I did not use clear coat on the emblem, the paint I used contains a hardening agent which protects it. If you want to be sure that the paint will be protected, then yes I would recommend that a clear coat be used. Are you going with a flat black or gloss black emblem look? If you are going with the flat black, then do not use the clear coat, just put on 2 or 3 coats of primer (black) and then 2 or 3 coats of the top coat.