Simply put, No, it is illegal to put stickers on cars in India, and it is an offense for which you can be charged a decent fine. But then you’d say that you have seen some people use stickers on their cars, what about those, right? Well, we’ve gone on to discuss this in depth in today’s post, so do not miss out on this one. Here we go.
First Of All, What Exactly Is A Sticker?
By definition, stickers are labels that are made from vinyl sheets. They usually stick to surfaces for a really long time. It has two parts: the paper that you peel off and the sticky label part. Once stuck, you can see the writing or design on the front. You see stickers on all sorts of things like notebooks, drink bottles, and yes, cars too. If it is a quality sticker, it can last over five years on a car. Usually, people get confused between stickers and decals. However, both are adhesive labels and are included within the Motor Vehicles Act.
What Does Motor Vehicles Acts Say About Stickers?
It is the principal law that regulates any and all road transport vehicles in India. This particular law, Section 177 of the Act regulates use of stickers on vehicles. This section reads that whoever violates any provision of this Act, for such violation of which no separate penalty is provided, shall be punishable with a fine of up to Rs. 100 for the first offense and with a fine of up to Rs. 300 for any second or subsequent offense. This would mean that the act of using stickers on vehicles, which is not specifically allowed under the Act, is generally illegal.
Then there is the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989 which sets some guidelines on the usage of vehicles permitted. The registration plates shall not bear anything like a sticker or adhesive bearing any legend thereon. In other words, you cannot put any sticker on your vehicle’s number plate. The registration plate shall bear a chromium-based hologram and other specifications that allow it to not be tampered with or counterfeited.
Caste and Religious stickers: A big No-No
Stickers on vehicles showing any caste or religious symbols are a big no under the rules. Section 179(1) of the Motor Vehicles Act is utilized to penalize someone found putting such stickers on their vehicles. Recently, police in Noida and Ghaziabad undertook special drives against these stickers and penalized more than 2,300 people. The fine for putting a caste or religious sticker on a car is Rs. 1,000. If someone puts it on the number plate, the fine increases to Rs. 5,000. These stickers can promote communal tension and hence be disallowed.
What About Professional and Institutional Stickers?
You see, a lot of times, doctors, lawyers, and other professionals use stickers on their vehicles to identify them. Of course, the stickers are allowed but under specific conditions. For instance, doctors can put stickers issued by the state. Similarly, lawyers would use stickers provided by the Bar Council of India. The use of these stickers is allowed for parking and identification in specified areas like hospitals and courts.
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