Can I apply for ETC for a car not under my name?

[CharlotteFitz]

It is possible to apply for ETC even if you are not the owner of the car. According to the "Implementation Plan for Accelerating the Application of Electronic Non-stop Toll Collection on Highways" issued by the Ministry of Transport, the original valid ID card of the vehicle owner, the original and a copy of the vehicle registration certificate (the page with the latest annual inspection stamp) are required. If you are applying on behalf of someone else, you also need to provide the original valid ID card of the agent. If you apply for ETC through major bank branches, you will also need to prepare a debit card or credit card from the corresponding bank. Some banks only support ETC binding with credit cards, while others may require freezing a portion of the amount as a deposit when binding ETC with a debit card. ETC charging principle: There will be one or more ETC lanes on the highway. Through the dedicated short-range microwave communication between the on-board electronic tag installed on the vehicle's windshield and the microwave antenna in the ETC lane of the toll station, the computer network technology is used to settle accounts with the bank in the background, achieving the purpose of paying road and bridge tolls without stopping at the toll station. All of this is based on the principle of passing first and deducting fees later. Benefits of installing ETC: Save time: eliminates the hassle of queuing and waiting; Green and environmentally friendly: green and low-carbon, vehicles pass through the toll station without stopping, reducing noise and exhaust emissions and minimizing pollution; Reduce wear and tear: saves costs, reduces the frequency of vehicle starts and brakes, lowers wear and fuel consumption, and users can also enjoy a 5% discount on toll fees; Improve efficiency: the efficiency of passing through ETC lanes can theoretically be increased by 2-3 times, making traditional ETC newer, faster, and more high-tech. Compared to license plate payment, ETC technology is more mature and advantageous. More policy support: The State Council clearly stated in the "Development Plan for the Modern Comprehensive Transportation System during the 13th Five-Year Plan" that "by 2020, the interoperability of transportation cards in key urban agglomerations will be basically achieved, and the proportion of vehicles equipped with ETC will be significantly increased." It also explicitly set the goal of "achieving a 50% ETC usage rate for road passenger vehicles by 2020" in the main indicators of comprehensive transportation development during the 13th Five-Year Plan. More future possibilities: In addition to continuously improving the convenience of ETC installation and usage and the ETC usage rate of passenger vehicles, the future will also promote the use of ETC for trucks and explore the deep integration of the ETC system with the development directions of smart transportation such as vehicle-to-vehicle communication and vehicle-road coordination, providing comprehensive travel services for vehicle owners. This means that more application scenarios will support ETC applications. Precautions for using ETC: The ETC transaction sensing area is 8 meters. When encountering a vehicle in front that has stopped, to prevent the ETC device of the vehicle in front from malfunctioning or not having an ETC device at all, maintain a distance of more than 10 meters from the vehicle in front to avoid automatic sensing and paying for the vehicle in front. The recognition speed for passing through ETC lanes is 20 km/h. If the speed is too fast, the vehicle device information cannot be read, which will also result in a failed fee deduction. Unauthorized disassembly or movement of the OBU device, detachment or loosening of the ETC electronic tag, etc., will cause the electronic tag to fail. You can send it to the bank where the ETC card was issued or the highway service office for testing. If the loosening or detachment is not caused by human factors, it only needs to be reactivated. When using a debit card bound to ETC, insufficient balance will also result in a failed fee deduction. You can follow the guidance of on-site staff to use the manual MTC lane and pass by cash or card. If the car windshield is too thick, it may cause poor sensing. This is especially important for vehicles that have had their windshields replaced after an accident or for those who have modified their front windshields.