Does a new car need an annual inspection in the third year?
3 Answers
New cars do not require an annual inspection in the third year. However, they do need an annual inspection after six years. Although annual inspections are not required every year, it is necessary to obtain the inspection compliance label annually. For non-commercial passenger vehicles, new cars are exempt from inspection for the first six years. After six years, an annual inspection is required once every year. The specific inspection month can be referenced on the vehicle's registration date as indicated on the driving license. Vehicle annual inspection refers to a mandatory test for all vehicles that have obtained official license plates and driving licenses. It is equivalent to an annual 'health check' for the vehicle based on the safety technical requirements for motor vehicle operation. Vehicle annual inspections help promptly eliminate potential safety hazards, encourage better vehicle maintenance, and reduce the occurrence of traffic accidents.
My car has been running for three years, and I just handled the annual inspection last year, so there's no need to worry too much. Now, new cars only need to undergo on-site testing in the sixth year. For the third year, you just need to operate on the 12123 APP to apply for the electronic inspection mark. The specific steps are: open the APP, click 'More', find 'Apply for Inspection Exemption Mark', upload your compulsory traffic insurance certificate and vehicle and vessel tax information, and it will be done in two or three working days. Remember to handle all traffic violations before applying, otherwise the application will fail. My neighbor forgot this and ended up wasting time. By the way, although no inspection is required, you can check commonly used parts like lights and wipers yourself—safety first, after all.
Recent policy changes have been significant, with the relaxation of annual inspections for small vehicles starting from the end of 2022. For private cars that have just reached three years old, there's no need for an on-site inspection at all. You only need to apply for an electronic inspection mark every two years via the 12123 app. I just helped a friend with this today—after logging into the app, simply upload the compulsory traffic insurance photo as prompted, and it's incredibly straightforward. However, there are three key points to note: first, ensure the compulsory traffic insurance is within its validity period; second, the vehicle must not have any illegal modifications; and third, the vehicle registration certificate must not be expired. This reform is indeed a time-saver. Previously, the biennial inspection would waste half a day, but now the entire process can be done online, eliminating the need for travel. Of course, if the app experiences lag, you can always go directly to the vehicle management office to handle it.
