Guide · Car dealerships
What a dealer
site must show.
Ontario car dealers advertise under the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act, 2002 and the Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council (OMVIC), which still operates under that name. The rules reach every inventory page, marketplace post and salesperson's Instagram story. Here is what applies to your website and listings as of November 2026.
Published 2026-11-04 · Formory Marketing Group
Short answer
Ontario dealers must advertise an all-in price that includes every fee they intend to collect, such as freight, PDI, admin and OMVIC fees; only HST and licensing may be added, and the ad must say so. Every ad needs the dealer's registered name and published contact information, including salespeople's Marketplace and social posts.
Where the rules are.
The core text is section 36 of O. Reg. 333/08, the General regulation, last amended by O. Reg. 278/24 with the current version in force since January 1, 2025. Section 28 of the Act bans false, misleading or deceptive statements in advertising, and section 4 of the Code of Ethics requires advertising to be legal, decent, ethical and truthful. Credit and lease ads also fall under the Consumer Protection Act, 2002. Its replacement, the Consumer Protection Act, 2023, is still not in force.
OMVIC's Advertising Guideline, revised December 2, 2024, explains how it reads all of this. It defines an ad as any inducement to buy or lease a vehicle, including a dealer website, an online marketplace and social media.
The price is all-in, except HST and licensing.
Under section 36(7), an advertised price must be the total the buyer pays, including freight, pre-delivery inspection, fees, levies and taxes. Sales taxes may be left out only if the ad says so clearly and prominently. OMVIC's position is that HST and licensing are the only exceptions, and licensing means the actual cost of registration and plates, with nothing added by the dealer.
Its guideline lists what must be inside the number: admin fee, OMVIC fee, air tax, the safety fee unless the ad carries an unfit or as-is statement, and anything pre-installed that you intend to charge for, such as nitrogen, wheel locks or window etching. A product the buyer cannot decline belongs in the price too; OMVIC treats that as tied selling.
On a website, OMVIC says pop-ups, extra windows and "see dealer for details" do not replace required disclosures, and the first page a shopper sees should show them. Its January 2026 guidance adds that the price on every listing, website page, marketplace post and social ad should match the bill of sale.
Your registered name on every ad.
Section 36(2) requires any ad that tries to induce a trade to show, clearly and prominently, a registered name of the dealer and contact information. Under section 36(2.1), added by O. Reg. 278/24, that contact must be one of the ways of reaching you that the registrar publishes. Classified ads, radio, TV and billboards may skip it if they indicate a registered dealer placed them.
Section 4(2) of the Act forbids carrying on business under any name other than the one you are registered in, and section 8 of the regulation lets a dealer's registered name be a name registered under the Business Names Act. Your Google Business Profile, Facebook page and marketplace account should use that name. OMVIC adds that ads must not suggest they were placed by a private seller.
Salespeople's own posts count.
OMVIC's guideline allows salespeople to advertise on personal social media and on Facebook Marketplace, Kijiji or Autotrader, with the dealer's approval first. The post must carry the dealer's registered name and contact information; the salesperson may add a cell number, but must not invite buyers anywhere other than the dealer's authorised premises.
OMVIC's January 2026 guidance says a social post that mentions a price is promotional even when it is not a paid ad. It also says to remove or update posts once a vehicle sells, and that only registered salespeople may discuss price, payments or terms. If marketing staff answer your website chat or social messages, that line applies to them.
Used, history and condition labels.
Section 36(5) requires an ad for a specific vehicle to say clearly if it was a daily rental, a police or emergency vehicle, or a taxi or limousine. Under section 36(6), a used vehicle from the current or previous model year must be labelled used. OMVIC adds that demonstrators are used vehicles and must not sit under a "New" tab on your site.
Unfit and as-is vehicles need OMVIC's set statements in the ad. If an ad says an extended warranty is included, section 36(14) requires its term and any claim limits. The longer list in section 42, covering things like total loss, fire or flood damage and repairs over $3,000, is a contract disclosure, but the Consumer Protection Act treats failing to state a material fact as misleading if it deceives.
Stock, photos and "was" prices.
A price may be advertised only if the vehicle is available at that price for the period of the ad, and a limited quantity must be stated (sections 36(12) and (13)). OMVIC asks you to disclose "available by factory order" where that applies and to remove sold units promptly.
Photos should show the actual unit. OMVIC's guideline allows a representative image only if it matches make, model, trim and condition and the ad says clearly it is not the actual vehicle; a base price beside a higher-trim photo is misleading. Its January 2026 tips go further for marketplace and social posts: no AI-generated or OEM stock photos.
Neither the regulation nor OMVIC's guideline has a specific rule on "was" prices. The Consumer Protection Act lists claiming a specific price advantage that does not exist as misleading, and section 74.01 of the federal Competition Act requires that a "regular" price was really sold in substantial volume, or offered in good faith for a substantial period.
Finance and lease ads.
OMVIC permits a separate cash and finance price, or a finance-only price, if each is clearly identified. If an ad shows one price, buyers may assume they can pay cash at that price. OMVIC also calls "financing available" misleading when the dealer cannot arrange financing itself.
Under section 61 of O. Reg. 17/05, a finance ad that shows a rate or payment, even 0%, must also show the APR, the term, the cash price and usually the cost of borrowing, with the APR as prominent as the rate or payment. Section 73 requires lease ads to say it is a lease and give the term, upfront and periodic payments, the APR and, below 20,000 km a year, the excess-kilometre charge.
What the website should show.
Your registered dealer name and a published contact in the header or footer of every page. One all-in price per vehicle, with "plus HST and licensing" right under it, matching your feeds and bills of sale. Used, demo and history labels on the listing itself. Real photos, sold units removed, and full credit terms next to any payment. Our notes on websites for car dealerships cover the rest.
This is a plain summary of the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act, 2002, its regulations and OMVIC guidance as of November 2026, not legal advice; OMVIC's Industry Standards & Conduct team answers questions about specific ads.
Sources.
- O. Reg. 333/08 (General) under the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act, 2002 — sections 8, 36 and 42
- Motor Vehicle Dealers Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 30, Sched. B — sections 4, 28 and 29
- O. Reg. 332/08 (Code of Ethics and Operation of Committees) — section 4
- O. Reg. 17/05 (General) under the Consumer Protection Act, 2002 — sections 61 and 73
- Consumer Protection Act, 2002 — section 14
- Consumer Protection Act, 2023 — not yet in force
- OMVIC — Advertising Guideline (revised December 2, 2024)
- OMVIC — How to remain compliant with all-in pricing and how to properly advertise cash vs. finance pricing (January 26, 2026)
- OMVIC — All-in price advertising: What dealers and salespeople need to know (May 20, 2026)
- OMVIC — All-in Price Advertising (consumer page)
- Competition Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-34 — section 74.01
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Questions
What people ask us.
Can we show a price plus admin fee?
No. OMVIC says the advertised price must include every fee the dealer intends to collect, including admin and OMVIC fees. Only HST and licensing may be added, and the ad must say so clearly.
Do salespeople's Marketplace posts have to follow the rules?
Yes. OMVIC allows them with the dealer's approval, but they must show the dealer's registered name and contact information and follow all-in pricing if a price appears.
Can we list demos under new inventory?
No. OMVIC says demonstrators are used vehicles and must be listed with used vehicles or under a separate demo tab.
What must a payment ad show?
If it shows a rate or payment, O. Reg. 17/05 requires the APR, the term and the cash price, and usually the cost of borrowing, even at 0%.
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