The Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board issued an advisory opinion in May in response to a request involving when decorations on a candidate’s family vehicle would result in an in-kind contribution.  The opinion is here.

When a vehicle’s appearance is modified by signs, bumper stickers, paint, or other means to call attention to it, there will be a line beyond which the value of the use of the vehicle for advertising purposes is a recognizable campaign expenditure aside from the mileage used for campaign purposes. In the case of a specially painted or wrapped vehicle, that line has been crossed and a reportable transaction arises.