How Long After Temporary License Plates Can You Get Official Plates?

[MarleyAnn]

Official license plates can be obtained 15 days after receiving temporary plates. The validity period of temporary license plates generally does not exceed thirty days. Temporary license plates are paper motor vehicle plates that allow temporary road use before the vehicle is officially registered, issued by the vehicle management department of the public security bureau. To be more specific, temporary license plates serve as temporary vehicle movement permits issued by the vehicle management department before the vehicle is officially registered. The use of temporary plates is subject to time and regional limitations. There are four types of temporary plates: temporary plates for administrative jurisdictions, temporary plates for cross-administrative jurisdictions, temporary plates for testing purposes, and temporary plates for special motor vehicles. Placement of Temporary License Plates in Cars: Two temporary license plates must be displayed simultaneously. One should be affixed to the upper right or lower right corner of the front windshield inside the car, in a position that does not obstruct the driver's view, and should not be covered by the compulsory insurance label. The other should be affixed to the upper left corner of the rear windshield inside the car. Running a red light with temporary license plates will result in penalty points and fines. The penalty is six points deducted from the driver's license. Since a driver's license only has 12 points per cycle, losing six points is quite severe. Traffic violation penalties are not related to temporary or official license plates; they are primarily imposed for illegal driving behavior. By entering the owner's temporary plate number, one can easily access the owner's personal information, vehicle violation records, etc. Temporary plate information is quite comprehensive. Any violations caught by cameras or on-site by traffic police will be recorded. Owners will be informed of these violations when switching to official plates. Temporary and official license plates are treated the same in terms of violations, with identical penalties, so one should not take chances. Temporary license plates can be used on highways, but there are certain restrictions. There are two types of temporary plates: one for use only within city roads (blue background with black text and black borders) and another for nationwide use (brown-yellow background with black text and black borders). Temporary plates are only related to the insurance purchased. With temporary plates, all insurance types (except for vehicle theft insurance) take effect immediately. Conditions for Applying for Temporary License Plates: The use of temporary plates is subject to time and regional limitations. One can apply for temporary plates from the local vehicle management office under the following conditions: When driving the vehicle from the place of purchase to the place of use, temporary plates must be applied for at the vehicle management office where the vehicle was purchased. When transferring vehicle registration and after surrendering official plates, temporary plates must be applied for at the local vehicle management office to drive back to the original location. For new vehicles in the local area that have not yet obtained official plates but need to be driven elsewhere for modifications, temporary plates must be applied for locally. After modifications, temporary plates must be applied for at the modification location to drive back to the original area. For vehicles without fixed registration that require temporary testing. Applying for Temporary License Plates: The applicant must provide a company introduction letter, vehicle origin proof, certification, and other relevant documents (except for the introduction letter, which is kept on file, the rest are returned to the applicant) to the vehicle management office. During the application, the intended route and duration of use for the temporary plates must be specified. After review by the management and vehicle inspection, temporary plates will be issued, with validity periods and routes specified. Temporary plates have time and space limitations. Ensure the plates are for cross-administrative jurisdictions if planning to use them on highways; otherwise, it will violate traffic rules.

[RyderLynn]

I also used temporary license plates when I first got my new car, and I remember the excitement mixed with a bit of unease without the official plates. Back then, I waited about twelve days before the plates were mailed to my home. The waiting time varies for everyone, depending on the efficiency of the local DMV where you are—big cities might be faster, while smaller towns could take longer. If you have all your documents ready, like the invoice and insurance papers, it usually takes one to two weeks to receive them. My friend bought a car last time, but because the documents weren’t submitted on time, it took nearly a month to get the plates. So while waiting, remember to check your mailbox regularly or follow up with the 4S store to avoid missing any notifications. During the temporary plate period, you can still drive, just make sure they don’t expire—safe driving is the most important thing.