50-State FTC Compliant
FTC compliance for every listing.
In all 50 states.
Q.MARKET checks every vehicle listing against the federal FTC baseline and your state's required disclosures before it publishes.
Prohibited phrases are blocked automatically, prices are locked at posting, and every version is kept for at least 24 months. Pick your state below to see exactly what applies to you.
- States covered
- 50
- Federal FTC requirements checked
- 8
- Minimum listing audit trail
- 24 mo
- Framework last updated
- May 2026
Your state
What does my state require on a vehicle listing?
Federal FTC rules apply everywhere. Each state adds its own disclosures on top. Choose yours to see both in plain English.
Browse all 50 statesChoose a state to see its requirements. The colored dot indicates enforcement risk.
Risk key:Very HighHighMediumLow
Pick a state to see its rules.
You will get the required disclosures, the blocked phrases, the enforcement risk level, and how Q.MARKET handles it for you.
Critical FTC update, March 2026
Why is FTC compliance urgent for dealers right now?
On March 13, 2026, the FTC sent warning letters to 97 auto dealership groups. The CARS Rule was vacated (Jan 2025), but FTC Act Section 5 deceptive-practices enforcement is fully in force. All-in pricing is now the federal enforcement standard. Digital listings are permanent legal records.
Federal baseline, all 50 states
What does the FTC require in every state?
These apply to every listing, every rep, and every rooftop, no matter where you sell.
Required on every listing
- Accurate year, make, model, trim, mileage, VIN, and availability
- All-in advertised price, mandatory fees included (taxes and title excluded only)
- Advertised price must match actual price charged to the consumer
- Conditional rebates must disclose eligibility requirements
- Finance terms (if advertised): APR, term, monthly payment, down payment, total of payments
- Dealer identity, dealership name on every listing
- Add-on products/fees must not be hidden or added post-listing
- No bait-and-switch, advertised vehicle available at advertised price
Prohibited nationwide, auto-blocked before publish
- Guaranteed Approval / Everyone Approved
- No Credit Check
- $0 Down (without full financing terms disclosed)
- Lowest Price Guaranteed (without qualification)
- Free (without conditions clearly stated)
- Fake or inflated MSRP discounts
- Pricing that requires dealer financing to achieve
- Hidden doc fees, processing fees, or add-ons not in advertised price
Built into Q.MARKET
How does Q.MARKET keep my listings compliant?
Compliance is not a checklist we hand you. It runs inside the posting engine, on every listing, before it reaches Facebook Marketplace or any syndication channel.
01Pre-listing validation
Every listing is checked before it is published, not after a complaint.
- All-in price validation fires before publish, mandatory fees confirmed included
- VIN verified and mapped to correct year/make/model/mileage
- Dealer name and license number present in listing
- No prohibited trigger phrases detected in title or description
- Conditional rebates: eligibility conditions disclosed if price includes rebate
- Finance terms: if payment is advertised, APR/term/down payment present
02State-specific triggers
Rules change at the state line. Q.MARKET applies the right ones automatically.
- CA listings: VIN required, add-ons labeled optional, CA CARS Act disclosures by Oct 1, 2026
- MA listings: Total Price = all-in price (mandatory since Sept 2, 2025)
- CT listings: New 2026 fee disclosure requirements applied
- TX listings: Internet price locked to in-store price at time of inquiry
- NY/NJ listings: All fees itemized, finance disclosures complete
- FL listings: Doc fee included in advertised price or separately disclosed
03Audit trail
If a regulator asks what a listing said on a given day, you can show them.
- Every listing timestamped and version-stored at time of publication
- Price at time of posting logged and locked
- Any edits to live listings trigger a new compliance validation
- Listing history retained for minimum 24 months
04Prohibited content auto-block
Trigger phrases never reach Marketplace, even if a rep types them.
- System flags and blocks prohibited trigger phrases before posting
- Duplicate VIN detection across rep accounts active
- Templated description variation enforced, no identical listing text across accounts
- Photo ordering randomized per listing to reduce coordination signals
Enforcement risk
Which states carry the most enforcement risk?
Every state is covered. Risk tiers tell you how aggressively regulators are enforcing. Tap a state to jump to its requirements.
Very High risk
9 statesActive attorney general enforcement, binding all-in pricing rules, or new 2025 to 2026 statutes. Treat every listing as a legal record.
High risk
10 statesState-level advertising statutes with recent enforcement sweeps or FTC warning-letter activity.
Medium risk
22 statesStandard consumer protection statutes. Federal FTC rules plus baseline state disclosures apply.
Low risk
9 statesFederal FTC rules are the primary standard. Baseline disclosures still required on every listing.
Your questions
FTC compliance questions dealers ask us.
What does 50-State FTC Compliant mean for my dealership?
Every vehicle listing published through Q.MARKET is validated against the federal FTC baseline (all-in pricing, accurate vehicle data, dealer identity, complete finance disclosures) plus the additional disclosures your state requires, before it goes live. The same rules apply to dealership rooftops and individual sales rep accounts.
Is the FTC CARS Rule still in effect?
No. The CARS Rule was vacated in January 2025. However, FTC Act Section 5 deceptive-practices enforcement is fully in force, and on March 13, 2026 the FTC sent warning letters to 97 auto dealership groups. All-in pricing is now the federal enforcement standard for digital vehicle advertising.
Which states carry the highest advertising enforcement risk?
California, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington are rated Very High risk. Each has binding all-in pricing rules, recent attorney general enforcement, or new statutes such as the California CARS Act effective October 1, 2026 and the Massachusetts mandatory fee rule effective September 2, 2025.
What phrases are blocked in every state?
Guaranteed Approval, Everyone Approved, No Credit Check, and $0 Down without full financing terms are blocked nationwide before a listing publishes. Several states add Lowest Price Guaranteed, Best Price, and Free without stated conditions. Q.MARKET scans every title and description for these trigger phrases automatically.
What happens if a rep edits a live listing?
Any edit to a live listing triggers a new compliance validation. Every version is timestamped, the price at time of posting is logged and locked, and listing history is retained for a minimum of 24 months so you have a complete audit trail.
Is this legal advice?
No. This reference framework is for operational guidance only. State regulations change frequently, and dealerships in high-risk states should engage qualified automotive advertising counsel. The framework was last updated in May 2026.
Download the complete 50-State Dealer Compliance Guide (PDF, May 2026)
Every listing. Every rep. Every state.
Compliance is our top priority because it is yours.
See your own inventory run through the 50-state checks live. Real humans in Meridian, Idaho walk you through it on a 30-minute call.
Covering 50 states. Framework last updated May 2026.