Can private cars display advertisements?
2 Answers
If you want to place advertisements on your own vehicle, you need to apply to the local Administration for Industry and Commerce's advertising department. Once approved, you must mark the approval number in the lower right corner of the advertisement. Here is an introduction to placing advertisements on private cars: National regulations: Private car owners who arbitrarily place advertisements on the vehicle body or license plate frames violate relevant national laws and regulations. If discovered or reported, they may face a certain amount of fine. Prerequisites: According to relevant regulations, the prerequisite for spraying or posting advertisements on a vehicle is that it does not affect safe driving. There should not be significant changes in color, and the vehicle's original color must not be altered. If the changes are substantial, they must be reviewed and filed with the local traffic management department. Otherwise, the vehicle will not pass the annual inspection and may be penalized by traffic police during routine checks.
Private car advertising is subject to local regulations. A friend of mine in transportation got into trouble over this. In big cities like Beijing and Shanghai, the rules are particularly strict—covering more than 30% of the car's surface with ads is considered a violation, and fully covering the windows will definitely get you fined by traffic police. However, smaller cities are more lenient. I’ve seen gym ads on car doors that went untouched for two years. The key is whether you’ve registered with the commerce bureau for a "Vehicle Advertisement Registration Certificate." If caught without one, fines can go up to 30,000 RMB. There’s also a special case: if you’re a registered ride-hailing driver (like Didi Hitch), your vehicle is considered commercial, and you’ll need a "Road Transport Permit" to legally display ads.
