
Violation reminder notices do not require fines. Specific explanations are as follows: If the notice does not mention a fine, then none is required. Only in cases where a vehicle is illegally parked and the driver refuses to move it immediately after a warning, thereby obstructing the passage of other vehicles or pedestrians, will a fine be imposed. Although illegal parking does not typically lead to serious traffic accidents, to maintain smooth traffic conditions, traffic police will still issue parking violation tickets as warnings and penalties for vehicle owners. The following types of notices can be directly discarded without incurring demerit points or fines: 1. "Traffic Police"-issued illegal parking notice: It is important to note that many vehicle owners have been deceived by fake notices. Some individuals impersonate traffic police to issue tickets. If such a notice appears on your vehicle, it can be directly discarded as it lacks the signature or seal of a traffic officer, thus no fine is required. 2. Auxiliary police-issued illegal parking reminder: This differs slightly from the traffic police-issued notice. It does not result in demerit points or fines, but the vehicle should be moved as soon as possible to avoid an actual fine if a traffic officer arrives. Its main purpose is to warn the owner against illegal parking. 3. Urban management-issued illegal parking notice: Notices like these, issued by urban management officers, primarily serve to warn owners to move their vehicles promptly. However, these notices do not carry legal weight, so owners can discard them directly. Nevertheless, it is crucial to move the vehicle immediately to avoid receiving a real fine, which would be counterproductive.

The first time I received a traffic violation notice, I was totally confused—do I actually need to pay a fine? Later, a traffic police friend explained that the notice is simply an alert informing you of a recorded violation that requires verification and handling. Whether a fine is imposed depends on the nature of the violation: for example, a parking violation notice might prompt you to scan a QR code to pay directly, while speeding could result in both a fine and penalty points. Never toss it straight into the trash, because if it’s a fineable violation, a 3% late fee starts accumulating daily after 15 days of non-payment. Once, I delayed paying a ¥200 parking ticket until it ballooned to over ¥300. The smart move? Use the 12123 app on the spot to check the traffic camera photos and confirm the violation, avoiding unfair penalties from misidentification.

A veteran driver with 20 years of experience shares some insights. There are two types of traffic violation reminder notices: those with a simple warning don't require payment, but you'll need to sign at the traffic police station; those with penalty information require timely payment of the fine. When you receive that yellow slip, first check if it specifies a fine amount and point deduction. If it does, you're likely liable, so quickly pay it via the 12123 app for peace of mind. Last year, I encountered a bizarre situation where the slip cited failure to yield to pedestrians, but reviewing the footage revealed a delivery rider running a red light. In such cases, remember to appeal within 7 days. The reminder slip is an early warning signal, and nowadays, handling violations is much more efficient—you can even get a 20% discount by scanning the QR code to pay on the spot.

The legal validity of such paper notices depends on the issuing authority. Reminder slips with official traffic police department seals often come with direct penalties, and you can pay by scanning the QR code. However, warning notices posted by residential property management are merely reminders without penalty authority. Always verify the license plate number and time—my neighbor received a reminder last week only to find it was a cloned vehicle committing the offense. Once the violation is confirmed, just five steps in the traffic police mobile app: log in → violation inquiry → payment → enter penalty notice number → WeChat Pay. Overdue fines will result in vehicle lock, preventing even annual inspections. Some cities even offer a 'first-time minor parking violation exemption' policy for initial offenses.


