Can You Drive on the Highway with Temporary License Plates?
3 Answers
You can drive on the highway with temporary license plates, but there are certain restrictions: 1. Temporary plates with sky blue background, black characters, and black borders are only valid for driving within the city limits. 2. Temporary plates with brown-yellow background, black characters, and black borders are for inter-city driving. Temporary license plates are paper plates issued for temporary use, allowing vehicles to operate on roads for a limited period, usually not exceeding 30 days. Temporary plates include four main types: temporary plates for administrative districts, temporary plates for cross-administrative districts, temporary plates for testing purposes, and temporary plates for special-type vehicles. There are two temporary plates, with the front displaying the plate number and validity period, and the back showing detailed vehicle information.
Temporary license plates can definitely be used on highways, as long as they are officially issued by the traffic police department! When I picked up my car and got the plates, I drove directly from the 4S store back to my hometown with a yellow background and black characters cross-province temporary plate, covering a distance of over 800 kilometers without any issues. However, there are two important points to note: First, make sure to affix them in the correct positions—securely on the lower right corner of the front windshield and the lower left corner of the rear window, otherwise, it will be treated as driving without a license plate. Second, bring all necessary documents including the vehicle invoice, compulsory traffic insurance policy, and ID card, as these will be checked at highway inspection stations. A special reminder: pay attention to the type of temporary plate—blue background with black characters is only for urban use within the city, while yellow background with black characters is required for cross-regional travel on highways.
My experience is that driving on highways with temporary license plates is completely legal, but many people trip up on the details. Just last week, I saw a new car being pulled over by traffic police at a service area because the owner had thrown the temporary plate in the trunk without displaying it, resulting in a 12-point deduction. Temporary plates must be properly affixed to specific positions on the front and rear windshields, just like regular license plates. When choosing a temporary plate, make sure to distinguish between jurisdictional types: if you're only driving within the province, opt for an intra-provincial temporary plate; for cross-province travel, apply for an inter-provincial one. Temporary plates are usually valid for 15 days, and I recommend leaving a 5-day buffer for long trips to avoid expiration. Also, remember to place the compulsory traffic insurance label and a copy of the temporary plate on the dashboard for easier inspection.
