# Do you remove dealership branding from a car you've purchased? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 26, 2018, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remove-dealership-branding-from-a-car-youve-purchased/814873 "2018-05-26T23:12:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2018, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remove-dealership-branding-from-a-car-youve-purchased/814873/81 "2018-05-29T18:31:45Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > I have only ever had the plastic license plate frames and those go in the garbage as soon as I get home. They must not allow that other shit in California. If they did, you bet your ass I would insist that it not be included on my car. I’d tell them upfront that I would walk if it was there. Yeah, I think the bolt-ons must not be legal in California - I’ve lived here all my life and never seen one from a California dealership. Every time I see one on an out-of-state car, I think there’s no way in hell I would ever let a dealership deface my car with their advertising. Especially since many of the things they attach are butt-ugly. The license plate holders are okay, because they don’t require holes to be drilled or unsightly adhesive residue. I usually leave it on until I get a custom one, but if they end up staying a while I don’t mind. I don’t know if they do it anymore, but there used to be a dealership in Monterey called “Butts Buick.” Their license plate frames read MONTEREY on the top and BUTTS on the bottom. They always made my friends and me giggle when we were kids. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2018, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remove-dealership-branding-from-a-car-youve-purchased/814873/82 "2018-05-29T18:40:01Z")
I also think people here are far more advertising averse than the average person. Hell, I didn’t even start running an ad blocker until a couple years ago, and my wife didn’t bother having one until I just installed it for her. And some of my computers do not have any form of ad blocking installed (most of my laptops, and my iPad and iPhone have always run without ad blockers, and that’s where I do the majority of my casual browsing.) ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2018, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remove-dealership-branding-from-a-car-youve-purchased/814873/83 "2018-05-29T18:48:40Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I also think people here are far more advertising averse than the average person. Hell, I didn’t even start running an ad blocker until a couple years ago, and my wife didn’t bother having one until I just installed it for her. And some of my computers do not have any form of ad blocking installed (most of my laptops, and my iPad and iPhone have always run without ad blockers, and that’s where I do the majority of my casual browsing.) I’m not necessarily advertising-averse. I don’t run any blockers, I don’t mind watching commercials as long as I’m not paying for the service (broadcast TV=fine; Netflix=nope!) and I do wear some clothes with brand names on them. Where I draw the line is when I pay money for something (especially when it’s a lot of money, like a car) and the place selling it sticks their crap on it. If I buy, say, an Audi, I expect it to have badges on it identifying it as an Audi. I don’t expect an ugly, stick-on wart on the trunk that tells the world I bought it from Joe’s Discount Audi World in Buzzard Neck, Texas. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2018, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remove-dealership-branding-from-a-car-youve-purchased/814873/84 "2018-05-29T18:51:38Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > I’m not necessarily advertising-averse. I don’t run any blockers, I don’t mind watching commercials as long as I’m not paying for the service (broadcast TV=fine; Netflix=nope!) and I do wear some clothes with brand names on them. > > Where I draw the line is when I pay money for something (especially when it’s a lot of money, like a car) and the place selling it sticks their crap on it. If I buy, say, an Audi, I expect it to have badges on it identifying it as an Audi. I don’t expect an ugly, stick-on wart on the trunk that tells the world I bought it from Joe’s Discount Audi World in Buzzard Neck, Texas. Like I said, over here, it’s just the dealership info on the license plate frame. It’s something I only notice if pointed out to me. It doesn’t bug me and, if I want to remove it, I can, but in my lifetime of owning cars, it’s never been enough to personally bug me enough (and apparently a majority of car owners in my neighborhood) to replace it. I mean, sure, of course I understand why you wouldn’t want advertising and would remove it or ask for it not to be placed on the car in the first place. But for those people wondering why many people leave it on, the answer is simple: we just don’t care. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2018, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remove-dealership-branding-from-a-car-youve-purchased/814873/85 "2018-05-29T19:07:26Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > I don’t know if they do it anymore, but there used to be a dealership in Monterey called “Butts Buick.” Their license plate frames read MONTEREY on the top and BUTTS on the bottom. They always made my friends and me giggle when we were kids. Band or Sports Team name, all the way… > [@pulykamell](#): > > OK, I just walked the dog and kept track of how many dealer frames I saw. In my neighborhood, it’s about 60% with the dealer frames (31 of 52 vehicles.) Newer cars were a bit more likely than that to have dealer frames; older (15+ years) pickup trucks seemed least likely to have dealer frames (not sure I saw a single dealer plate on an older pickup, and I came across maybe ten to a dozen of them on the walk. There’s a lot of folks here who do contracting type work around here.) Much older vehicles would be likelier to have had changes of registration at some point, which would have required dismounting the plate and holder and at that point not bothering to reattach the frame. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2018, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remove-dealership-branding-from-a-car-youve-purchased/814873/86 "2018-05-29T19:56:07Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > Much older vehicles would be likelier to have had changes of registration at some point, which would have required dismounting the plate and holder and at that point not bothering to reattach the frame. Plus, after 5-10 years, the frame is probably in rough shape itself so you have more incentive to toss it when changing plates. ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2018, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remove-dealership-branding-from-a-car-youve-purchased/814873/87 "2018-05-29T20:11:59Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I looked at my car and my wife’s car (mine bought here; hers bought in Connecticut) and neither obscure the state name, the letters on the plate, the license sticker, etc. And why? Because I can’t be arsed to change it, I don’t feel like spending more money on a license frame, I don’t think it particularly looks bad since most cars here have it and I’m used to it, and I like the dealer it’s adversing, in that order. In Wisconsin, you aren’t allowed to obscure the slogan on the bottom (“America’s Dairyland”) and the screw holes for a frame are right in the middle of that line of text. (Middle of the height of the text, not middle of the actual words) The frame would have to dip quite low on both sides of the screw hole so as not to obscure that text. And some do. But I just have my plate hanging on by the screws through the holes. It does the job. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2018, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remove-dealership-branding-from-a-car-youve-purchased/814873/88 "2018-05-29T20:15:05Z")
Definitely, in the first few days I have the car. I am not advertising their dealership for free. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2018, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remove-dealership-branding-from-a-car-youve-purchased/814873/89 "2018-05-29T20:38:37Z")
Typing “Wisconsin plate frame” into GIS returns a bunch of University of Wisconsin Badgers or Alumni frames. Maybe the bottoms don’t screw in and just hang under the text? Anyway, if University of Wisconsin could figure it out, I’m sure Jim’s Buick could as well. Although on a Wisconsin-oriented site, this [bit of case law](http://www.wisconsinappeals.net/on-point-by-the-wisconsin-state-public-defender/officer-unreasonably-concluded-that-frame-around-license-plate-violated-plate-display-statute/) from Illinois seems to affirm that plate frames are fine (in Illinois) even if they cover part of the text provided the text is still reasonably able to be deciphered. So just clipping part of “Illinois” doesn’t get you busted in the Land of Lincoln. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2018, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remove-dealership-branding-from-a-car-youve-purchased/814873/90 "2018-05-29T21:26:21Z")
> [@Serenata67](#): > > In Wisconsin, you aren’t allowed to obscure the slogan on the bottom (“America’s Dairyland”) and the screw holes for a frame are right in the middle of that line of text. (Middle of the height of the text, not middle of the actual words) The frame would have to dip quite low on both sides of the screw hole so as not to obscure that text. And some do. But I just have my plate hanging on by the screws through the holes. It does the job. Ah, yes. Mine does obscure “Land of Lincoln.” I wonder why Wisconsin considers that important. (And where in the statute does it say that? I can’t quite find it.) The state name and plate number (of course) are clearly visible. The slogan isn’t. My wife’s is not quite totally obscured, but also obscured. Seems to me like most plastic frames (including the sports or school spirit ones) would sit the same way on the plates and obscure the slogan on the plate. ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2018, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remove-dealership-branding-from-a-car-youve-purchased/814873/91 "2018-05-30T13:29:18Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Ah, yes. Mine does obscure “Land of Lincoln.” I wonder why Wisconsin considers that important. (And where in the statute does it say that? I can’t quite find it.) The state name and plate number (of course) are clearly visible. The slogan isn’t. My wife’s is not quite totally obscured, but also obscured. Seems to me like most plastic frames (including the sports or school spirit ones) would sit the same way on the plates and obscure the slogan on the plate. [This court case](https://www.wicourts.gov/ca/opinion/DisplayDocument.html?content=html&seqNo=45733) clarified the position that the wording cannot be obscured. In short, a police officer pulled someone over because their plate frame obscured most of “Wisconsin” and part of “America’s Dairyland.” While pulled over, they suspected the driver of having drugs in the car. The attorney argued that they stop was illegal and any drugs found because of the stop are fruit of the poisonous tree. The attorneys argued that the stop was legal and anything found after the stop was totally ok. The judge affirmed that the stop was legal and that the frame cannot obscure the wording. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2018, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remove-dealership-branding-from-a-car-youve-purchased/814873/92 "2018-05-30T13:38:37Z")
> [@Serenata67](#): > > [This court case](https://www.wicourts.gov/ca/opinion/DisplayDocument.html?content=html&seqNo=45733) clarified the position that the wording cannot be obscured. In short, a police officer pulled someone over because their plate frame obscured most of “Wisconsin” and part of “America’s Dairyland.” The judge’s discussion, to me, sounds like it’s the state being obscured that is the important part (see paragraph 7). It’s not clear to me that if only “America’s Dairlyland” were obstructed, but the state name were visible that the judgment would be the same. > [@](#): > > I need not decide whether the circuit court’s interpretation of the statute is correct. The bracket on Collins’ plate did not simply obscure a small or inconsequential portion of the plate, as a bolt or washer often might, but instead effectively concealed the entire name of the state of issuance. Along with the license plate number, the state of issuance is among the most basic information pertaining to vehicle identification and registration. The statutory requirement in question must, at a minimum, refer to such basic information; otherwise, the requirement would be an empty one. Accordingly, Collins violated WIS. STAT. § 341.15(2) by using a bracket covering the word “Wisconsin” on her plate. Paragraph 8 goes over the “but one could make out ‘America’s Dairyland’ and infer the plate was a Wisconsin plate” argument, but the judge sides against such inferences. It seems to me that this judge clearly regards the plate numbers and the state names as being the minimum that the law requires to be clearly visible, but makes no further qualifications. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2018, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remove-dealership-branding-from-a-car-youve-purchased/814873/93 "2018-05-30T14:01:54Z")
In any event, I think most people can agree there’s a difference between “I’m going to fix this law violating condition on my car” and “How dare the dealership advertise on my property”. If the cops are going to issue a citation for your plate frames, taking them off for that reason is more than logical. That’s not the case here in the Prairie State so not giving a shit about them is also a reasonable response. ---
**Author:** ![senoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@senoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/senoy)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2018, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remove-dealership-branding-from-a-car-youve-purchased/814873/94 "2018-05-30T15:36:16Z")
For me, it depends on the dealership. I generally buy from a friend, so I leave his stickers on. I also leave them on if I buy from my town since when I’m away from home on a trip, that will let others know where I’m from. I’m a West Virginian and whenever we cross paths with other West Virginians out of state, it turns into a mini-party of sorts, so I leave the dealer stickers on so that when other West Virginians see my car, they know what part of the state I’m from. I’ll take the stickers off if I’m buying from a dealership that isn’t near me. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2018, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remove-dealership-branding-from-a-car-youve-purchased/814873/95 "2018-05-30T15:50:06Z")
Nope, and I wouldn’t unless it’s obnoxious. I have a plate frame from from the dealer, which isn’t too attention seeking and adequate. I would only replace it if I wanted my own custom one. ---
**Author:** ![JuliaSqueezer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/82dd89/32.png) [@JuliaSqueezer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JuliaSqueezer)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2018, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remove-dealership-branding-from-a-car-youve-purchased/814873/96 "2018-05-30T16:23:10Z")
I took my Ford to a local dealer, a place that had utterly ignored me as I wandered the showroom years earlier, ready to buy a car. The car was purchased at a dealership in another city, where the sales people were friendlier and all to happy to deal with a middle aged, lone female. When I got home, I realized the repairing dealership had switched the plastic plate frame from the original to one of theirs. For a 3 hour repair? No. I am not advertising your dealership. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2018, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remove-dealership-branding-from-a-car-youve-purchased/814873/97 "2018-05-30T18:45:12Z")
> [@senoy](#): > > For me, it depends on the dealership. I generally buy from a friend, so I leave his stickers on. I also leave them on if I buy from my town since when I’m away from home on a trip, that will let others know where I’m from. I’m a West Virginian and whenever we cross paths with other West Virginians out of state, it turns into a mini-party of sorts, so I leave the dealer stickers on so that when other West Virginians see my car, they know what part of the state I’m from. I’ll take the stickers off if I’m buying from a dealership that isn’t near me. Wouldn’t they know from the license plate? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2018, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remove-dealership-branding-from-a-car-youve-purchased/814873/98 "2018-05-30T19:06:53Z")
I’ve only bought three cars from dealers, and I made sure there was no advertising on the cars when we negotiated the deal. None of them had any problems with that and the cars were delivered to me without any stickers or license plate frames. ---
**Author:** ![Gus\_Gusterson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@Gus\_Gusterson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gus_Gusterson)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2018, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remove-dealership-branding-from-a-car-youve-purchased/814873/99 "2018-05-30T19:23:06Z")
I’m another who has written into the contract that there must be no dealer markings on the car. I won’t even let them put on a license plate bracket. One guy put the license plate bracket in the trunk. I made him take it out. They always think I’m nuts but they have never refused and have honored my demands to the letter. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2018, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remove-dealership-branding-from-a-car-youve-purchased/814873/100 "2018-05-30T19:44:59Z")
This thread has got me looking at license plate frames on the way home from work. What I’m seeing around here are no dealer plaques or stickers, but a serious upgrade in dealer frames. They used to all be cheap white plastic. Now, it seems they’ve switched to chrome (or chromed plastic.) They do make the car look nicer, I’ll admit. But I still dumped ours when we got the new car and replaced them with my own custom frames. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remove-dealership-branding-from-a-car-youve-purchased/814873.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-remove-dealership-branding-from-a-car-youve-purchased/814873.md?page=6)