Myth busted! i guess the cover is useless then. i only have a snap-lock on mine. :/ I have heard people putting a Vin number like code on other parts of their bike. But i think for anyone who knows, the vin number is always at the head tube. How illegal would it be if i took putty to it and masked it?
§ 170.65, Class E felony, 1-5 years.
There is no law against making it "hard" to see the original location of the VIN (the tube), which is a hard location to access which is why almost all bike makers put a sticker on the side.
That sticker is legally nothing. You can put anything there.