Can Temporary License Plates Still Be Used After Registration?
2 Answers
After a vehicle is registered, temporary license plates can no longer be used. Failure to install the official motor vehicle license plate as required is considered a violation of regulations. Temporary license plates for vehicles are paper-based motor vehicle plates issued by the vehicle management office, allowing the vehicle to legally drive on the road before obtaining the official license plate issued by the traffic police. The use of temporary license plates is time-limited and region-specific. You can apply for a temporary license plate from the local vehicle management office under any of the following conditions: 1. When driving the vehicle from the place of purchase to the place of use, you need to apply for a temporary license plate at the vehicle management office where the vehicle was purchased; 2. When transferring vehicle registration and the official license plate has been surrendered, you need to apply for a temporary license plate at the local vehicle management office to drive back to your locality; 3. When purchasing a vehicle locally and driving it to another region, you need to apply for a temporary license plate locally to drive to the other region, and vice versa; 4. When the vehicle registration is not yet fixed and temporary use is required.
As someone who frequently changes cars, let me share a piece of advice: Never use temporary license plates after your official ones are issued. Once, shortly after receiving my permanent plates, I thought I'd keep using the temporary ones since they still had a few days of validity left. I got pulled over by traffic police and fined 200 yuan. The reason is simple: Temporary plates are meant for the transition period while waiting for official plates. Once your permanent plates are issued and installed, the temporary ones become completely invalid. Continuing to use them can be considered driving with invalid documents or without plates, which may result in fines, demerit points, or even having your vehicle towed or impounded. Moreover, if you're involved in a minor accident, the insurance company might deny your claim due to this reason, leading to even greater losses. My suggestion is to remove the temporary plates promptly on the day you get your official ones—either throw them away or store them in a document folder, leaving no room for second thoughts. If you're worried about confusion during the transition, remember that official plates are the only legal identifier. Don't try to take advantage of those extra days of 'convenience'—just focus on using the proper plates for peace of mind. Also, you can keep the temporary plate documents as records, but never put them back on your car. Safe driving relies on having all the proper documentation, so don't dig yourself into a hole.
