Can temporary vehicle license plates be issued during holidays?

[EmilyMarie]

Temporary license plates cannot be issued during holidays. Here is the relevant information: Temporary license plates: These are paper motor vehicle license plates that allow temporary road use of motor vehicles, also known as temporary driving license plates. They refer to temporary vehicle driving certificates issued by the public security vehicle management department for newly purchased vehicles before official registration. Generally, when purchasing a new car, it is necessary to simultaneously apply for license plates for the new vehicle, which is equivalent to obtaining the "ID card" of the motor vehicle, allowing it to be driven on the road. Validity period: The validity period of temporary license plates generally does not exceed thirty days. There are four types: temporary license plates for administrative jurisdictions, temporary license plates for cross-administrative jurisdictions, temporary license plates for testing purposes, and temporary license plates for special-type motor vehicles.

[DelCamila]

I was also worried about this when I bought a car before the National Day holiday last year. Don’t worry, you can indeed get a temporary license plate during holidays. However, the specific hours of the vehicle management office depend on local arrangements. For example, in my city, the government service center has duty windows during holidays. The most hassle-free way is to apply in advance through the Traffic Management 12123 APP, uploading documents like the invoice and insurance policy. Once approved, you can pick up the temporary plate yourself or have it mailed. But note that temporary plates are usually valid for only 15 to 30 days. For long holidays like Labor Day or National Day, you’ll need to quickly replace it with a formal license plate after use. The staff reminded me when helping my cousin the other day that paper temporary plates must be affixed to the front and rear windshields, or you’ll still be fined if caught by traffic police.

[LeLola]

Just experienced this and can tell you for sure that applying for temporary license plates during holidays is completely fine! It's recommended to check the official WeChat account of your local vehicle management office first. For example, Hangzhou opened temporary license plate processing windows on the second day of the Spring Festival. Required documents include your ID card, car purchase invoice, compulsory traffic insurance policy, and the original vehicle qualification certificate. Just fill out an application form on-site to get the paper temporary plates. Nowadays, it's even more recommended to use your phone for this process. The Traffic Management 12123 platform processes applications faster during holidays. I tried it during the Spring Festival in Hainan and got the temporary plates delivered to my hotel the next day after applying on the same day. There are two types of temporary plates: blue background plates for city-only driving and brown background plates for inter-province travel. For inter-province temporary plates, you'll need to prepare additional vehicle photos.

[MargaretAnn]

As someone who frequently helps friends with paperwork, I can confirm that applying for temporary license plates during holidays is feasible. However, pay attention to three details: working hours vary at different DMVs—Xiamen only opens its main office on the island; driving a new car without temporary plates will result in a 12-point penalty; when applying online, remember to choose a mailing address instead of the dealership's. Last week, I just helped a neighbor apply through the 12123 app—after uploading the invoice and insurance photos, the electronic acceptance form was generated in two hours. But you still need to visit the DMV with your ID to collect the physical temporary plates, which takes about ten minutes to produce on-site. I recommend calling ahead to confirm the required documents to avoid a wasted trip if anything is missing.

[OHaven]

I have practical experience with this: Last New Year's Day, while waiting in a long queue at the DMV, I heard from the staff that now 22 postal outlets across the city can handle temporary license plates. During holidays, the most reliable option is to visit these outlets. You need to bring the original ID card of the vehicle owner, the vehicle certificate, the purchase invoice, and the compulsory traffic insurance policy within its validity period. Special attention to those who ordered cars at auto shows: never believe the salesperson's claim that the temporary license plate comes with the car. Temporary plates must be issued by the DMV system. Last time when I accompanied a colleague to pick up his car, he almost drove his new car without a temporary plate out of the 4S store. I noticed just in time and quickly took a taxi to a DMV outpost three kilometers away to get him a brown-background cross-province temporary plate.

[Axel]

Just went through the temporary license plate process for my new EV before Spring Festival, sharing key insights: The procedure for NEVs is identical to fuel vehicles. Arrive early during holidays – aim to reach the DMV before 9am. Missed office hours? Don't panic – 12123 APP reviews run 24/7, but physical plate production resumes post-holiday. Three critical warnings: 1) Those printed "temp plates" from dealerships are invalid; 2) Legit temp plates must be displayed on lower-left corners of both front and rear windshields; 3) Cross-province plates require renewal three days before expiry – our fleet veteran Lao Wang once had his vehicle impounded at a highway toll for expired plates.