2024 DNR Watercraft Registration Sticker Removal??

Just curious if anyone else has had trouble removing the 2024 (Red) registration stickers off a glass boat (maybe aluminum too)? In the past, it’s always been, heat it up with a blow dryer, start in a corner and slowly peel it off. With this one, it’s extremely brittle and I’m picking it off in tiny pieces because it breaks/tears with the slightest pressure. Worse, it is impervious to Goo Gone and 3M adhesive remover. I have tried to carefully use a single edge razor but it’s damaging the gelcoat.

Any suggestions?

I’ll need to burn this bridge in the next month here so thanks for the heads up…

Ive never taken mine off. Just carefully put it over the top of the prior one. I would think if you have a plastic/nylon putty knife you could get under it to aid with removal.

Remove them? It’s a badge of honor to have a whole bunch piled on top of each other.

I had the opposite issues, mine wouldn’t stay on. They both started peeling within the first month.

Try cutting some squares of paper towels, soak them in rubbing alcohol, then lay over the sticker. Liquid adhesion will hold them there, and the alcohol will soften the plastic.

Let them sit for 5-10 minutes and then use something plastic to scrape them off (like a putty knife, cooking pan scraper, plastic butter knife, etc)

Use a heat gun on low and warm it up a little. Should come right off it may leave behind a little adhesive. Little rubbing alcohol cleans it up.

I just removed mine last week! Tried my heat gun…nothing. I used acetone. I put a small amount on a paper towel and gently rubbed the adhesive. It took it right off. I used an abundance of caution because I was worried about damage to the paint. Couldn’t see any at all. My boat is a Lund Pro V. Not sure what it would do to the gel coat on a glass boat though!

Matt Moen wrote:

Remove them? It’s a badge of honor to have a whole bunch piled on top of each other.

yep!!!!!!!!!

Bearcat89 wrote:

I had the opposite issues, mine wouldn’t stay on. They both started peeling within the first month.

^This.

Last time I did mine the sticker came off but the color didn’t. Was like I took the outside clear off but the color remained. Put new one over the top.

Not sure if this situation is unique but I have always used isopropyl on the glue after heating off sticker. It still takes some elbow grease and Im not sure if it will affect your gel coat but that is how I have taken off MANY stickers over the years.

The issue with them staying on isn’t the adhesive itself it’s the bond between the adhesive layer and the laminate layer that has the print on it that fails. I tell every DNR officer and DMV person I talk to about how bad their stickers are. They were quality when we switched to the new style of sticker for about two years, then they switched mfg’s and went totally down the drain.

All I got it warm it up with blow dryer and let goo gone sit and eat on it overnight.

Just drive it down the road and it should come right off. Put my 27 stickers on the other day and with one trip one side is half gone already

3M adhesive remover is good stuff. I use it all the time at work and should take the adhesive off if you can get it under the sticker. Otherwise an eraser wheel should take them off. Just be careful to not stay in one spot too long and get the gel coat too hot as it may damage it. You can also sand and buff the gel coat to get out scratches. Gel coat is pretty thick I have repaired and sprayed it in the past.

Mike W wrote:

Just drive it down the road and it should come right off. Put my 27 stickers on the other day and with one trip one side is half gone already

Lol just let Mother Nature run its natural course here huh

Bearcat89 wrote:

I had the opposite issues, mine wouldn’t stay on. They both started peeling within the first month.

Ditto on a glass boat.

Ripjiggen wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Bearcat89 wrote:</div>
I had the opposite issues, mine wouldn’t stay on. They both started peeling within the first month.

Ditto on a glass boat.

Ditto on my fishing kayak – I had to have someone at a vinyl shop give me a scrap piece of a special type of vinyl that adheres to smooth fiberglass. I cut it to size and used that as a base to apply the registration stickers to.

But as far as removal I think 3M also makes a silicone wheel that you can put in your drill chuck. It removes tough labels by friction without wrecking clear coat, etc.

I have a fleet (12) of Alumacraft boats. Used denatured alcohol for 40+ years with good results and zero issues.

I had to get new stickers last year.
Mine started separating within a couple of months of buying them.

On a side note the license plate for my boat trailer is plastic and tore horizontally just beneath where it bolts into the trailer after only having it for a couple of years.

Another option for fancy boats are the registration frames.

3Dlettering also makes some kick ass 3D domed letters that really stand out and look super sharp that go with their frames.

I ordered a set on my 186 Tyee GL that matched the font, color and texture of the raised factory graphics. They’re all pre-cut and pre-aligned to look perfect.

100x better than slapping some mailbox letters on an expensive boat…

The actual registration letters numbers are not the issue I had. It’s yearly ugly stickers from the state that keep falling off. Well not yearly now but you get what I’m saying.

Ripjiggen wrote:

The actual registration letters numbers are not the issue I had. It’s yearly ugly stickers from the state that keep falling off. Well not yearly now but you get what I’m saying.

Yep, yep, understood.

I was just bringing up that you can buy frames for the state stickers, as well as matching lettering.

I agree that the state stickers are crap. Mine might make it a year before delaminating in the wind and waves.

At least the color stays so they can see what year they could be

My last set of MN reg stickers peeled off on their own, right on time to swap to WI.

WI reg stickers seem to do the same but even faster. I highly recommend plastic utility blades. They have them at Menards right where all the metal ones are. Heat gun and a plastic blade works great. If it’s real stubborn, give it a wipe down with a solvent (non chlorinated brake cleaner, adhesive remover, hell even wd 40 works) and let it soak in for a few minutes before taking the plastic blade to it.

I get it now Bman. Had to look closer at the frame.