Monroney Label

The Monroney label is another name for the “window sticker” found on new cars. It’s called a Monroney label because, back in 1958, Oklahoma senator Almer Stillwell “Mike” Monroney, chairman of the Aviation & Automobile Marketing Subcommittee of the Senate Commerce Committee, sponsored a bill known as the Automobile Information Disclosure Act of 1958.

Until that time, new vehicles were not required to have any type of pricing information. Signed into law on July 7, 1958, the law has been amended a number of times to include additional information deemed important and in its current form it provides that:

“Every manufacturer of new automobiles distributed in commerce shall, prior to the delivery of any new automobile to any dealer, or at or prior to the introduction date of new models delivered to a dealer prior to such introduction date, securely affix to the windshield, or side window of such automobile a label on which such manufacturer shall endorse clearly, distinctly and legibly true and correct entries disclosing the following information concerning such automobile -

1. the make, model, and serial or identification number or numbers;
2. the final assembly point;
3. the name, and the location of the place of business, of the dealer to whom it is to be delivered;
4. the name of the city or town at which it is to be delivered to such dealer;
5. the method of transportation used in making delivery of such automobile, if driven or towed from final assembly point to place of delivery;
6. the following information:
   1. the retail price of such automobile suggested by the manufacturer;
   2. the retail delivered price suggested by the manufacturer for each accessory or item of optional equipment, physically attached to such automobile at the time of its delivery to such dealer, which is not included within the price of such automobile as stated pursuant to paragraph (1);
   3. the amount charged, if any, to such dealer for the transportation of such automobile to the location at which it is delivered to such dealer; and
   4. the total of the amounts specified pursuant to paragraphs (1), (2), and (3);
7. if one or more safety ratings for such automobile have been assigned and formally published or released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration under the New Car Assessment Program, information about safety ratings that -
   1. includes a graphic depiction of the number of stars, or other applicable rating, that corresponds to each such assigned safety rating displayed in a clearly differentiated fashion indicating the maximum possible safety rating;
   2. refers to frontal impact crash tests, side impact crash tests, and rollover resistance tests (whether or not such automobile has been assigned a safety rating for such tests);
   3. contains information describing the nature and meaning of the crash test data presented and a reference to additional vehicle safety resources, including http://www.safecar.gov; and
   4. is presented in a legible, visible, and prominent fashion and covers at least -
      1. 8 percent of the total area of the label; or
      2. an area with a minimum length of 4 1/2 inches and a minimum height of 3 1/2 inches; and
8. if an automobile has not been tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration under the New Car Assessment Program, or safety ratings for such automobile have not been assigned in one or more rating categories, a statement to that effect.”

The law also calls for penalties of up to $1,000 per vehicle for failure to display this required information. So there you have it. Now, the next time you visit a car dealer, you will know as much as they do, maybe more, about the “window sticker” found on every new car.