Can I apply for ETC without a driver's license?
1 Answers
You can apply for ETC even without a driver's license. According to the "Implementation Plan for Accelerating the Application of Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) on Highways" issued by the Ministry of Transport, the required documents include the original valid ID card of the vehicle owner, the original and a copy of the vehicle registration certificate (with the page showing the most recent annual inspection stamp). If applying on behalf of someone else, the original valid ID card of the agent is also required. 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 portion of the amount as a deposit when binding ETC with a debit card. ETC deduction principles: Highways have one or more ETC lanes. Using 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 at the toll station, coupled with computer networking technology for backend settlement with banks, the system achieves the goal of allowing vehicles to pass through toll stations without stopping to pay tolls. All of this operates 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: Promotes low-carbon travel by reducing noise and exhaust emissions since vehicles do not need to stop at toll stations. Reduced wear and tear: Saves costs by decreasing the frequency of vehicle starts and stops, lowering wear and fuel consumption. Users also enjoy a 5% discount on toll fees. Improved efficiency: ETC lanes can theoretically increase vehicle throughput by 2-3 times, making traditional ETC faster, more advanced, and more high-tech. Compared to license plate payment, ETC technology is more mature and advantageous. More policy support: The State Council's "13th Five-Year Plan for the Development of a Modern Comprehensive Transportation System" explicitly states the goal of "basically achieving interoperability of transportation smart cards in key city clusters by 2020, with a significant increase in the proportion of vehicles equipped with ETC." It also sets a target of "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 increasing the adoption rate of ETC in passenger vehicles, efforts will be made to promote ETC usage in trucks and explore deeper integration of ETC systems with smart transportation directions such as vehicle-to-vehicle communication and vehicle-road coordination. This will provide comprehensive travel services for vehicle owners, meaning more application scenarios will support ETC. ETC usage precautions: The ETC transaction sensing range is 8 meters. If the vehicle in front stops, maintain a distance of more than 10 meters to prevent automatic sensing and payment for the vehicle in front, especially if it has a faulty ETC device or none at all. The recognized speed for ETC lane passage is 20 km/h. Driving too fast may result in failure to read the vehicle's device information and subsequent deduction failure. Unauthorized removal or movement of the OBU device, or if the ETC electronic tag falls off or becomes loose, will render the tag invalid. It can be taken to the bank where the ETC card was issued or to a highway service office for inspection. If the loosening or detachment is not due to human intervention, reactivation is sufficient. When using a debit card bound 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 windshields may cause poor sensing. This is particularly important for vehicles that have had their windshields replaced after accidents or for those with modified front windshields.
