Stickers can be a great way to express yourself, show off your views and ideas, and potentially promote your company and business.
Can you put regular stickers on your car?
You can put regular stickers on the car, but you need a weather and water-resistant decal.
What do the rules say?
- If you are in the US, many states completely ban having decals on the front windshield, whilst others only allow them to be located on the lower corner of the driver’s side. These must be smaller than 4-5 inches in diameter and are not allowed to obstruct the driver’s line of view.
- Other states only allow for you to display decals that the law requires you to have on your vehicle, such as inspection stickers. Failure to comply with the legislation in your state may lead to a stop and a fine.
What kind of sticker can I put on my car?
For decals that you want to put inside of the car, you will need front-facing adhesive. For the outside of the car, you will need a rear-facing adhesive.
The following are the most common and best-recommended options:
Clear Vinyl, which lasts up to 5 years inside or out but may leave a residue when removed.
Front-facing Cling, for inside of the window only and lasts up to 6 months.
White Vinyl, does not leave adhesive residue, lasts up to 5 years, and is designed specifically for car application, inside or out.
Perforated Film, made for the outside of your rear window and will not obstruct the view from the inside looking out. Will not leave a residue and lasts up to 5 years.
Permanent Adhesive, for when you want to achieve a permanent sticker you do not plan on removing, leaves an adhesive residue and lasts up to 5 years+. If you think you might change your mind on the sticker, you might prefer the Cling decals.
Reflective Vinyl, reflects light when light hits it, lasts up to 5 years, and may leave adhesive residue when removed.
Glow-in-the-Dark Vinyl, glows green in the dark for up to an hour, does not leave adhesive residue, and lasts up to 5 years.
How do you apply the decals/stickers to the window?
- You want to make sure your window is clean before applying, so use sufficient water and a cloth to wipe to ensure a perfect surface before applying the sticker. You may even want to use alcohol to really make sure that it is clean.
- Apply the decal evenly to avoid lines and air bubbles, and use a flat, hard object like a plastic card to go over and push out the pockets of air underneath the decal so that you get a smooth, perfect finish.
- Should you find the sticker to have tiny air bubbles, use a tiny pin to prick holes and let the air out of the pockets, water and the flat object to go over the decal and make them flat and perfect.
Why shouldn’t you put stickers on your car?
If you use your personal vehicle for advertising businesses, for example, by putting business logos on a personal vehicle rather than a car registered as part of a business fleet, you may get stopped and fined!
Making sure that you know the local law where you are can save you a lot of money and trouble!
So, having big corporate logos on your personal vehicle may get you fined; what about stickers of social links, icons, and other types to promote your personal business?
Decals can be a fantastic way of doing just that, by simply driving around and getting it seen by the public.
But the last thing you want to do is spend a lot of money on a custom decal for your car, only to find out that it breaks the local law and gets you a fine!
You may also have issues if you park in areas with different associations (like homeowners) that have strict advertising regulations.
Again, it is up to each individual state’s discretion, so it is best to check and make sure with your local law enforcement!
It is illegal to have stickers on your car, making your vehicle look like an ambulance or police vehicle. It is also extremely frowned upon to have racist or offensive imagery.
Of course, you are free to express yourself and your views, but it is recommended that you do so in a manner that is inclusive and respectful to all.
You may put yourself at risk of vandalism just because of the type of sticker you put on your vehicle.
Another factor to consider is if you put a sticker on relating to a holiday destination, for example, Florida’s Disneyland, you may put yourself at risk of criminals figuring out the patterns of you not being at home and striking when you are not around.
You might not think of this, but it should be something to keep in mind.
Can you put regular stickers on car windows?
Legally, if you keep them out of the driver’s line of view on any and all of the windows, except for the windscreen, where you should keep them only within the legislation of your state (some allow none at all whilst others allow only stickers smaller than 4-5 inches in diameter), then yes you can.
Business or personal? Make sure that your vehicle registration type matches the kind of sticker you apply. Make sure to check with your local legislation and law enforcement to avoid trouble and fines!
What about social matters? Offensive and racist stickers can get you fined, perhaps even pushed towards committing hate crimes, make sure that even if you want to express your opinions, to do so in ways that don’t offend others. The best way to make sure your stickers are ok is to always treat others how you would like to be treated. Would you be happy to see what you’re trying to show? In most cases, stickers are just good fun, but it is always good to take care of the details.
Materials, depending on whether you want them inside or outside of the car, how long you want them on for, and what type of effect you’re trying to achieve.
What about the rear window?
It is always best to first check the legislation in your state. There have been cases in the past of people having to remove their stickers/decals on the side of the road in order to avoid paying a fine.
Some states, providing that you have two perfectly functioning side-view mirrors, have no restrictions on what kind of decals you are able to put on the rear window.
However, in other states, police and law enforcement are issuing tickets in this regard, so make sure to be vigilant and correct.
The other windows (passenger sides) and where/what kind of stickers you put on is up to your discretion, but make sure not to cover the driver’s view of the side mirrors! Safety always comes first!