Can I get a temporary license plate for a new car on Saturday or Sunday?

[MacCaleb]

You cannot get a temporary license plate for a new car on Saturday or Sunday. The vehicle management office is closed on weekends and statutory holidays, so you can only go through the registration procedures during normal working hours from Monday to Friday. According to Article 46 of the "Regulations on the Registration of Motor Vehicles": For ordinary consumers purchasing new cars that need to drive temporarily within the administrative jurisdiction, a temporary license plate with a validity period of no more than 15 days will be issued; if temporary driving across administrative jurisdictions is required, a temporary license plate with a validity period of no more than 30 days will be issued. If the owner of the motor vehicle needs to apply for a temporary license plate multiple times, the vehicle management office shall not issue temporary license plates more than three times. To apply for a temporary license plate, the applicant must hold the unit's letter of introduction, vehicle origin certificate, certificate of conformity, and other relevant certificates (except for the letter of introduction which will be archived, the rest will be returned to the applicant), and go to the vehicle management office for processing. When applying, the starting and ending points of the vehicle's driving route and the duration of using the temporary license plate should be specified. After the administrator reviews the documents and inspects the vehicle, a temporary license plate will be issued, with the validity period and starting/ending locations specified.

[LaneLee]

I encountered this issue when I bought a new car before. I went to the vehicle management office on a weekend to get a temporary license plate, only to find the doors closed. After asking a nearby security guard, I learned that most places don’t handle vehicle-related services on weekends, including temporary plates. The main reason is that the staff at the vehicle management office don’t work on weekends, so it’s simply not possible to get it done. My advice is to go early on a weekday, bring all the necessary documents like the car purchase invoice and ID card, and you might finish in half an hour if things go smoothly. If you’re in big cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, or Shenzhen, there might be special service points open on weekends, but this isn’t standard—it’s safest to call ahead and check. Don’t take chances; driving without a temporary plate not only risks fines but also increases liability in case of an accident—safety comes first. You could also ask the 4S store where you bought the car to handle it for you; they know the ropes. In short, don’t risk it on weekends—just take care of it on a weekday.