Can temporary license plates use ETC?

[StGavin]

As long as ETC is activated, you can use the ETC lane. Since ETC is an automatic payment device, it identifies the vehicle's ETC electronic tag, and the fee is deducted from the balance of the ETC electronic tag, which has little to do with whether a temporary license plate is used. ETC's charging principle: There will be one or more ETC lanes on highways. Through microwave-specific short-range communication between the vehicle-mounted electronic tag installed on the windshield and the microwave antenna in the ETC lane of the toll station, the computer network technology is used to settle accounts with the bank in the background, achieving the purpose of paying road and bridge tolls without stopping at toll stations. All of this is based on the principle of passing first and deducting fees later. Benefits of installing ETC: Save time: Eliminates the hassle of waiting in line; Green and environmentally friendly: Low-carbon, vehicles pass through toll stations without stopping, reducing noise and exhaust emissions and minimizing pollution; Reduce wear and tear: Saves costs, reduces the frequency of vehicle starts and brakes, and lowers wear and fuel consumption; Improve efficiency: The efficiency of passing through ETC lanes can theoretically increase by 2-3 times, making traditional ETC updates faster and more high-tech. Compared to license plate payment, ETC technology is more mature and advantageous. More policy support: The State Council clearly stated in the "13th Five-Year Plan for the Development of a Modern Comprehensive Transportation System" that "by 2020, the interoperability of transportation smart cards in key city clusters will be basically achieved, and the proportion of vehicles equipped with ETC will be significantly increased," and explicitly proposed in the main indicators of the "13th Five-Year" comprehensive transportation development that "by 2020, the ETC usage rate of road passenger vehicles will reach 50%." More future possibilities: In addition to continuously improving the convenience of ETC installation and usage and the ETC usage rate of passenger vehicles, the future will also promote the use of ETC by trucks and explore the deep integration of the ETC system with smart transportation development directions such as vehicle-to-vehicle communication and vehicle-road coordination, providing comprehensive travel services for car owners. This means more application scenarios will support ETC applications. ETC usage precautions: The ETC transaction sensing area is 8 meters. When encountering a stationary vehicle ahead, to prevent the ETC device failure of the vehicle ahead or the absence of an ETC device, keep a distance of more than 10 meters to avoid automatic sensing and paying for the vehicle ahead. The recognition speed for ETC lane passage is 20 km/h. If the speed is too fast, the vehicle device information cannot be read, and the fee deduction will fail. Unauthorized disassembly or movement of the OBU device, or detachment or loosening of the ETC electronic tag, will cause the electronic tag to fail. It can be sent to the bank where the ETC card was issued or the highway service office for testing. Non-human loosening or detachment only requires reactivation. When using a debit card to bind ETC, insufficient balance will also cause the fee deduction to fail. Follow the guidance of on-site staff to use the manual MTC lane and pass by cash or card. The windshield being too thick may cause poor sensing. This is especially important for vehicles that have had windshield replacements due to accidents or for those who have modified their windshields.

[Austin]

I've been driving for decades and have seen many people ask if temporary license plates can be used with ETC. The answer is basically no, because the ETC system relies on scanning license plates for toll collection, and temporary plates aren't registered in the system, so the scanner can't recognize them. The device needs to be linked to a formal license plate before installation, and temporary plates are just for transitional use—even if you install the ETC, it won't activate. I tried it when I first bought my car, and the toll booth didn't respond at all, forcing me to queue up again to pay in cash. My advice is to wait until you get your formal license plate before installing the ETC device—it saves time and is safer. Nowadays, applying for ETC is very convenient; you can do it at a bank or the DMV. But for the initial period when driving on highways, just carry some cash or a card for manual payment to avoid disrupting your trip. (160 words)