Can Temporary License Plates Enter Automatic Recognition Parking Lots?
4 Answers
Temporary license plates cannot enter automatic recognition parking lots. Reasons for not being able to enter: Since current automatic recognition parking lots rely on cameras to identify license plates, temporary plates cannot be recognized, making entry impossible unless using a manual exit lane. However, whether temporary plates can be recognized depends on the specific functionality of the parking lot's recognition system. Methods for temporary license plates to enter automatic recognition parking lots: As temporary license plates cannot be recognized by the parking lot's system, you can try pressing the green button on the entrance host machine. After pressing, the host will issue a temporary card, which should be presented to the host machine upon exit for payment. Alternatively, if there is a QR code scanner at the parking lot entrance, you can try scanning the QR code with your phone, which will automatically open the barrier. For parking lots with a guard booth, you can drive to the booth and ask the security guard to open the gate.
Last time I drove my friend's newly bought Tesla to the mall, the front windshield had a temporary license plate, and the system just wouldn't recognize it. The security guard came over and said that most of these扫码付款 (scan-to-pay) parking lots rely on the reflection of the license plate for recognition, and the reflective film on temporary plates is far less effective. He told me to just press the ticket button to get a QR code card and scan it to pay when exiting. He also reminded me not to park in the new energy charging zone, as these dedicated parking spots with ground locks also rely on license plate recognition. If a temporary plate owner parks there by mistake, the backend system will charge extra fees.
Based on my experience in parking lot hardware sales, it depends on the equipment version. The old-style cameras from ten years ago generally cannot recognize temporary license plates, but the new smart cameras come with flexible recognition modes. For example, the system we installed for a chain hospital last year automatically compares entry and exit times and captures the vehicle model when encountering blue-background, white-text paper temporary plates. It's best for car owners to scan the code and prepay within half an hour before exiting, so the system won't trigger an alarm due to prolonged temporary plate recognition. Some high-end mall systems even support uploading temporary plate photos to bind with an app, a method Tesla often uses.
Last week I drove my new car with temporary plates to the supermarket. The entrance camera flashed red twice but didn't raise the barrier. A nearby traffic assistant jogged over to show me how to manually take a ticket, explaining that license plate readers use infrared to scan reflective dots - paper plates are like frosted glass with uneven light transmission. While registering my entry, he mentioned over 40% of temporary-plate vehicles require manual intervention in automated garages. The biggest headache is narrow underground garage turnarounds where unread paper plates lead to fender-benders during reversing. He recommended beginners choose open parking spots.
