What Is a Window Sticker (Monroney Label)?

The window sticker — formally called the Monroney label — is the official factory document attached to every new car sold in the United States. It tells you exactly what the vehicle came with and what it cost before any dealer markups.

A brief history: the Monroney Act of 1958

Congress passed the Automobile Information Disclosure Act in 1958, commonly known as the Monroney Act after its sponsor, Senator A.S. "Mike" Monroney. The law made it illegal for dealers to remove the label from a new vehicle before it was sold to the first retail buyer. That requirement still stands today, which is why the sticker is always present on new cars at the dealership.

What's on a window sticker?

A typical GM window sticker is divided into several sections:

• Vehicle identification: Make, model, trim level, model year, and the 17-character VIN.
• Standard equipment: Everything included in the base vehicle — powertrain, safety systems, infotainment, and interior features that come on every unit of that trim.
• Optional equipment and packages: Add-on options the original buyer selected. On GM vehicles these are listed with their RPO (Regular Production Option) codes alongside plain-language descriptions.
• Pricing breakdown: The Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for the base vehicle, individual option prices, the destination and delivery charge, and the total suggested retail price.
• EPA fuel economy: City, highway, and combined mpg (or MPGe for EVs), plus an estimated annual fuel cost based on EPA assumptions.
• Warranty summary: Basic/bumper-to-bumper and powertrain warranty terms.
• American-made content: The percentage of U.S. and Canadian parts content, as required by federal disclosure rules.

Why does the window sticker matter after the sale?

Once a vehicle is no longer new, the sticker can't be physically retrieved — but the data behind it often survives in the manufacturer's records. That data is valuable for several reasons:

• Confirming exactly which packages and options were factory-installed (vs. dealer-added or aftermarket).
• Verifying trim level and powertrain when buying or selling a used vehicle.
• Insurance and appraisal purposes, where the original equipment list can affect value.
• Satisfying curiosity about a vehicle's history if you're restoring or collecting a specific model.

Can you still get a window sticker for a used vehicle?

For GM vehicles (Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac, and Buick), you can often retrieve the original sticker data by VIN. Availability is most reliable for vehicles from roughly 2020 and newer — especially 2022 and later. Older vehicles frequently have no sticker on file. When that happens, you can still see the factory options through the build sheet, which lists the raw RPO codes from the production record.

To check right now, look up your VIN — the tool will return the window sticker if it's available, or the build sheet as a fallback. For more on when stickers go missing, see Why Is My Window Sticker Not Available? For a comparison of stickers and build sheets, see Window Sticker vs. Build Sheet.