Can a Florida dealer charge more than the advertised price?

What has to be in the advertised price

Florida’s rule is in its dealer-practices statute. A dealer may not advertise a price unless the vehicle is identified by year, make, model and a trade or style name, and “the advertised price must include all fees or charges that the customer must pay, including freight or destination charge, dealer preparation charge, and charges for undercoating or rustproofing.” “State and local taxes, tags, registration fees, and title fees” need not be in the ad (Fla. Stat. 501.976(16)). When several dealers advertise together, fees that vary between them can be left out, but the ad must say what they are.

That includes the dealer fee. A 2007 Florida Senate staff report summed up the law: the pre-delivery service fee must “be included in the advertised price of the vehicle” (Fla. Senate report 2008-107). Is a $999 dealer fee normal in Florida? explains the fee itself.

The FTC’s staff takes a similar view under federal law. Its September 2026 FAQs aren’t binding, but they say “any advertised price must reflect the actual price that any consumer can pay to purchase the car, whether they negotiate or not,” that the full document fee belongs in the price if any buyer must pay it, and that a dealer can’t advertise a price built on a discount only some buyers get (FTC).

What can make the total higher

Some differences between the ad and the buyer’s order are allowed:

• Government charges. Taxes, tags, registration and title fees can be left out of the ad. FLHSMV says dealers “can charge only the actual amount of fees paid for tax, tag and title transfer” (FLHSMV).
• Products you agreed to. A service contract, GAP or accessories you chose add to the total.
• A different car. The ad has to name the year, make, model and style. Another trim, other options or another model year can carry a different price.

What doesn’t belong is a charge you never agreed to. The FTC’s staff says dealers can’t “imply that an installed ‘option’ cannot be removed and that the consumer must pay for it” or “include charges for options the consumer did not agree to.” In Florida, FLHSMV can discipline a dealer for a pattern of requiring customers to “accept equipment on his or her motor vehicle which was not ordered” (Fla. Stat. 320.27(9)(b)).

After you agree, the price is set

Once a dealer accepts your order or contract, Florida law treats raising the vehicle’s price as a deceptive practice, “notwithstanding subsequent receipt of an official price change notification.” The statute lists five exceptions (Fla. Stat. 501.976(15)):

• Your trade-in is reappraised because it was damaged or had parts removed.
• State or federal law requires new equipment.
• The federal government revalues the dollar, for a foreign-made vehicle.
• State or federal tax rates change.
• The manufacturer, importer, or distributor doesn’t provide price protection.

Florida also treats it as deceptive to get your signature on a contract that isn’t fully completed or doesn’t “reflect accurately the negotiations and agreement between the customer and the dealer” (Fla. Stat. 501.976(9)).

What to do if the price is higher than the ad

1. Save the ad: a screenshot with the date, the price and the stock number or VIN.
2. Ask for the out-the-door price in writing, itemized. How to ask for the out-the-door price shows how, and the out-the-door calculator adds it up.
3. Compare line by line and ask which charge puts the total above the ad, and why.
4. Ask the dealer to honor the advertised price or take off the charge that isn’t tax, tag, title, registration or something you chose.
5. If it won’t, your options include not signing and buying elsewhere. You can report the ad to the Florida Attorney General, which enforces the state’s deceptive trade practices law (Florida Attorney General; complaint form), to FLHSMV on form 84901 (FLHSMV), and to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

What to say

Before you sign: checklist

Florida notes

FAQ

Sources

1. Fla. Stat. 501.976 (2026): advertised price must include fees, with a joint-ad exception (16); no price increase after acceptance, five exceptions (15); contracts must reflect the deal (9); fees added to the cash price (11) (accessed Oct 2026)
2. Fla. Stat. 520.02 (2026): definition of cash price (2) (accessed Oct 2026)
3. Fla. Stat. 320.27 (2026): dealer discipline for misleading ads and unordered equipment (9)(b) (accessed Oct 2026)
4. Florida Senate Interim Project Report 2008-107 (Oct 2007): the pre-delivery service fee must be included in the advertised price (accessed Oct 2026)
5. FTC – Automobile Industry Pricing Transparency FAQs (Sep 2026): staff views, not binding: actual price any consumer can pay, document fees, optional add-ons, unavailable cars (accessed Oct 2026)
6. FLHSMV – Buying from a Licensed Dealer: actual tax, tag and title fees only; no cooling-off period (accessed Oct 2026)
7. FLHSMV – Consumer Complaints & Resources: dealer complaints on form 84901 (accessed Oct 2026)
8. Florida Attorney General – File a Complaint: consumer complaints (accessed Oct 2026)
9. Florida Attorney General – Consumer Protection Division: civil enforcement of Florida’s deceptive trade practices law (accessed Oct 2026)
10. FTC – ReportFraud.ftc.gov: federal reports about dealers (accessed Oct 2026)

About this guide

This page is general information about Florida rules as of October 2026. It isn’t legal advice. Your contract and the law control, and the law can change. If a dealer’s numbers don’t match its ad, ask it to explain the difference in writing.