How early can you go for the annual vehicle inspection?
2 Answers
You can go for the annual vehicle inspection 90 days in advance. The items checked during the inspection include: 1. Checking whether the engine, chassis, body, and their auxiliary equipment are clean, complete, and effective, whether the paint surface is uniform and aesthetically pleasing, whether the main assemblies have been replaced, and whether they match the initial inspection records; 2. Verifying whether the vehicle's braking performance, steering control, lights, exhaust, and other safety performance meet the requirements of relevant regulations; 3. Checking whether the vehicle has been modified, remodeled, or altered, whether the driving license, license plate, and vehicle registration records match the actual condition of the vehicle, and whether any changes have been made, and whether approval and modification procedures have been completed; 4. Checking whether the license plate, driving license, and enlarged license plate characters printed on the vehicle are damaged, altered, or unclear, and whether they need to be replaced; 5. For large vehicles, checking whether the unit name or the name of the street, township, or town where the vehicle is located and the number of passengers allowed in the cab are printed in Chinese imitation Song font on both sides of the door as required, and whether the rear tailgate of the truck is printed with the license plate number enlarged 2 to 3 times as required.
I'm quite experienced with vehicle annual inspections. You can start preparing three months in advance. For example, if your vehicle license shows an expiration date of September 30th, you can actually go to the inspection station from July 1st onwards. Remember not to wait until the last few days - if you find issues like broken brake lights or failing emissions tests, you'll need time for repairs. Last week when I accompanied a friend for inspection, we saw someone coming right on the deadline and had to wait in line for four hours. By the way, most inspection stations now offer advance appointments - book an off-peak slot through their mobile app and you can finish in half an hour. If caught driving with an expired inspection, you'll get 3 penalty points and a 200 yuan fine, plus potential insurance complications. Before going, make sure to clear all traffic violations and check that your tire tread depth is at least 1.6mm - these small details can save you a wasted trip.
