How long can a license plate remain unused before being revoked?
4 Answers
In China, there are regulations stating that the license plate number can be retained for 6 months after the vehicle is sold, and the right to use the license plate can be retained for one year after the vehicle is transferred. That is, if the license plate has not been assigned to a new vehicle within one year, it will be invalidated. Here is the relevant content introduction: License plate retention project: By purchasing specified vehicles, the license plate can be rented along with the vehicle. No longer worry about how long a license plate can remain unused before being revoked. Its advantage is that by renting a vehicle instead of just the license plate, it can reasonably and legally avoid the non-compliance of license plate leasing, and the overall income is higher than renting just the license plate, ensuring an annualized return of at least 8%; allowing unused license plates to obtain higher and more reasonable returns.
Last time I sold my car, I specifically asked the DMV. If a license plate is left unused for over a year, it will be reclaimed. To be precise, starting from the day your old car is transferred or deregistered, you have 12 months to put that plate on a new vehicle. During this period, you also need to meet several conditions: the original plate must have been used for at least one year, and all traffic violation records must be cleared. My neighbor didn’t pay attention to the timeline and applied half a month late—the plate had already been moved to the public selection pool. Nowadays, you can apply to retain your license plate right on your phone through the 12123 traffic management app, which is super convenient. Just remember to have your vehicle registration certificate and ID photos ready in advance.
Recently, I helped a friend deal with an unused license plate. The policy stipulates that the retention period for a license plate is only one year, counting down from the day the original vehicle was deregistered, transferred, or relocated. To retain the plate, two conditions must be met simultaneously: the original plate must have been used under your name for more than 12 months, and all traffic violations and accidents must be resolved. Last time I accompanied him to the DMV, the staff reminded us that the vehicle transfer and license plate retention applications could be processed simultaneously to avoid the hassle of queuing twice. If you encounter a situation where you need to select a new car during the retention period, remember that the purchase invoice must be issued in your own name to continue using the old license plate.
When handling license plate services, we found that many people are unaware of the time limit. Remember this hard rule: 12 months. After completing the transfer or scrapping procedures for the original vehicle, this plate can only wait for you for one year. Last month, a customer came for consultation—his unused license plate was almost invalidated after ten months of inactivity, and he had to urgently purchase a used car to retain the plate number. It's particularly important to note that all fines for the original vehicle must be paid before applying for plate retention, and the vehicle's annual inspection must also be valid. Nowadays, some cities allow direct online processing of plate retention procedures, which is much more convenient than visiting the vehicle management office in person.
