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.

[Kimberly]

A personal lesson learned the hard way: Never drive a new car without license plates! Last year, I drove my unregistered Tesla for vehicle inspection and was pulled over by traffic police just after passing three intersections. Not only did I get penalty points and a fine, but my car was also impounded in a parking lot for three days. Please note that temporary license plates have strict validity periods: cross-province temporary plates (with brown-yellow background) are valid for 30 days, while local temporary plates (blue background) last up to 15 days at most. Be extra cautious with modified cars—a friend of mine was fined for driving without plates when returning from a vinyl wrap shop with his new car. It's advisable to schedule your official plate registration three days before your temporary plates expire. DMVs now offer green channels for new energy vehicles.

[Campbell]

Driving a new car without a license plate? That's practically handing your wallet over to the traffic police. Your driver's license points could be wiped out in one go, plus you'll face a fine ranging from 200 to 2,000 yuan. The bigger headache is that insurance will outright deny any claims if an accident occurs. Last year, a car owner had to pay over 300,000 yuan out of pocket for this very reason. The correct approach is simple: Before picking up the car, insist that the 4S dealership handles the temporary license plate for you. Alternatively, bring the original ID of the car owner, the vehicle's certificate of conformity, and the compulsory traffic insurance policy to the vehicle management office to apply for it yourself. Currently, there are two types of temporary plates: one for use within the province and another for inter-provincial travel. The brown-patterned one can be used across provinces. Remember, the temporary plate must be properly affixed—one must be placed on the lower right corner of the front windshield.