Addendum stickers for used cars: what to include

Short version: a used-car addendum is the dealership's own sticker listing the reconditioning work, products, and services it added to a pre-owned vehicle, each with its price. It doesn't replace the FTC Buyers Guide. Under the FTC Used Car Rule, the Buyers Guide must still be displayed on every used vehicle you offer for sale. The addendum goes next to it, never over it, and the two should never contradict each other.

Used cars need the Buyers Guide first

New vehicles carry the manufacturer's Monroney label. Used vehicles don't have a federally required price sticker, but they do have a required disclosure: the Buyers Guide.

The FTC's Used Car Rule, at 16 CFR Part 455, says that before you offer a used vehicle for sale to a consumer, you must prepare, fill in, and display the applicable Buyers Guide on that vehicle. Section 455.2 requires the Guide to be displayed "prominently and conspicuously" so that "both sides are readily readable." You may remove it for a test drive, but you must put it back as soon as the drive is over.

The FTC's Dealer's Guide to the Used Car Rule adds some practical detail:

• The Rule covers dealers who sell or offer more than five used vehicles in a 12-month period.
• It applies in every state except Maine and Wisconsin, which have their own similar disclosure rules.
• Acceptable spots for the Guide include hanging it from the rear-view mirror, placing it under a windshield wiper, or attaching it to a side window. A Guide in the glove box or trunk doesn't count.
• You may not add other wording, symbols, or logos to the Buyers Guide itself.
• If you conduct a sale in Spanish, you must display the Spanish-language Buyers Guide.
• The information on the Buyers Guide is part of the sales contract and overrides any contrary provisions in it.

That last point matters for the addendum. The Buyers Guide tells the shopper whether the car is sold as-is or with a warranty. Your addendum shouldn't suggest anything different.

QP Addendums doesn't produce Buyers Guides. Fill out and post the Guide the way you do today, and treat the addendum as a separate sticker that sits alongside it.

What a used-car addendum is for

Pre-owned vehicles often go through reconditioning before they hit the lot, and many dealerships add products on top of that. The addendum is where the dealership shows that work, and what it costs, in one place.

It answers three questions for the shopper:

1. Which vehicle is this?
2. What did the dealership add or do to it?
3. What does that add to the price?

A used-car addendum is the dealer's own document, not a factory sticker or a government form. That means the dealership is responsible for making it accurate. For the general structure, see what to include on a dealer addendum.

What to include on a used-car addendum

Vehicle identification

• Year, make, model, and trim
• VIN, matching the VIN on the Buyers Guide and the vehicle itself
• Stock number
• Exterior color

Used inventory is less uniform than new inventory. Two similar trade-ins can sit side by side with different equipment and different reconditioning. Pull vehicle details from your inventory instead of retyping them so the sticker goes on the right car.

Reconditioning and add-on products

List each dealer-added product or service on its own line, with its own price. Common used-car entries include:

Only list products that are actually on the vehicle or included with it. If an item is optional, don't present it as required. The FTC's price transparency FAQs for dealers say dealers "cannot suggest an add-on is required when it is in fact optional," and can't imply that an installed option can't be removed.

Pricing

• The vehicle's price before dealer additions, labeled clearly
• Each add-on's price
• The total, so the math is visible

If your advertised online price and the addendum total don't match, fix that before the vehicle goes on the lot. The FTC's March 2026 warning letters to 97 dealership groups listed "requiring consumers to buy additional items not reflected in the advertised price" among the practices it considers illegal.

Disclosures

The addendum should make clear that it's the dealership's document and say what the price doesn't include, such as government fees and taxes. Keep the wording identical on every vehicle, and keep warranty language off the addendum unless it matches the Buyers Guide exactly. For the wider regulatory picture, see dealer addendum disclosures in 2026.

Where to place it

The Used Car Rule lets you put the Buyers Guide in any location on the vehicle, as long as it's prominent and both sides can be read. Your addendum shouldn't undermine that:

• Don't cover the Buyers Guide, even partly. If both go on a side window, give each its own space.
• Don't attach the addendum to the Buyers Guide or print anything on the Guide itself.
• Put them where a shopper sees both without opening the car.

A pre-lot checklist for used vehicles

For a full new- and used-vehicle version, see the dealer addendum compliance checklist.

FAQ

Is a used-car addendum required by federal law?

The federal disclosure for used vehicles is the Buyers Guide, and the Used Car Rule doesn't call for a separate addendum. If you add products and charge for them, though, the addendum is the clearest way to show them, and state law may have its own requirements.

Can I put my add-ons on the Buyers Guide?

No. The FTC's dealer guide says no other wording, symbols, or logos may be added to the Buyers Guide. Keep add-ons and prices on a separate addendum.

Can the addendum and the Buyers Guide share a window?

The Rule lets the Buyers Guide go in any location on the vehicle as long as it's prominent and both sides are readable. Sharing a window is fine as long as the addendum doesn't cover any part of the Guide.

How should I price reconditioning?

That's a business decision, but keep it consistent and itemized. Our guide to pricing dealer add-ons covers how dealers set retail prices and keep them the same across rooftops.

How QP Addendums helps

QP Addendums prints the addendum, not the Buyers Guide. Type or paste a VIN, check the products on the vehicle, and print. Each product appears on its own line with its price, and every sticker carries the same fixed disclosure that the addendum was added by the dealer, not the manufacturer, plus a standard line listing what the price excludes. Only admins can change product prices, so a used car on one row carries the same pricing as one on the next. Every print is saved, including reprints. You can print in Monochrome, Light Color, or Full Color, and batch-print up to 250 vehicles at once when a load of trade-ins is ready for the lot. Plans start at $99/month with unlimited prints and labels shipped monthly. See the features, download free sample templates, or compare plans. QP Addendums is a tool for a consistent process. It doesn't guarantee compliance, so review your setup with counsel. Our compliance page explains the controls it provides.