FTC Buyer’s Guide
The FTC Buyer’s Guide is a window sticker federal law generally requires used-vehicle dealers in the United States to display, stating whether the vehicle is sold with a warranty and disclosing that a buyer should get any promises in writing.
The Federal Trade Commission’s Used Car Rule is the source of this requirement, and the Buyer’s Guide it calls for covers a specific, narrow set of information: warranty status (as-is or with a warranty, and what kind), a suggestion that the buyer get any dealer promises in writing, and a reminder to have the vehicle inspected before buying.
It’s a compliance document, not a marketing one — it doesn’t cover specs, features, or condition beyond the warranty question, which is why dealers still need a separate window sticker or listing description for everything else a shopper wants to know about the vehicle.
Exact requirements — who it applies to, what it must say, and how it must be displayed — are federal (and sometimes state) legal requirements, and this page describes what the document is rather than giving legal advice; a dealer should confirm their own obligations before relying on any summary, including this one.
Questions
FTC Buyer’s Guide, answered.
Does the FTC Buyer’s Guide replace a window sticker?
No — it covers a narrow warranty disclosure, not specs or features, so most dealers still use a separate window sticker or listing description alongside it.
Is this a full legal explanation of when a Buyer’s Guide is required?
No. This describes what the document generally is; requirements can be specific and detailed, and a dealer should confirm their own obligations rather than rely on this summary as legal advice.
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