Do I still need to go to the DMV after the online vehicle inspection?
3 Answers
If you chose mail delivery when applying for the online inspection, you do not need to go to the DMV; if you chose self-pickup, you still need to go to the DMV to collect the inspection sticker. Online inspection process: First, before the online inspection, prepare the vehicle registration certificate, owner's ID card, vehicle insurance policy, and warning triangle (private cars also need a standard fire extinguisher). After the implementation of GB38900-2020 in 2021, at least one reflective vest is required, and some large buses need parking wedges. Then, drive the vehicle to the waiting area and queue up. Present the vehicle registration certificate at the inspection department's registration area to log the vehicle inspection items and pay the inspection fee. Generally, the inspection sequence is exterior inspection, environmental inspection, and safety inspection. The exterior inspection staff will check the vehicle's unique features, tire treads, chassis, and other components and take photos. After the exterior inspection, the next step is the vehicle's exhaust emission test (from this point onward, the inspection department staff will handle the remaining tests, and the owner can wait in the rest area). In addition to the exhaust emission test, there is now an OBD test. Gasoline vehicles manufactured on or after July 1, 2011, and diesel vehicles manufactured on or after January 1, 2018, require an OBD test.
I just had my car inspected last month, so let me share my experience. Nowadays, most cities across the country are connected online, and the inspection stations upload the data to the vehicle management office's system for automatic review. If you own a family sedan, as long as no issues like modified lights are detected during the inspection, and both the exhaust emissions and braking performance pass, the inspection station can immediately issue the annual inspection sticker on the spot. At my local inspection station, by the time I finished having a cup of tea in the lounge, the supplementary page of the vehicle license was already printed, eliminating the need to visit the vehicle management office again. If your car is a new vehicle within the six-year exemption period, you can even apply for an electronic annual inspection label directly through the 12123 APP. However, remember to stick the label on the upper right corner of the windshield immediately upon receiving it—I once forgot and got a ticket.
It depends on where you get your annual inspection done. In larger cities, there are one-stop service centers where you can complete the entire process from the inspection to receiving the compliance certificate. Last year, I did mine at the inspection station in the provincial capital's auto mall—just swipe your ID card, and it was all done in half an hour, with the inspection stamp added to the vehicle license on the spot. However, if the inspection station in a county town isn’t connected to the DMV network, or if your car has unresolved out-of-town violations, you’ll still need to visit the DMV to submit documents. Also, pay extra attention if your car has modified rims or body kits. A guy in our car club, Xiao Li, changed his brake calipers without filing the modifications—he passed the inspection but was later required to visit the DMV to complete the paperwork.
