Does the ETC applicant have to be the vehicle owner?

[LaAsher]

It is possible to apply for ETC even if you are not the vehicle owner. According to the "Implementation Plan for Accelerating the Application of Electronic Non-stop Toll Collection on Highways" issued by the Ministry of Transport, the following documents are required: the original valid ID card of the vehicle owner, the original and a copy of the vehicle registration certificate (showing the most recent annual inspection stamp). If applying on behalf of someone else, the original valid ID card of the proxy is also needed. If applying through major bank branches, a debit or credit card from the respective bank is required. Some banks only support ETC binding with credit cards, while others may require freezing a portion of the debit card balance as a deposit. Additionally, the current year's vehicle insurance policy is needed. For corporate applications, the required documents include the ID card (or driver's license) of the handling person, the organization's code certificate (or business license), and the official seal. ETC Deduction Principle: There are one or more ETC lanes on highways. Through microwave short-range communication between the vehicle's electronic tag (installed on the windshield) and the microwave antenna in the ETC lane, the system uses computer networking technology to settle payments with the bank. This allows vehicles to pass through toll stations without stopping, based on the principle of "pass first, deduct later." Benefits of Installing ETC: Time-saving: Eliminates the need to wait in queues. Green and eco-friendly: Reduces noise and exhaust emissions by avoiding stops at toll stations. Cost-saving: Reduces vehicle wear and fuel consumption by minimizing frequent starts and stops. Improved efficiency: ETC lanes can theoretically increase throughput by 2-3 times, making toll collection faster and more high-tech. Compared to license plate payment, ETC technology is more mature and advantageous. More policy support: The State Council's "13th Five-Year Plan for the Development of a Modern Integrated Transportation System" explicitly states the goal of "achieving interoperability of transportation cards in key city clusters by 2020 and significantly increasing the proportion of vehicles equipped with ETC." It also sets a target of "50% ETC usage rate for road passenger vehicles by 2020." Future possibilities: In addition to improving the convenience of ETC installation and usage, future efforts will promote ETC for trucks and explore deeper integration of ETC systems with vehicle-to-vehicle communication and vehicle-to-infrastructure coordination, providing comprehensive travel services for vehicle owners. This means more application scenarios will support ETC. ETC Usage Notes: The ETC transaction sensing range is 8 meters. To avoid paying for the vehicle ahead in case of its ETC device failure or absence, maintain a distance of at least 10 meters. The recognition speed limit in ETC lanes is 20 km/h. Driving too fast may result in failed deductions. Unauthorized removal or movement of the OBU device, or loosening of the ETC electronic tag, will render it ineffective. In such cases, the device can be tested at the bank or highway service center where the ETC card was issued. Non-deliberate loosening only requires reactivation. Insufficient balance on a debit card linked to ETC may cause deduction failure. Follow on-site staff guidance to use manual MTC lanes with cash or card payments. Thick or modified windshields may impair ETC signal reception, especially for vehicles that have undergone windshield replacement or modification after accidents.