Car Dealer Compliance in Malta: S.L. 549.30

The rules for car adverts in Malta

7 rules decide what a dealer in Malta has to show on the car, in adverts and in financing examples. Each one, and what it asks of you:

S.L. 549.30
Availability of Consumer Information on Fuel Economy and Carbondioxide Emissions in respect of the Marketing of New Passenger Cars Regulations (L.N. 235 of 2002) (label)
Authority Environment and Resources Authority (ERA)
The operator of a point of sale attaches a label with the official fuel consumption and CO2 emissions to, or near, every new passenger car offered for sale or lease. The definition covers any motor vehicle with at least four wheels and more than 25 km/h, so new N1 vans with official values need the label too. A first conviction carries a fine of 1,164.69 to 2,329.37 euros; repeat offences up to 4,658.75 euros or up to two years in prison.
S.L. 549.30
S.L. 549.30, poster or display per brand
Authority Environment and Resources Authority (ERA)
For each make at the point of sale, show a poster of at least 70 x 50 cm or a screen of at least 25 x 32 cm, which may replace the poster entirely. Models are grouped by fuel and sorted by ascending CO2, with the lowest official consumption at the top, and the two statutory sentences stay visible. The poster is updated at least every six months and a screen at least every three. Annex III exists in English and Maltese, and the Maltese text prevails in case of conflict.
S.L. 549.30
S.L. 549.30, promotional literature
Authority Environment and Resources Authority (ERA)
All printed promotional literature for a model, from brochures to newspaper adverts and posters, contains its official fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, legible and no less prominent than the main information. Material that only names the make is exempt. The wording covers printed matter; Vehicle Hub shows the values online all the same and raises a flag on any car that lacks them.
S.L. 371.23
Banking Act (Consumer Credit) Regulations
Authority Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA)
Once an advert names an interest rate or any figure about the cost of credit, it gives a representative example, clear, concise and prominent: borrowing rate fixed or variable, charges, total amount of credit, APRC, term, cash price and down payment, total amount payable and the instalment. A compulsory ancillary service is named together with the APRC.
L.N. 177 of 2026
Legal Notice 177 of 2026 transposing the Consumer Credit Directive (EU) 2023/2225, with the amended MFSA rulebook (L.N. 179 of 2026), applicable from 20 November 2026
Authority Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA)
From 20 November 2026 every credit advert carries the warning 'Caution! Borrowing money costs money' or an equivalent, clear and prominent. Adverts may not suggest that credit improves your finances, replaces savings or that existing loans do not matter, and Malta also bans references to how easy or fast credit is and interest-free periods of more than three months.
L.N. 178 of 2026
Legal Notice 178 of 2026 on credit intermediaries, with MFSA rulebook R.1.3.114
Authority Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA)
In every advert, a dealer who arranges credit states the extent of his powers, in particular whether he works exclusively with one or several lenders or independently. From 20 November 2026 credit intermediation needs MFSA authorisation; merely introducing a customer to a lender is not intermediation.
Regulation (EU) 2023/988
General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR), information in online offers
Authority European Union regulation, directly applicable in Malta
A vehicle you offer online to consumers in Malta, new or a used import, names its manufacturer with postal and e-mail address, the EU responsible person for makes from outside the EU, the product identification and the safety information. Vehicle Hub prints them in English under Product safety information, on the car page and in the exposé.

Car dealer compliance in Malta is governed by S.L. 549.30, the regulations on consumer information on fuel economy and CO2 emissions: the operator of every point of sale puts a label with the official fuel consumption and CO2 emissions at each new car offered for sale or lease, shows a poster or screen for each brand, and gives the same values in all printed promotional literature. Malta defines a passenger car more widely than the M1 category, so new N1 vans with official values fall under it too. The Environment and Resources Authority is the competent authority, and a breach is a criminal offence heard before the Court of Magistrates. Vehicle Hub keeps the official values on every vehicle and prints the label, the price sign, the exposé and the brand poster from them, in Malta and in Gozo alike.

Finance advertising changes on 20 November 2026. From that day every credit advert carries the warning 'Caution! Borrowing money costs money', claims that credit is easy or fast are banned, and a dealer acting as credit intermediary needs MFSA authorisation. The Loan Calculator builds the representative example with the APRC under S.L. 371.23 and the MFSA rulebook and adds the warning on the right day. Your car pages come from the Vehicle Hub widgets, and if buyers weigh running costs, send them the vehicle TCO calculator. The other 32 markets are on the car labelling directive by country overview. Vehicle Hub applies the rules; it is not legal advice.

What the S.L. 549.30 label looks like

Malta's Annex I lists what the label must contain but sets no drawn model, so Vehicle Hub lays out exactly those elements, in their order, on an A4 portrait sheet in English. Under the heading 'Label on fuel economy and CO2 emissions' come the model, the fuel type, the official fuel consumption in l/100 km with one decimal and the official specific CO2 emissions in whole g/km, followed by the two sentences of Annex I. Plug-in hybrids show weighted values plus electricity consumption, electric cars 0.0 l/100 km and 0 g/km, gas cars the unit of their certificate of conformity. There is no efficiency class.

S.L. 549.30 label printed by Vehicle Hub for a new Toyota Yaris Cross, Petrol, 5.6 l/100 km, 127 g/km CO2

Mandatory details in Malta

Model and fuel type in English (Petrol, Diesel, LPG, plug-in hybrid wording)
Official fuel consumption in l/100 km with one decimal
Official specific CO2 emissions in whole g/km
The two label sentences on the free guide and on driving behaviour
Labels and values for new N1 vans with official WLTP values
Models per make by fuel, ascending CO2, lowest consumption first, sentences in English or Maltese
Captioned values: Official fuel consumption and Official specific emissions of CO2
Values on the website even though the rule names printed matter
Representative example with APRC, cash price, down payment, instalments and total payable
Warning 'Caution! Borrowing money costs money' from 20 November 2026
Your role as credit intermediary (exclusive with one or several lenders, or independent)
Manufacturer, EU responsible person and safety information

What you get

The English label for every new car
Print the S.L. 549.30 label from the car itself: model, fuel type, official consumption, CO2 and both sentences on an A4 sheet. Petrol, diesel, LPG, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, electric and gas cars each get the right line and unit.
New vans covered as well
Malta's definition of a passenger car includes N1 vans. Vehicle Hub asks for their official values and prints the same label, so the van on your forecourt is as compliant as the hatchback beside it.
A poster per make, in English or Maltese
Vehicle Hub builds the 70 x 50 cm poster for each make from your stock, grouped by fuel and sorted by CO2, with the group words in English and Maltese. Print a fresh one every six months.
Online values beyond the printed-matter rule
S.L. 549.30 speaks of printed literature, yet your car pages show the captioned consumption and CO2 anyway. A car without them is flagged, not blocked, so you decide when to publish.
Finance examples ready for 20 November
The Loan Calculator prints the APRC example, your role as intermediary and, from 20 November 2026, the MFSA warning sentence. Nothing in the finance block speaks of easy or fast credit.
Product safety for used imports too
The GPSR lines apply to used vehicles sold online as well. A used import from Japan shows its manufacturer and the EU responsible person on the car page and in the exposé, exactly like a new car from the importer.

Print a Maltese label for a car and a van

Set Malta as your branch's main market, add one new car and one new van and print both labels. Then open the poster for that make. It takes a few minutes and shows you exactly what your showroom will carry.

See how it works See all plans

How to get started

Set Malta as your branch's main market
Create a KIMISUITE workspace for the showroom, add Vehicle Hub and choose Malta as the main market of your branch. The Maltese rule set decides which cars and vans need a label.
Bring in your stock
Bring vehicles in from mobile.de, your dealer system or a CSV or XML feed, or type them in with the creation assistant. Set the EU vehicle class so new vans are recognised as N1.
Check the values Malta asks for
Look over the official consumption and CO2 of each new car and van, and the weighted values of plug-in hybrids. Values that come with an import count as confirmed by you, so a quick look is worth it.
Make car dealer compliance in Malta part of your routine
Print the labels and the poster, then publish the vehicles on your website. The exposé and the price sign repeat the values, and your finance examples switch to the new rules on 20 November 2026.

Pricing

The Maltese rule set, the label, the brand poster, the price sign, the exposé and the Loan Calculator come with Vehicle Hub, which starts at a fixed monthly price (see pricing) per dealership workspace. Your sales team in Malta and in Gozo shares that one price.

See all plans

Is it the right fit?

A good fit if

Franchised showrooms and importers in Malta and Gozo with new cars on display
Dealers who sell new N1 vans alongside passenger cars
Dealers who offer finance through a bank and need the representative example and the new warning
Dealers who sell used imports from the UK or Japan alongside new stock from the importer

Not the right fit if

Dealers who want Vehicle Hub to publish their stock to MaltaPark; the import works in one direction only, into Vehicle Hub
Dealers who need labels in Maltese; Annex I exists in English only, and Vehicle Hub prints it in English
Anyone looking for legal advice or help with an MFSA authorisation

Frequently asked questions

What does car dealer compliance in Malta mean in practice?

A label with official fuel consumption and CO2 at every new car and van, a poster or screen per make, and the same values in your printed adverts. Finance adverts give a representative example, and from 20 November 2026 the warning 'Caution! Borrowing money costs money'.

Which language does the Maltese label use?

English. Annexes I, II and IV of S.L. 549.30 exist only in English, so the label is printed in English. The poster annex exists in both languages, and Vehicle Hub can print its group words in English or Maltese.

Do new vans need a label in Malta?

Yes, if they have official WLTP values. S.L. 549.30 calls any motor vehicle with at least four wheels and over 25 km/h a passenger car, which takes in N1 vans. Heavier vehicles without official values are outside the duty.

Do I have to show the values on my website?

The regulations name printed matter, so the website is not strictly covered. Showing official values online is still the safer choice, and Vehicle Hub does it on every car page and flags a car whose values are missing.

What happens if a new car has no label?

It is a criminal offence under S.L. 549.30, heard before the Court of Magistrates, with fines from 1,164.69 euros for a first conviction. Vehicle Hub prints the label from the car's data, so the only step left is putting it in the car.

Who supervises personal data from my enquiries in Malta?

The Information and Data Protection Commissioner (IDPC), under the GDPR and the Data Protection Act (Cap. 586). Buyers who write to your showroom through the Vehicle Hub widgets leave their name and contact details, and under Maltese law you are responsible for them, in your mailbox and in CRM Business Hub.

When do finance examples appear on my website?

Once KIMISUITE has released financing for Malta and you have entered your lender and your role as intermediary in the financing settings. From then on the example and, from 20 November 2026, the warning appear automatically.