Can a Car Purchased Out of Town Be Licensed Locally?
2 Answers
A car purchased out of town can be licensed locally. In fact, according to national regulations, as long as the vehicle meets the standards and satisfies the local licensing conditions, it can be registered, regardless of where it was purchased. The process for buying a car out of town: 1. Check vehicle documentation: After purchasing a car out of town, ensure that the materials provided by the 4S store are complete, such as the car invoice, vehicle certification, maintenance manual, etc. These items are essential, and if the 4S store fails to provide any one of them, it will affect the subsequent licensing and maintenance of the new car. 2. Check car insurance: As long as the vehicle has a regular invoice, certification, purchase tax, and compulsory insurance, any new car purchased from a regular car trading market nationwide can be registered at the place of residence. To insure the car at the licensing location, simply send materials such as the chassis number, engine number, and car photos to the insurance company, and wait for the insurance to take effect before returning to the local area for licensing. 3. Check if the temporary license is appropriate: Since the car is purchased out of town, the new car will inevitably need to be driven back to the local area. Therefore, the owner must obtain a temporary license for the new car, specifically an out-of-town temporary license. Note that after obtaining the temporary license, the new car must be driven back to the local area within the validity period of the temporary license. Otherwise, if the temporary license expires, it must be reapplied for, with a maximum of three applications allowed. 4. Return to the licensing location for registration: Once the new car arrives back in the local area, the owner can proceed to the local vehicle management office to register the new car. The regulations for new car registration in China stipulate that as long as the vehicle has the four basic documents—regular invoice, certification, purchase tax, and compulsory insurance—it can be registered.
Sure, I bought a used car in the neighboring province last year and registered it in my own city. The process wasn’t as complicated as I imagined. When purchasing the car, the seller helped me obtain a temporary license plate valid for 15 days, during which I drove the car home. Then, I took all the necessary documents—invoice, vehicle certification, ID card, and compulsory insurance policy—to the local DMV. After waiting in line for half a day and paying a registration fee and license plate fee of over 200 yuan, it was done. The staff at the DMV patiently explained the process and reminded me to check if the vehicle’s environmental label met local requirements, such as the China 6 emission standard in our area. The key is to ensure the temporary license plate hasn’t expired, otherwise, you might get into trouble if stopped by traffic police. In short, check the DMV’s opening hours in advance to avoid a wasted trip like mine when they were closed on Monday. Buying a car out of town and registering it locally is actually quite convenient—just be prepared to spend some time waiting in line.
