Can Temporary License Plates Use ETC?
2 Answers
As long as the ETC is activated, you can use the ETC lane. Since ETC is an automatic toll collection device, it identifies the ETC electronic tag on the vehicle and deducts the balance from the tag, which has little to do with whether a temporary license plate is used. ETC Toll Deduction Principle: There will be one or more ETC lanes on highways. Through dedicated short-range microwave communication between the onboard electronic tag installed on the vehicle's windshield and the microwave antenna in the ETC lane at the toll station, and by using computer networking technology for backend settlement with banks, the system achieves the purpose of allowing vehicles to pay tolls without stopping at road and bridge toll stations. All of this is based on the principle of passing first and deducting fees later. Benefits of Installing ETC: Saves time: Eliminates the hassle of waiting in line; Green and eco-friendly: Low-carbon, as vehicles pass through toll stations without stopping, reducing noise and exhaust emissions and minimizing pollution; Reduces wear: Saves costs by decreasing the frequency of vehicle starts and brakes, lowering wear and fuel consumption; Improves efficiency: The theoretical efficiency of ETC lanes can be increased by 2-3 times, making traditional ETC faster, more advanced, and more high-tech. Compared to license plate payment, ETC technology is more mature and advantageous. More Policy Support: The State Council explicitly stated in the "13th Five-Year Plan for the Development of a Modern Comprehensive Transportation System" that "by 2020, intercity transportation smart cards will be basically realized in key city clusters, and the proportion of vehicles equipped with ETC will significantly increase." It also set a clear target in the "13th Five-Year" comprehensive transportation development indicators: "By 2020, the ETC usage rate for road passenger vehicles should reach 50%." More Future Possibilities: In addition to continuously improving the convenience of ETC installation and usage and increasing the ETC adoption rate for passenger vehicles, efforts will also be made to promote ETC usage for trucks in the future. There will be exploration into deeper integration of the ETC system with smart transportation development directions such as vehicle-to-vehicle communication and vehicle-to-infrastructure coordination, providing comprehensive travel services for car owners. This means more application scenarios will support ETC usage. ETC Usage Precautions: The ETC transaction sensing range is 8 meters. When the vehicle in front stops, to prevent issues such as the front vehicle's ETC device malfunctioning or not having an ETC device at all, maintain a distance of more than 10 meters to avoid automatic toll deduction for the front vehicle. The recognized speed for ETC lane passage is 20 km/h. Driving too fast may prevent the system from reading the vehicle's device information, leading to toll deduction failure. Unauthorized removal or relocation of the OBU device, or detachment or loosening of the ETC electronic tag, will render the tag invalid. It can be taken to the bank where the ETC card was issued or to a highway service office for inspection. If the detachment or loosening is not due to human error, reactivation is sufficient. When using a debit card linked to ETC, insufficient balance may cause toll deduction failure. Follow the guidance of on-site staff to use the manual MTC lane and pay with cash or card. Thick windshields may cause poor signal reception. This is particularly important for vehicles that have had their windshields replaced after accidents or for those who have modified their front windshields.
Last time I helped a friend with temporary license plate matters, he asked if he could use ETC. I told him absolutely not, for several reasons. A temporary plate is just a paper license, while ETC lanes rely on cameras to recognize official license plate numbers for toll deduction. The number on the temporary plate stuck to your windshield can't be scanned by the machine at all. I also noticed another issue: many cars don't even have an ETC device installed, and even if they do, the system can't match the temporary plate information. Trying to use the ETC lane could get you blocked or even hit the barrier. Last time, a driver panicked and reversed, nearly causing a rear-end collision. If you really want to use ETC, you'll have to wait until the official metal plate is installed. During the temporary plate period, just stick to the manual lane.
