Is it illegal to modify car emblems?
4 Answers
Modifying car emblems is illegal. Here are some relevant expanded details: 1. Reasons why modifying car emblems is illegal: Because car emblems fall under items that are not allowed to be altered. According to Chapter 13 "Legal Liability" Article 69 of the "Measures for the Registration of Motor Vehicles of the People's Republic of China," if a motor vehicle owner violates Article 32 by changing, replacing, or modifying items that are not allowed to be altered, the vehicle license plate and "Motor Vehicle Driving License" will be detained, the owner will be ordered to restore the original state, and a fine of 1,000 yuan will be imposed. 2. Penalties for unauthorized vehicle modifications: For repair shops that illegally modify or assemble motor vehicles, they will be ordered to make corrections, and any illegal gains will be confiscated; if there are no illegal gains or the illegal gains are less than 10,000 yuan, a fine ranging from 20,000 to 50,000 yuan will be imposed, along with the confiscation of parts and tools. In severe cases, the business license will be revoked.
Having studied traffic regulations for years, I can confirm that modifying car emblems is explicitly illegal. Article 16 of the Traffic Law states that no unit or individual may arbitrarily alter the registered structure, configuration, or characteristics of a motor vehicle. The emblem is part of a vehicle's identification features, and changing it equates to tampering with the vehicle's identity information. Last year, I witnessed a case firsthand: a friend who replaced domestic car emblems with luxury brand logos was fined 500 yuan on the spot by traffic police, had his vehicle license detained, and was ordered to restore the original condition. What's more troublesome is failing the annual inspection, and insurance companies may also deny claims. While modifying rims or spoilers within compliance limits is permitted, car emblems should absolutely not be touched—the legal consequences are too severe.
In our car enthusiast circle of over ten years, there's a consensus: modifying the engine or adding body kits is fine, but tampering with the emblem is a no-go. Last month at our gathering, Old Zhang, a JDM enthusiast, shared that he changed his Toyota bullhead emblem, only to have the DMV refuse to process the transfer due to the discrepancy. With the nationwide networking of traffic management systems, any mismatch between the vehicle registration photo and the actual car is instantly flagged. Even if you're not caught during routine checks, in the event of an accident, the opposing lawyer could exploit this issue, turning your justified case into full liability. If you truly admire a certain brand, it's better to either switch cars entirely or opt for officially endorsed modification accessories.
Last year, I learned this lesson the hard way by replacing the BYD logo with a Lexus-style one. I was caught by traffic police within the first week and fined 300 yuan. The officer showed me the law enforcement manual, stating this was called 'unauthorized modification of vehicle characteristics,' with violation code 1087. The worst part was when selling the car later; the used car dealer directly deducted 2000 yuan from the price because it needed to be restored to its original condition. The vehicle management office technician told me that changing the grille color or adding light strips is fine, but any modifications involving brand logos are strictly illegal.
