Can You Get a Car License Plate on Saturday?
3 Answers
You cannot get a car license plate on weekends (Saturday and Sunday). The vehicle management office does not operate on weekends and public holidays. As the vehicle management office is a government department, its working hours are fixed. The regular working hours are from 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM and from 2:00 PM to 5:30 PM, Monday to Friday. License plate registration is only possible during these hours. Documents required for license plate registration at the vehicle management office: Original and photocopy of ID card (if processing for someone else, both your ID and the car owner's ID are required); original and photocopy of the invoice; original and photocopy of the vehicle qualification certificate; original and photocopy of the compulsory insurance policy (the copy will be retained); tax payment certificate (the copy will be retained). Car license plate registration process: The car owner should bring the tax payment copy of the car purchase invoice, a photocopy of the vehicle quality certificate, original and photocopy of ID card (for corporate vehicles, the company's organization code certificate and official seal are required) to the vehicle purchase tax office to pay the vehicle purchase tax. After completing the vehicle purchase tax payment, the owner can then submit the relevant documents for the vehicle purchase tax, the registration copy of the car purchase invoice, the original vehicle quality certificate, original and photocopy of ID card (must be photocopied on A4 paper) to the vehicle management office for approval and license plate registration.
Last time I helped a friend with license plate registration, I specifically checked and found that the regulations vary greatly among different local DMVs. For example, some service points in Shenzhen can handle new car registrations on Saturday mornings, but most city DMVs are closed on weekends. The safest approach is to call the local DMV in advance to confirm or check the service hours of each location on the Traffic Management 12123 app. I've seen people make a wasted trip, especially in county-level cities where there's basically no weekend service. If you're really pressed for time, you can also ask a 4S dealership to handle it for you—they have cooperative service points that can expedite the process. Paying a small service fee is better than wasting time. Also, remember to bring all the required documents; missing anything will only make things more troublesome.
Last week I just picked up my new car and planned to get it licensed on Saturday. However, when I arrived at the vehicle management office, I found out they don’t operate on weekends, so I had to reschedule for Monday and take time off work. The salesperson mentioned that some major cities are piloting weekend service windows for convenience, but appointments are usually required. Later, I checked the local vehicle management office’s official WeChat account and discovered they open for half a day on the first Saturday of each month. This kind of information can prevent wasted trips if checked in advance. I recommend you first check the announcements from your local traffic police department or ask the 4S store salesperson to confirm the branch hours—they usually have the most up-to-date information.
