Photo: American Honda (Honda US Newsroom). 2026 Honda Civic.
Every Honda ad in Ontario — print, web, social, banner, even the price on the windshield — is governed by the same rule. OMVIC calls it all-in price advertising, and the short version is simple: the price you see is the price you pay, plus HST and licensing.
The longer version is the one that actually matters when you sit down to compare a Civic against a Corolla, a CR-V against a RAV4, or a Pilot against a Highlander. The all-in price has to include freight, PDI, admin fees, the OMVIC transaction fee, government levies, and any pre-installed add-ons the dealer intends to keep on the vehicle. The only things that can legally sit outside it are HST and licensing.
What must be inside the advertised price
If a dealer in Ontario is going to charge it, the ad has to include it. That covers freight from the factory, the pre-delivery inspection, admin fees, the OMVIC transaction fee, nitrogen or tire protection packages, VIN etching, fuel, and any add-on the dealer will not let you remove.
Every one of those line items also has to show up separately on the bill of sale. So when you compare two ads that both say $34,995 +HST/Lic, you can trust that the structure is the same. If one ad is mysteriously lower, the question to ask is what got left out.
What can stay out of the ad
Only two things: HST and licensing. The ad has to say so in a way a normal buyer would notice. The classic line is "+HST/Lic" or "plus HST and licensing." If the ad doesn't say it clearly, that's a flag.
There are a few narrow exceptions. If a dealer is selling a vehicle unfit or as-is and the ad says so explicitly, the safety certification cost doesn't have to be included — but every other fee still does. If two dealers co-advertise and one charges a different admin fee than the other, that fee can be excluded only if it's disclosed alongside a clear description.
What that looks like at a Honda store like ours
At Maple Honda, our advertised price is the all-in price. Freight, PDI, admin, OMVIC fee, and the standard fuel fill are inside the number. HST and licensing are the only things added at the desk. If we add nitrogen tire inflation or paint protection as a dealer-installed accessory and we don't make it optional, it's inside the all-in number too.
This makes comparing us to another store easier, not harder. If our Civic is advertised at $32,990 all-in and another dealer is at $30,990 all-in, the $2,000 spread is a real spread. You don't have to ask what fees got pushed to the back office.
What to do if a dealer tries to add fees to the advertised price
Walk away, then report them to OMVIC. OMVIC takes all-in pricing seriously because it's the foundation that lets the rest of the buyer-protection framework make sense. If a dealer can't keep a clean advertised price, that's not a small paperwork issue. It's a culture issue.
The good news is the bad actors are easy to filter out. If a price only makes sense after the "admin," "market adjustment," "dealer prep," or "documentation" fee is added, you're looking at a dealer who isn't playing by the same rules as the rest of the GTA Honda stores. That dealer is not where you want to start a five-year finance relationship.
An advertised Honda price in Ontario has to include every fee the dealer intends to collect. HST and licensing are the only legal additions. If the structure doesn't match that, the dealer is out of step with OMVIC's rules.
How to use all-in pricing to pressure-test your own quote
Pull three Honda ads in the trim you want — ours, a York Region competitor, a Mississauga or Brampton store. Line up the all-in prices. The total price gap is your real leverage. Everything else (payment, term, rate, due at delivery) lives downstream of that number.
When a quote feels heavier than the ad suggested, walk back to the all-in price and ask, line by line, which fee was added after the fact. If a reasonable fee is sitting outside the advertised number, the dealer should be able to explain it. If they can't, you've found the problem.
Frequently asked, Vaughan edition
Does the advertised price include HST?
No. HST and licensing are the only two items OMVIC allows outside an advertised price in Ontario, and the ad has to make that clear.
What if a dealer offers me a discount that wasn't in the ad?
That's fine. The all-in rule sets a floor, not a ceiling. A dealer can lower the price from what they advertised. They just can't raise it by adding fees after.
Is the OMVIC transaction fee included in the advertised price?
Yes. The $22 OMVIC transaction fee per vehicle (as of September 1, 2025) is part of what an Ontario dealer must include in the all-in advertised price, along with freight, PDI, and admin fees.
Want me to walk through the OMVIC piece of your next deal?
If you have a quote from another store, a private sale you're considering, or just a question about how OMVIC's rules apply to your situation, send me the details. I will help you pressure-test the structure.