates the Buyers Guide pre-filled
from the vehicle and the deal alongside the rest of your [federal and 50-state paperwork](/dealer-paperwork-software),
for [$29/month flat](/pricing), unlimited users, with a free 14-day trial that a card starts, no
charge until day 14. One record, the sticker and the deal jacket in agreement, no hand-copied VINs.

---

## FAQ

### Do used car dealers have to display a Buyers Guide?

Yes. The FTC's Used Car Rule (16 CFR Part 455) requires a completed Buyers Guide to be displayed prominently and conspicuously on nearly every used vehicle a dealer offers for sale — before a buyer or a deal exists. It has to be in plain view with both sides visible: hung from the rear-view mirror, on a side mirror, under a wiper, or taped to a side window. A dealer who sells six or more cars in a 12-month period is covered. This is federal and applies in every state (a few states layer on stricter rules), so 'we don't do stickers' isn't an option.

### What information goes on the FTC Buyers Guide?

The front carries the vehicle's make, model, and model year, the VIN, an optional dealer stock number, and the warranty section (the box you check). The back carries your dealership name and address, the name or position and phone number of who to contact with complaints, and the list of major systems/defects to look for. You fill the warranty box to match how you're actually selling the car — As Is, a dealer warranty with its terms, or implied warranties only.

### What's the difference between 'As Is' and 'Implied Warranties Only'?

'As Is — No Dealer Warranty' means you take no responsibility for repairs after the sale (allowed only where state law permits an as-is sale). 'Implied Warranties Only' means you make no written promises to fix anything, but your state's implied warranties may still give the buyer some rights on serious hidden problems. A 'Dealer Warranty' box means you're offering a written warranty and must state what percent of parts/labor you cover, which systems, and for how long. A few states don't allow As-Is used sales at all, so confirm which box your state lets you use.

### Do I give the buyer a copy of the Buyers Guide at sale?

Yes — you must give the buyer the original or a copy of the vehicle's Buyers Guide at the time of sale, and it has to reflect the final negotiated warranty coverage. This matters because the Buyers Guide's terms override anything in the sales contract that contradicts them. If you negotiated a limited warranty on a car marked As Is, the Guide has to be corrected before the buyer signs, or the Guide wins.

### Can software fill out the FTC Buyers Guide?

Partly, and it saves the tedious part. DealerVLO already holds every field the Guide needs — the VIN and year/make/model from your inventory, your dealership name/address/phone, and the warranty terms on the deal — and generates a Buyers Guide pre-filled with all of it, so you're checking a box instead of hand-copying VINs onto stickers. For the official display copy, note that the FTC specifies exact formatting (minimum font sizes, and a Spanish-language version if you conduct the sale in Spanish), so many dealers print the official fillable PDF from ftc.gov or use pre-printed stock for the window sticker itself.