Can an Intra-City Temporary License Plate Be Used Across Cities?

[McMadelyn]

Intra-city temporary license plates can be used across cities. Below are specific details about temporary license plates: 1. Definition of Temporary License Plates: Temporary license plates are provisional vehicle travel permits issued by the public security vehicle management department when a car owner purchases a new vehicle before formal registration. The validity period of a temporary license plate generally does not exceed thirty days. 2. Classification of Temporary License Plates: There are four types of temporary license plates: temporary license plates for administrative jurisdictions, temporary license plates for cross-administrative jurisdictions, temporary license plates for testing purposes, and temporary license plates for special-type motor vehicles. 3. Duration of Temporary License Plates: New vehicles using temporary license plates must not exceed 15 days. Car owners should promptly apply to the vehicle management authority for the use of formal license plates. After expiration, they may face penalties such as temporary vehicle seizure, a fine of 200 yuan, and a deduction of 3 points.

[MacMatthew]

I've noticed many friends asking about crossing cities with temporary license plates, which can indeed be confusing. When I picked up my car last year, I specifically looked into it—those light blue temporary plates are only valid within the city, and traffic police enforce this strictly. A friend of mine didn't believe it and drove to a neighboring city for barbecue, only to have his car impounded and fined 200 RMB. For inter-city travel, you must switch to the brown temporary plates for cross-district use, which requires reapplying at the DMV. Actually, the scope of use is printed on the back of temporary plates, so remember to check carefully when you get them. Driving without verifying can lead to fines, vehicle impoundment, or even affect your formal registration later—it's not worth the risk.

[VanFernando]

I totally relate to this issue! I live on the outskirts of the city and got a temporary city license plate for convenience when buying my car. But when I wanted to take my kids to a neighboring city over the weekend, I called the traffic police and learned that this counts as cross-regional driving, which carries a penalty of 9 points and a 200-yuan fine if caught. The 4S salesperson didn't explain this clearly at the time, making the trip pointless. Now I understand there are two types of temporary plates: local and cross-regional. The blue-background plates we regular consumers get are only valid within the city. For trips outside the city, you need to apply for a cross-regional temporary plate, which takes three working days to process. My advice is to plan ahead.

[VioletDella]

Recently helped a relative deal with the issue of crossing cities with a temporary license plate. His light blue temporary plate looked ordinary, but when he drove to a neighboring city for delivery, he got checked. According to traffic regulations, this type of temporary plate means the vehicle can only be driven within the city of the household registration. If you really need to cross cities, you must apply for another type of nationwide temporary plate, which has a clear cross-regional mark on the back. To be honest, some new car owners either don't understand or take chances. Last time, I saw a case where the person thought all temporary plates were the same, ended up driving over 100 kilometers beyond the permitted area, not only got points deducted and fined but also delayed an important trip, suffering a big loss.