Can vehicle inspection be done in a different location?
3 Answers
Currently, the traffic management authorities have fully implemented cross-provincial vehicle inspection for small cars, trucks, and medium-sized buses. Applicants can directly conduct inspections in provinces other than the vehicle's registration location and apply for the inspection qualification mark without needing to go through the entrusted inspection procedure. Large passenger buses and school buses cannot be inspected in a different location and must return to the vehicle's registration location for inspection. Vehicle inspection process: Check whether the engine, chassis, body, and their auxiliary equipment are clean, complete, and functional; whether the paint surface is uniform and aesthetically pleasing; whether the main assemblies have been replaced and match the initial inspection records; whether the vehicle's braking performance, steering control, lights, exhaust, and other safety features comply with the "Technical Conditions for Safe Operation of Motor Vehicles" requirements. Check whether the vehicle has been modified, remodeled, or altered; whether the driving license, license plate, and all registered vehicle records match the actual condition of the vehicle, whether there are any changes, and whether the approval and modification procedures have been completed. Check whether the license plate, driving license, and the enlarged license plate characters printed on the vehicle are damaged, altered, or illegible, and whether they need to be replaced. For large vehicles, check whether the unit name or the name of the street, township, or town where the vehicle is located and the maximum seating capacity in the cab are printed in Chinese imitation Song font on both sides of the door as required. For trucks, check whether the rear fender (including the trailer's rear fender) exterior is printed with the vehicle number enlarged 2-3 times as required; for individual or joint-operation vehicles, check whether the word "individual" is printed on both sides of the door. The characters must be clear, and unit codes or other patterns are not allowed (special circumstances require approval from the vehicle management office).
Yes, you can have your vehicle inspected in a different location, which is completely allowed under current automotive management policies. There are thousands of officially recognized inspection stations nationwide with interconnected data systems. So regardless of where your vehicle is registered, as long as you bring basic documents like the vehicle registration certificate, owner's ID card, and compulsory traffic insurance policy, you can directly go to an inspection station in your target city. I often see friends around me doing this due to job relocations—they book an appointment via mobile apps in advance and drive there on the day for checks on lights, brakes, and emission systems. The entire process is almost identical to local annual inspections, usually taking just half an hour. The key is to choose authorized stations to avoid unlicensed ones; if unsure, you can check the qualified list on the official traffic management website. This method saves time and effort, supports population mobility, and makes life more convenient and safer for people living away from their registered locations.
I've done out-of-town vehicle inspections a few times and found it incredibly practical. Normally working away from home, if I had to return to my hometown for every inspection, just the travel would take a whole day. Now I can go directly to a local testing station where staff help plug in the equipment to check emissions and inspect standard items like the chassis. Remember to bring the original vehicle license and insurance policy—last time I forgot one document and had to trouble a friend to courier it. The inspection fee is just over a hundred yuan, quite affordable, and once completed, the data is automatically uploaded to the national system. I recommend calling ahead to confirm the station's operating hours, as some remote locations might have long queues. Overall, this policy has transformed our car maintenance habits, making vehicle upkeep more flexible and efficient.
