How to Raffle a Car on Facebook

Thinking about giving away a car on Facebook to supercharge your brand, fundraiser, or passion project? It's a massive prize that can generate enormous excitement and engagement. This guide breaks down exactly how to run a car raffle successfully on Facebook, covering everything from the critical legal rules to creating content that gets people genuinely excited to enter.

First Things First: Understanding the Legal Landscape

Before you even think about the color of the car or the design of your Facebook posts, you have to understand the legal framework. Running an illegal lottery, even accidentally, can result in your page getting shut down, fines, or worse. Disclaimer: I am a content and social media expert, not a lawyer. This is not legal advice. Always consult with a legal professional who specializes in promotional law before launching your raffle.

Is it a Lottery, a Contest, or a Sweepstakes?

This is the most important distinction you need to make. Legally, these three things are very different, and Facebook (and the law) treats them differently.

• Lottery: Requires three elements: a prize (the car), chance (a random drawing), and consideration (a mandatory payment to enter). Private lotteries are illegal in almost all jurisdictions. If you require a purchase to enter a random drawing, you are likely running an illegal lottery.
• Contest: This involves a prize and consideration (payment or significant effort), but the winner is chosen based on skill, not chance. Think of a "best photo" or "best essay" competition. This is often not the right format for a mass-appeal car raffle.
• Sweepstakes: This is the model you’ll almost certainly be using. It involves a prize and chance, but it removes the element of consideration. This means you CANNOT require a purchase to enter. This is why you always see the phrase "no purchase necessary" on major giveaways.

The "Alternate Method of Entry" (AMOE) is Your Best Friend

To legally run your car raffle as a sweepstakes, you must provide a free way for people to enter. This is called an Alternate Method of Entry, or AMOE. While you can sell merchandise or tickets where proceeds go to a charity and grant entries with each purchase, you must also offer an equal chance to win for free.

Common AMOEs include:

• Mailing in a postcard or a 3x5 card with contact information.
• Filling out a free online entry form on a website.

You must give the free entry method equal dignity and prominence in your official rules. You can't hide it in fine print. Each free mail-in entry, for example, must be given the same number of entries as a purchased one.

Complying with Facebook's Rules

On top of your local and federal laws, you also have to play by Facebook's rules. Their Pages, Groups and Events Policies are quite clear on promotions. The key takeaways are:

• You are responsible for the lawful operation of your promotion, including the official rules, offer terms, and eligibility requirements.
• Your promotion must include a complete release of Meta by each entrant and an acknowledgment that the promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Meta.
• You cannot use personal Timelines or friend connections to administer promotions. That means you can't say "share on your timeline to enter" or "tag your friends to enter." While you can suggest sharing, you cannot make it a mandatory requirement for entry.

The safest way to run a raffle is to host it on a dedicated landing page or use a contest-specific third-party app and then use Facebook purely as the promotional platform to drive traffic there.

Step-by-Step Guide to Launching Your Facebook Car Raffle

Once you've done your legal homework, it's time to build your campaign. A successful car raffle is part planning, part incredible promotion, and part flawless execution.

Phase 1: Planning and Setup

Getting the foundation right is everything. A little extra work here will save you massive headaches later.

1. Define Your Goal and Budget

What is the primary purpose of this raffle? Be specific.

• Nonprofit Fundraising: "Raise $100,000 for our animal shelter."
• Brand Awareness: "Gain 50,000 new followers and reach 5 million people."
• Lead Generation: "Collect 20,000 email addresses for our marketing list."

Your goal will inform your messaging and how you measure success. You also need a firm budget covering the cost of the car, marketing/ads, legal fees, and any software you need.

2. Choose the Right Car

The car is your star. It needs to be desirable for your target audience. A lifted truck might be perfect for an outdoor brand, while a classic muscle car could be a dream prize for a different demographic. Own the car outright before you start - never raffle a car you don't have the title for.

3. Craft Iron-Clad Official Rules

This is non-negotiable. Your "Official Rules" are a legal contract between you and the entrants. You need a dedicated, public page on your website to host them. Work with your lawyer to draft them. They should include:

• No Purchase Necessary Clause: State clearly how to enter for free via your AMOE.
• Eligibility: Age restrictions (typically 18+ or 21+), geographic restrictions (e.g., "Open to residents of the contiguous United States only").
• Entry Period: The exact start date/time and end date/time. Be specific about the time zone.
• How to Enter: Detail all entry methods, including purchase-based entries and the free AMOE.
• Winner Selection: Explain exactly how and when the winner will be chosen (e.g., "a random drawing will be conducted on [Date]").
• Prize Details: Full description of the car, including its Approximate Retail Value (ARV). Crucially, state who is responsible for taxes, title, and registration fees (usually the winner).
• Release of Facebook/Meta: Include the required legal language that releases Meta from any and all liability.

4. Set Up a Reliable Entry &, Payment System

Do NOT try to manage this through DMs, comments, or Venmo. It’s unprofessional, a nightmare to track, and looks untrustworthy. Use a professional third-party giveaway platform like RafflePress, KingSumo, or a custom-built solution on your website. These tools handle payments, collect entries, and can often help with random winner selection, keeping everything organized and transparent.

Phase 2: Promotion and Content Creation

With a solid legal and technical foundation, it’s time to generate massive excitement with compelling content.

1. Create High-Quality Photo &, Video Assets

Phone snaps in your driveway won't cut it. Invest in professional photos and videos of the car. People need to imagine themselves behind the wheel.

• Photoshoot: Get clean, high-resolution shots from every angle - interior, exterior, engine bay.
• Walk-Around Video: A 2-3 minute tour showing off the car's best features.
• Reels &, TikToks: Quick, engaging clips. Think startup sounds, cinematic driving footage (where safe and legal), or answering popular questions. Video is what drives engagement today.

2. Write Compelling Ad Copy

Your words connect the car to your audience’s dreams. Tell a story. If it’s for a charity, focus on the impact. "Every entry helps us save more puppies, and one lucky person will drive away in this amazing ride." Use a clear and unmissable call to action in every post: "Enter to Win at YourWebsite.com! Link in Bio!"

3. Build a Multi-Week Content Schedule

Don't just post once and expect entries to roll in. Plan a full content calendar for the duration of the raffle.

• Launch Week: Big announcement posts, go live to reveal the car and launch the raffle.
• Mid-Raffle: Share behind-the-scenes content, create posts answering FAQs, post entry count updates to build momentum.
• Final Week: Build urgency with countdown posts ("Only 7 days left!"). Go live one last time to answer final questions. Run ads targeted at people who have visited the raffle page but haven't entered yet.

4. Use Facebook Ads Strategically

Organic reach can only get you so far. Facebook Ads are essential for a car raffle. You can target users based on interests (e.g., "Classic Cars," specific brands), a lookalike audience of your current followers, or people who have engaged with your page before. Start with a small daily budget and scale up what works.

Phase 3: Drawing the Winner and Post-Raffle Engagement

The finale is your chance to solidify trust and leave everyone with a positive feeling about your brand or cause, even if they didn't win.

1. Host a Live Drawing

Transparency is everything. The best way to draw the winner is live on Facebook. Use a certified random name generator on screen and show the process clearly. People need to see that it’s fair. This live event is also a great opportunity to thank everyone for their support and talk about the success of your campaign.

2. Announce and Verify the Winner

Contact the winner privately first through a verified method (email or phone call) to confirm their eligibility. Get their signed affidavit of eligibility and permission before announcing their name publicly. Once verified, celebrate them with an official winner announcement post on your Facebook page.

3. Create Follow-Up Content

Your job isn't done! The best raffles create post-raffle content to close the loop.

• The Handover: Film the moment you give the winner the keys! This is powerful social proof and fantastic content.
• Impact Report: If it was a fundraiser, create a post detailing how much was raised and how it will be used.
• Thank You Message: A final post thanking everyone who participated, which builds immense goodwill for your next campaign.

Final Thoughts

Running a car raffle on Facebook is a big undertaking with serious legal, financial, and logistical considerations. By prioritizing legal compliance with a sweepstakes model and focusing on a transparent, exciting promotional strategy, you can create a massively successful campaign that accomplishes your goals and builds trust with your audience.

Managing the constant stream of content needed for a campaign like this - from scheduling videos and photos to handling all the comments and questions - can get overwhelming fast. That’s precisely why we built Postbase. We realized that planning a content calendar in spreadsheets and jumping between native apps just doesn't work for video-heavy, high-engagement campaigns. With a clear visual calendar, rock-solid video scheduling for Reels and Shorts, and a unified inbox for all your comments, you can stay organized and focused on execution instead of wrestling with your tools.