Check the car you’re looking at
Enter the VIN to decode it for free, with its open recalls. Then pick the reports you want, if any.
Letters and numbers, no I, O or Q. It decodes as soon as all 17 are in.
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Key takeaways
- The window sticker (Monroney label) shows how the car left the factory: its options and packages, the MSRP when new and the transport charge.
- On a used car, it lets you check a “fully loaded” or trim claim line by line, and spot wheels, engine or equipment that don’t match.
- Ask the dealer first: it may still have the original sticker or a copy. With a free lookup site, check whether it shows the sticker printed for that VIN or a page rebuilt from the decoded VIN.
- Here, a window sticker by VIN costs $6.99 and arrives in your account as a page you can print or save as a PDF.
- A sticker says nothing about accidents, owners, title brands or mileage: read it next to a history report, and have the car inspected before you pay.
On this page
What a window sticker is
The window sticker, often called the Monroney sticker or Monroney label, is required by a federal law from 1958, the Automobile Information Disclosure Act. Under 15 U.S.C. §1232, the manufacturer must fix the label to the windshield or a side window of each new passenger car before it’s delivered to the dealer.
The law also makes it an offense to remove, alter or make the label unreadable before the car is delivered to its buyer (15 U.S.C. §1233). After that sale, nothing requires anyone to keep it, so the original is easily lost, which is why used-car buyers go looking for a copy.
What the label lists
The law sets out what the label must show:
- The make, model and the car’s identification number.
- Where it was assembled, and the dealer and town it was shipped to.
- The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP).
- Each factory option or accessory not included in that price, with its suggested price.
- The transport charge to the dealer, and the total of all of these.
- For cars NHTSA has rated under its New Car Assessment Program, the crash-test star ratings.
New cars also carry a fuel economy and environment label. As fueleconomy.gov explains, it shows estimated fuel use, a five-year fuel cost compared with an average new vehicle, and ratings for fuel economy, greenhouse gases and smog.
Why used-car buyers want it
- Factory options and packages. A listing that says “fully loaded” or names a trim can be checked line by line.
- MSRP when new. A reference point when you compare two similar cars, not a value for the car today.
- Fuel economy estimates for this exact configuration.
- Parts that don’t match. Wheels, engine or equipment that differ from the sticker are a reason to ask questions.
Window sticker lookup by VIN here
Enter the VIN in the box, tick Window Sticker and pay. It costs $6.99. The sticker arrives in your account as a web page you can print, or save as a PDF from your browser’s print menu, and it stays in your account.
A copy isn’t on file for every VIN. If one can’t be produced for yours, its cost goes back to your account automatically and we email you, so you never pay for a sticker you didn’t get.
Window sticker by VIN free: what to know
Ask first. A dealer selling the car may still have the original sticker or a copy, and showing it costs them nothing.
You’ll also find websites offering a free window sticker lookup. Before you rely on one, check whether it shows the sticker printed for that VIN or a page rebuilt from the decoded VIN. The two aren’t the same thing, and a rebuilt page may not reflect the options this car was built with.
Our free VIN decoder is a good first step: it confirms the year, make, model and engine from NHTSA’s data, though not the options and prices a sticker shows.
What a window sticker can’t tell you
It describes the car on the day it left the factory. It says nothing about accidents, owners, title brands or mileage since then. Read it next to a history report such as a CARFAX report or AutoCheck, and have the car inspected before you pay.
Smart VIN Check is an independent reseller. We aren’t affiliated with any carmaker, or with CARFAX, Inc., Experian, Copart or IAA.
Questions
Can I get a window sticker by VIN for a Ford, Toyota, Chevy or Jeep?
The law has required a window sticker on new passenger cars sold in the US since 1958, whatever the brand. Whether a copy can be produced depends on the VIN, not just the make: enter it and we’ll try. If none can be produced, the cost comes back to your account automatically.
Is a Monroney sticker lookup the same as a window sticker lookup?
Yes. Monroney sticker, Monroney label and window sticker are names for the same price and equipment label.
Is there a window sticker by VIN free?
Sometimes. Ask the dealer first. Free lookup sites exist, but check whether they show the sticker for that VIN or a page rebuilt from decoded data.
Does the window sticker show what the car is worth now?
No. It shows the suggested price when new, with its options. Today’s value depends on mileage, condition and history.
How do I save the window sticker as a PDF?
Open it in your account and use your browser’s print option, then choose “Save as PDF” as the printer.
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About the author
Tayron Bram
Data Validation Officer
Tayron Bram is the Data Validation Officer at Smart VIN Check, with 41 years of experience in used-car sales, auto auctions and vehicle data. Tayron has checked thousands of vehicle history reports and worked with dealers importing cars from the US. At Smart VIN Check, Tayron checks that every fact in our guides matches its source, from state title rules to NMVTIS and NHTSA records, and goes back to those sources when they change. Before a guide is published, Tayron reads it the way a buyer would, looking for anything unclear, out of date or not backed by a source. Tayron also keeps the prices we quote from other sellers current, so the comparisons on our pages stay accurate.
More from Tayron BramRelated
Sources
- 15 U.S.C. §1232: Label and entry requirements (Automobile Information Disclosure Act, Cornell LII)checked October 2026
- 15 U.S.C. §1233: Violations and penalties (Cornell LII)checked October 2026
- 15 U.S.C. §1231: Definitions (Cornell LII)checked October 2026
- Fuel economy and environment label (fueleconomy.gov, U.S. DOE and EPA)checked October 2026