Parking permits, dealer decals and old registration stickers bake onto glass over a few summers. Here is how to get them off the inside or outside of a windshield without scratching the glass or damaging the parts around it.
Check where the sticker is first
- Inside or outside: most permits sit on the inside; dealer decals are often on the outside.
- Near the mirror: the camera for lane keeping and emergency braking looks through the glass behind the rearview mirror. Do not scrape the camera window or the black dotted band around the glass.
- Rear window: the thin lines are the defroster. Never run a blade across them.
- Tinted windows: tint film sits on the inside of side and rear windows. No blades and no ammonia cleaners on film.
Step 1: Warm it and peel slowly
Warm the sticker with a hair dryer for 30 to 60 seconds. Lift a corner with a fingernail or a plastic card and peel it back slowly at a low angle. Warm it again whenever it starts to tear.
Step 2: Soften what is left
Lay a warm, soapy cloth over the residue for a few minutes. Most paper and vinyl backing will then rub off by hand.
Step 3: Dissolve the adhesive
Put isopropyl rubbing alcohol or an adhesive remover made for automotive glass on a cloth and work the residue in small circles. Keep it off paint and rubber trim. Finish with glass cleaner.
Step 4: Use a plastic blade on bare glass only
On the outside of bare glass, a plastic razor blade held almost flat, with the glass kept wet, lifts stubborn residue without scratching. Push in one direction only.
What not to do
- Do not pour hot or boiling water on cold glass. The sudden change can crack it, especially if there is a chip.
- Do not use steel wool, scouring pads or metal scrapers.
- Do not heat glass that already has a chip or crack.
- Do not scrape the camera area or the defroster lines.
Toll tags and permits you have to replace
If a new tag or permit has to go in the same spot, remove the old adhesive the same way and mount the new one where the issuer tells you, outside the camera’s view behind the mirror.
Found a chip under the sticker? A small chip is the best time to fix it.