Is Removing the Car Emblem Illegal?
2 Answers
According to the regulations of the Motor Vehicle Management Law, removing the car emblem is considered illegal. During the annual inspection, the vehicle will fail and must be rectified before being re-inspected. If a car owner arbitrarily replaces or removes the car emblem, it will cause inconvenience to traffic police enforcement. As stipulated by the Traffic Safety Law, no individual or unit is allowed to perform the following modifications to a vehicle: 1. Altering the registered structure: assembling a motor vehicle or arbitrarily changing the registered structure, construction, or features of a motor vehicle; 2. Changing the identification code: altering the model, engine number, chassis number, or vehicle identification number of a motor vehicle; 3. Changing the emblem: forging, altering, or using forged or altered motor vehicle registration certificates, license plates, driving licenses, inspection qualification marks, or insurance marks; using registration certificates, license plates, driving licenses, inspection qualification marks, or insurance marks of other motor vehicles.
I once removed the car emblem and was stopped by traffic police, almost getting fined. Traffic regulations in many places require the vehicle's appearance to remain consistent with the factory original, and removing the emblem may be considered as altering registration information. If the emblem is removed and replaced with another brand, police may suspect forgery or misrepresentation, especially during vehicle inspections. More critically, although the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) remains unchanged, altering the exterior violates safety regulations and can easily lead to fines or impoundment. I recommend checking local traffic laws first—for example, Chinese regulations emphasize vehicle integrity, and unauthorized removal may result in penalty points or fines. From a safety perspective, removing the emblem exposes holes, increasing the risk of body corrosion. Handling this is simple: either don’t remove it or go to a certified modification shop. In short, be cautious with personal modifications to avoid spending money on disputes.