Can I get an out-of-town license plate at the dealership?
3 Answers
You can get an out-of-town license plate at the dealership. Here is some information about getting a license plate in a different location: Things to note: When purchasing a car, carefully inspect the condition of the new vehicle and ensure all required documents are complete. Before registering the car locally, make sure to bring all necessary documents, such as the vehicle invoice, vehicle certification, warranty card, three-guarantee card, vehicle user manual, imprint, and the vehicle purchase tax declaration form. None of these materials can be missing. License plate registration: For insurance in the registration location, you only need to send materials such as the chassis number, engine number, and car photos to the insurance company. Wait until the insurance takes effect before heading to the local registration office.
I encountered this issue last month when helping a friend pick up their car. Actually, 4S dealerships can indeed handle out-of-town license plates, but the process is much more complicated than local registration. First, it depends on whether your residence permit can be approved—for example, Suzhou requires at least six months of social insurance records. Additionally, the vehicle's emission standards must meet local requirements, like Shanghai's mandate for China 6B. Dealerships usually charge around 1,500 RMB for this service, while doing it yourself might save half the cost but take at least two days of hassle. Their partnered agents also charge an extra 300 RMB as a handling fee. Another hurdle is the cross-region vehicle inspection—some places require the car to be physically driven there for testing, which is a major hassle. It's best to include clear terms about license plate processing responsibilities in the purchase contract.
This depends on regional policies. When I bought a car in Hangzhou last time, the 4S store said they could handle Shaoxing license plates for me. The process wasn't too complicated: first confirming Shaoxing's residence permit policy, then they handled the temporary residence permit, and the DMV appointment was all arranged by the store. But there are several key points to note: the service fee for out-of-town plates is usually about 500 RMB more expensive than local plates; compulsory traffic insurance must be purchased in the registration location; temporary plates are divided into two types: within-province and out-of-province; license plate delivery takes an additional 10 days or so. The most troublesome part is cities like Ningbo that restrict out-of-town license plate registration - it's basically impossible. It's recommended to ask the dealer to show successful case contracts in advance, don't just rely on verbal promises.
