Will covering your VIN keep thieves from stealing your car?

That vehicle identification number on your car is part of an urban legend that keeps surfacing.

Officer Marcus Trujillo with the San Antonio Police Department explains why you don't want to cover it up.

"Another common myth that's been circulating around and now through the popularity of social media it seems to have resurfaced again is that operators of vehicles should, as a precautionary measure, cover their VIN on their dashboard to prevent anyone from copying down their VIN number and going to the dealer to get a copy of the key to that vehicle. However, number one, you can't do that unless you prove ownership and show a picture ID when you go to the dealer. Two, blocking your VIN from display is actually against the law. So you need to have your VIN number displayed."

Along those lines, Sergeant Frank Bellino with the Bexar County Sheriff's Office has this fun fact: your vehicle is not required to have a windshield.

He explains:

"Surprisingly, you need windshield wipers, whether you have a windshield or not. That's in state law."