Can You Drive on the Road with Temporary License Plates but No Vehicle License?
2 Answers
New cars with temporary license plates but no vehicle license cannot be driven on the road. According to regulations, drivers must carry the vehicle license when driving on the road. If the vehicle license is not available, the vehicle cannot be driven on the road. If driven on the road without the license, the driver will be fined between 20 and 200 yuan, deducted 1 point, and the vehicle will be temporarily impounded until the vehicle license is provided. Below is more information about temporary license plates: 1. Types of temporary license plates: There are two types of temporary license plates. One has a sky-blue background with black characters and black borders, which is limited to driving within the city, known as local temporary license plates. The other has a brown-yellow background with black characters and black borders, which can be used for driving across cities, known as non-local temporary license plates. 2. Rules for using temporary license plates: Before the official license plates are issued, only temporary license plates can be used. Once the official license plates have been issued, even if the temporary license plates are still within their validity period, they cannot be used anymore. If discovered by traffic police, corresponding penalties will be imposed.
Here's what I think: temporary license plates and the vehicle registration certificate are both essential, and neither can be omitted. Traffic regulations clearly state that when driving on the road, you must have valid vehicle license plates and the corresponding registration certificate—these serve as the legal ID for your car. If you only have temporary plates but no registration certificate while driving, the police could easily issue you a fine, typically ranging from 200 to 2,000 RMB, and may even impound your vehicle or deduct points, leading to major trouble. Although new cars come with temporary plates that can be used for a few days, the registration certificate is still being processed, so it's best to wait until it's fully issued before driving. If you really have an urgent matter, I suggest not taking the risk—call for a towing service or use other means of transportation instead, ensuring safety and peace of mind. After all, if an accident occurs, insurance claims could become problematic. Driving responsibly means ensuring all vehicle documents are complete.
