Can You Choose a License Plate Before Buying a Car?
3 Answers
No, you need to buy a car first before you can get a license plate. When registering a motor vehicle for a license plate, you need to provide the car purchase invoice, so you must buy the car first to get the license plate. Reasons why you cannot choose a license plate without buying a car: Cars fall under the category of motor vehicles, and a motor vehicle license plate serves as the vehicle's identification. Without a vehicle, there is naturally no need for identification; when selecting a license plate number online, you must enter the car purchase invoice number and identification code before you can proceed with the selection. Without this information, you cannot choose a license plate number; the selected license plate number must be registered within 15 days. If this period is exceeded, the selected license plate number becomes invalid, and you will need to choose again. Documents required for license plate registration: Identity proof of the motor vehicle owner; proof of the motor vehicle's origin, such as the car purchase invoice; the motor vehicle's complete factory qualification certificate or proof of payment of import vehicle purchase tax or tax exemption certificate; motor vehicle compulsory traffic accident liability insurance certificate; proof of payment or exemption of vehicle and vessel tax; other proofs and documents required by laws and administrative regulations during motor vehicle registration.
In our daily lives, many people want to buy a new car and choose their favorite license plate number, but the process has some hurdles. The vehicle management office stipulates that you must first have a car to apply for a license plate, as the plate number is tied to the vehicle's information. This means it's quite difficult to pick a number directly before buying a car, unless it's a specific personalized license plate service. Some cities like Beijing and Shanghai offer this feature through traffic apps like 12123 for pre-selecting license plates, but even then, you need a temporary certificate or purchase contract. When operating, you must make an appointment in advance, enter details such as the engine number, and then the system randomly selects from a pool of numbers. After choosing a number, it is reserved for a certain period until you complete the formalities. If you try before purchasing a car, you might end up wasting your effort, as without vehicle information, you can't even log into the app. I recommend buying the car first or confirming with the 4S store, as they often help owners handle these matters, saving you the trouble of trying without a car. In short, the order cannot be messed up, but planning ahead can save some time.
Let's talk about this. As a regular car owner who frequently visits 4S shops, I know many people think they can choose a license plate before buying a car, but that's not very realistic. You need to drive the car to the vehicle management office for inspection and pass before you're eligible to select a plate—the vehicle's ID and invoice are mandatory requirements. However, it's not entirely impossible to do it in advance. Some 4S shops have cooperative channels that allow you to view optional numbers before getting a temporary plate, or you can pre-fill information on an online platform to simulate plate selection. The key is that after signing the car purchase contract, the system allows you to temporarily reserve a number for a few hours. To do this, log in to the official website and enter the temporary plate data. The advantage is avoiding the hassle of waiting in line for your turn, and good numbers won't be snatched by others. The downside? If the car purchase falls through, your preselected number is wasted. I've seen people obsess over personalized plates, only to delay the car selection process. So, it's best to consult the sales advisor about local rules and not act too early to avoid complications that could spoil the joy of picking up your car.
