Are Car Body Stickers Illegal?

[DiJace]

Car body stickers are not illegal as long as they do not affect the vehicle's appearance or safe driving. However, if they are placed on windows or other areas that significantly obstruct the driver's view or cover the license plate, they will be considered illegal. Stickers that are overly flashy, provocative, promote violence or gore, disregard social norms and moral boundaries, or are vulgar should be avoided. According to Article 13 of the Implementation Regulations of the Road Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China, motor vehicle license plates must be displayed in the designated positions at the front and rear of the vehicle, and must remain clear and intact. Heavy and medium-duty trucks, their trailers, tractors, and their trailers must have enlarged license plate numbers painted on the rear of the body or cargo compartment, with the characters upright and clearly visible.

[VonTravis]

After buying my car, I felt the body looked too plain, so I put some stickers on it. Once, I was stopped by a traffic officer and almost got a ticket. It was because the stickers partially covered the license plate and a bit of the rearview mirror, obstructing the view. Later, I asked around and learned that there are a few key points about illegal car stickers: first, they must not cover the license plate, windows, or lighting, which can lead to direct penalties; second, the content of the stickers must not include anything illegal, like offensive language or advertising; third, if the stickers cover too much area, like wrapping the entire car, it might interfere with safe driving. After that, I only put small stickers on the trunk, and made sure the color didn’t affect reflectivity, so it was fine. When driving, I always remind myself that personalization is good, but safety comes first. I suggest everyone check local traffic rules before applying stickers to avoid fines or accidents.

[BentleyDella]

I think car decals are pretty cool for expressing personality, but don't go overboard. I remember in college I put some large anime stickers on my car, and once on the highway, I got warned by traffic police because the flashy decals distracted other drivers. Later I learned the violations mainly concern placement and content. For example, stickers shouldn't be on the windshield or side windows as they obstruct vision; if decals cover over 30% of the body, it might be considered illegal modification; content shouldn't involve violence, sensitive topics, or unauthorized trademarks. Now I just put small decals on the rear bumper with clean designs - no problems. The key is balancing self-expression with legal limits, and watching traffic safety videos regularly helps avoid trouble.

[JocelynAnn]

Having driven for over a decade, I've seen many drivers get into trouble due to car decals. Simply put, whether it's a violation depends on if it affects safety. If you place decals on headlights or rearview mirrors, light reflection can interfere with driving; putting them on license plates? That's directly illegal and will result in penalty points. Also, avoid sensitive content like political slogans or advertisements without permission, which may lead to fines. Safe driving is paramount—limit decals to small accents on the side of the body or above the hood, not large-scale displays. It's advisable to check decal conditions during each car wash to ensure they aren’t loose or obstructing critical areas.