Can I apply for ETC if the vehicle registration is not under my name?

[KayleeRose]

Yes, you can apply for ETC even if the vehicle registration is not under your name. According to the "Implementation Plan for Accelerating the Application of Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) on Highways" issued by the Ministry of Transport, the following documents are required: the original valid ID card of the vehicle owner, the original and a copy of the vehicle registration certificate (showing the latest annual inspection stamp). If applying on behalf of someone else, you also need to provide the original valid ID card of the agent. If applying for ETC through major bank branches, you will also need to prepare a debit or credit card from the corresponding bank. Some banks only support ETC binding with credit cards, while others may require freezing a certain amount as a deposit when binding ETC with a debit card. ETC Deduction Principle: Highways have one or more ETC lanes. Through dedicated short-range microwave communication between the onboard electronic tag installed on the vehicle's windshield and the microwave antenna in the ETC lane at the toll station, the system uses computer networking technology to settle payments with the bank in the background. This allows vehicles to pay tolls without stopping at the toll station, all based on the principle of "pass first, deduct later." Benefits of Installing ETC: Time-saving: Eliminates the hassle of waiting in line. Green and eco-friendly: Reduces noise and exhaust emissions by eliminating the need for vehicles to stop at toll stations. Reduces wear and tear: Saves costs by minimizing frequent starts and stops, thereby reducing vehicle wear and fuel consumption. Improves efficiency: ETC lanes can theoretically increase vehicle throughput by 2-3 times, making traditional ETC faster and more advanced. Compared to license plate payment, ETC technology is more mature and advantageous. More policy support: The State Council explicitly stated in the "13th Five-Year Plan for the Development of a Modern Comprehensive Transportation System" that "by 2020, intercity transportation cards should be widely used in key urban clusters, and the proportion of vehicles equipped with ETC should significantly increase." The plan also sets a goal of "achieving a 50% ETC usage rate for road passenger vehicles by 2020." Future possibilities: In addition to improving the convenience of ETC installation and usage rates for passenger vehicles, future efforts will focus on promoting ETC for trucks and exploring deeper integration of ETC systems with vehicle-to-vehicle communication, vehicle-to-infrastructure coordination, and other smart transportation developments. This will provide comprehensive travel services for vehicle owners, meaning more application scenarios will support ETC. ETC Usage Notes: The ETC transaction sensing range is 8 meters. If the vehicle in front stops, maintain a distance of at least 10 meters to prevent automatic payment for the vehicle ahead in case its ETC device is faulty or absent. The ETC lane recognition speed is 20 km/h. Driving too fast may result in failure to read the vehicle's device information and deduction failure. Unauthorized removal or movement of the OBU device, or if the ETC electronic tag falls off or becomes loose, may render the tag invalid. In such cases, take the device to the bank where the ETC card was issued or a highway service center for inspection. If the issue is not due to human interference, reactivation may suffice. If using a debit card linked to ETC, insufficient balance may cause deduction failure. Follow the guidance of on-site staff to use the manual MTC lane and pay with cash or card. Thick windshield glass may cause poor signal reception. This is especially important for vehicles that have had their windshields replaced after accidents or for those with modified front windshields.

[Judy]

You can apply for an ETC even if the vehicle license is not under your name, but you must obtain written authorization and supporting documents from the owner. I remember when I helped a family member with this last time, the owner’s consent was required first, along with a copy of their ID and the original vehicle license brought to a bank branch. The bank will ask you to fill out a power of attorney to confirm your authority to handle ETC-related matters. The whole process takes about half an hour and is quite smooth as long as all materials are prepared. I recommend verifying the owner’s identity in advance to avoid wasted trips. Additionally, many places now support online submission of authorization letters, allowing faster processing through mobile apps, saving queuing time. In short, the key is owner authorization—you can’t just use someone else’s documents without permission.