Does ETC have to be handled by the car owner personally?
3 Answers
Non-owners can also apply for ETC. According to the "Implementation Plan for Accelerating the Application Service of Electronic Non-stop Toll Collection on Expressways" issued by the Ministry of Transport, the original valid ID card of the vehicle owner, the original and photocopy of the vehicle registration certificate are required. The page of the registration certificate with the latest annual inspection stamp should be provided. If applying on behalf of others, the original valid ID card of the agent is also required. If applying for ETC through major bank branches, a debit card or credit card from the corresponding bank must be prepared. Some banks only support ETC binding with credit cards, while others may require freezing a certain amount as a deposit when binding ETC with a debit card. Documents required for company vehicles: Letter of introduction from the vehicle owner (with official seal); Copy of the organization code certificate or business license (with official seal); Original ID card of the agent; Original vehicle registration certificate; Vehicle for which ETC is to be applied. ETC charging principle: There will be one or more ETC lanes on the expressway. Through dedicated short-range microwave communication between the on-board electronic tag installed on the vehicle's windshield and the microwave antenna in the ETC lane of the toll station, and using computer networking technology for back-end settlement with the bank, the purpose of paying tolls without stopping at the toll station is achieved. All this is based on the principle of passing first and deducting fees later. Benefits of installing ETC: Time-saving: Eliminates the hassle of queuing and waiting; Green and environmentally friendly: Green and low-carbon, vehicles passing through the toll station without stopping can reduce noise and exhaust emissions, minimizing pollution; Reduced wear and tear: Saves costs, reduces the frequency of vehicle starts and brakes, lowering wear and fuel consumption; Improved efficiency: The theoretical efficiency of ETC lanes can be increased by 2-3 times, making traditional ETC newer, faster, and more high-tech. Compared to license plate payment, ETC technology is more mature and advantageous. More policy support: The State Council clearly stated in the "13th Five-Year Plan for the Development of a Modern Comprehensive Transportation System" that "by 2020, the interoperability of transportation cards in key urban clusters will be basically achieved, and the proportion of vehicles equipped with ETC will be significantly increased." It also explicitly set the goal in the "13th Five-Year" comprehensive transportation development indicators that "by 2020, the ETC usage rate of road passenger vehicles will reach 50%." More future possibilities: In addition to continuously improving the convenience of ETC installation and usage and the usage rate of ETC passenger vehicles, the future will also promote the use of ETC for trucks and explore the deep integration of the ETC system with the development directions of smart transportation such as vehicle-to-vehicle communication and vehicle-road coordination, providing comprehensive travel services for car owners. This means more application scenarios will support ETC applications. ETC usage precautions: The ETC transaction sensing area is 8 meters. When encountering a vehicle in front stopping, to prevent the ETC device failure of the front vehicle or the absence of an ETC device, maintain a distance of more than 10 meters from the front vehicle to avoid automatic sensing and paying for the front vehicle. The recognition speed for ETC lane passage is 20 km/h. If the speed is too fast, the vehicle device information cannot be read, leading to charging failure. Unauthorized dismantling or moving of the OBU device, or detachment or loosening of the ETC electronic tag, will cause the electronic tag to fail. It can be sent to the bank where the ETC card was issued or the expressway service office for testing. If the loosening or detachment is not man-made, it only needs to be reactivated. When using a debit card bound to ETC, insufficient balance will also cause charging failure. Follow the guidance of on-site staff to the manual MTC lane and use cash or card for passage. Excessive thickness of the car windshield can cause poor sensing. This is especially important for vehicles that have had accidents and had their windshields replaced, or for those who have modified their front windshields.
You don't necessarily have to handle ETC registration in person as the vehicle owner. Friends or family members can do it for you. I know this because last month I helped my neighbor with his ETC - he just gave me a copy of his ID card and an authorization letter. I filled out the forms at the bank and got it done. The whole process was quite convenient, taking less than an hour. Of course, banks or service centers may require the original ID of the vehicle owner to prevent fraud risks. If you're pressed for time, you can absolutely delegate this to a trusted relative to avoid queuing troubles. After ETC activation, you won't need to wait for cash payments at toll stations - highway driving becomes much smoother. Remember to call your local ETC service point beforehand to check proxy requirements. Some locations allow online authorization submissions, which is super convenient. Keep some extra documents handy - they might come in handy when you least expect it.
Whether the vehicle owner must be present in person to apply for ETC depends on the specific service point's regulations. From my professional perspective, most banks and installation points accept authorized proxies, primarily to verify identity authenticity and prevent fraudulent activities. In practice, you only need to provide the vehicle owner's ID copy, vehicle registration certificate, and a power of attorney to the proxy. Some cities have also launched online authorization services, further simplifying the process. However, for security reasons, it's best for the owner to be present during the initial ETC device installation to verify device binding. Proxy applications can save time, and I recommend checking the local ETC center's service policies in advance. Understanding the process clearly ensures efficient handling.
