Can a new car be driven on the road without temporary license plates?

[NevaehMarie]

New cars without temporary license plates are not allowed to be driven on the road. Legal provisions: According to Article 95 of the "Road Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China": Motor vehicles driving on the road without hanging motor vehicle license plates, without inspection qualification marks or insurance marks, or without carrying the vehicle license and driver's license, shall be detained by the traffic management department of the public security organ, and the party concerned shall be notified to provide the corresponding plates, marks, or complete the relevant procedures. Possible consequences for vehicles without license plates: If a vehicle is purchased but not registered, it may be identified as an illegal vehicle. If the driver does not have a driver's license, the vehicle may be confiscated, and the driver may face criminal liability. For unregistered vehicles causing accidents, it is difficult for traffic police to find criminal evidence against the driver.

[VonKiara]

I remember when I picked up my son's new car for the first time, the salesperson repeatedly emphasized that we had to wait until the blue temporary license plate was properly affixed before driving it away. Driving without a license plate is equivalent to running naked—if caught by traffic police, you'll immediately lose 12 points and have your license revoked, and the new car will be towed away. The key point is that insurance companies also waive liability, meaning if you accidentally scrape a luxury car, you'll have to pay for the damages out of pocket. Actually, getting a temporary license plate is quite convenient—the 4S dealership can handle it on the spot, or you can take the purchase invoice to the DMV and get it done in twenty minutes. Nowadays, it's even faster with the Traffic Management 12123 App—just upload a photo of the invoice and choose to pick it up or have it mailed. By the way, paper temporary plates must be affixed to the lower right corner of the front windshield and the lower left corner of the rear window. Static cling stickers are easier to remove than tape.

[LaGenesis]

As a veteran truck driver with thirty years of experience, I dread encountering unlicensed new cars wandering recklessly on the road. Driving a new car without a temporary license plate is a serious violation, and you can definitely expect to lose all 12 points on your license. Once, while delivering goods, I witnessed a rear-end collision where the SUV behind had just been purchased and its insurance hadn’t even taken effect yet, leaving the driver to pay 80,000 RMB out of pocket for the other party’s repairs. I’d like to remind everyone to make sure the dealer provides a temporary license plate when picking up your car. A white background with black text indicates a cross-province temporary plate, while a blue background with black text is for local use only. Nowadays, electronic temporary plates are also recognized, so be sure to save the approval screenshot on your phone. I recommend that car owners make at least three copies of the temporary plate and store them in different locations. Not long ago, a friend of mine was stopped just 500 meters after leaving the dealership, but luckily he had a backup copy in his glove compartment.

[SanChloe]

From a post-95 car owner's perspective: Just picked up my Lynk & Co 06 last week, and the 4S store assistant helped me get the digital temporary license plate on the spot. No need for plastic plates anymore—just open the Traffic Management 12123 app on your phone to display the digital version. However, you still need to be careful driving a new car. I heard that some road sections have electronic police cameras that can catch unlicensed vehicles. Someone in our car owners’ group took the risk of driving without a plate to get window tinting, only to end up with a fine ten times more expensive than the tint. Driving a new car without insurance is too risky, so I bought temporary insurance that takes effect immediately on the day I picked up the car. Key reminder: Bring the original invoice, vehicle certification, and compulsory traffic insurance policy—the DMV issues temporary plates in 10 minutes for just 20 yuan.