How Long Can a Small Car's Annual Inspection Be Overdue?
2 Answers
Small cars cannot have overdue annual inspections. Here are the detailed explanations: 1. Vehicle Annual Inspection: There is no 30-day grace period for vehicle annual inspections. The inspection must be conducted before the expiration of the validity period. The optimal time for an annual inspection is within 3 months before the inspection date, preferably 1-2 months in advance. The expiration date of the inspection can be found on the supplementary page of the vehicle's license. The first ten days of each month are when inspection stations have relatively fewer appointments, making it the best time to avoid queues. The number of vehicles requiring inspections starts to increase in the middle of the month and peaks in the last ten days. Therefore, it is advisable to avoid scheduling inspections during the middle or last ten days of the month. 2. Penalties for Overdue Inspections: If a car is driven on the road within three months of an overdue inspection, the driver will receive a verbal warning without a fine, and can simply proceed with a late inspection. If a car is driven on the road with an overdue inspection exceeding three months but less than two years, the driver will be fined, receive 3 penalty points, and the vehicle may be impounded. If a car has not undergone an annual inspection for more than two years, the vehicle's records will be canceled, and restoration usually requires paying a fine. If a car fails to obtain an inspection compliance mark for three consecutive inspection cycles, it will be subject to mandatory scrapping.
Small car annual inspections must not be overdue. According to regulations, you cannot drive on the road once the inspection expires—there's essentially no grace period. As an experienced driver with over a decade behind the wheel, I've seen too many people get caught by traffic police for delaying just a few days: at least a 200-yuan fine and 3 demerit points, plus insurance won't cover accident damages. Cars in poor condition pose major risks, so I always complete the inspection procedures a month early—just a few minutes of queuing at the inspection station. The key point is that overdue records enter the system, immobilizing your vehicle until reinspection. If impounded, the hassle doubles, so don't gamble with delays—safety first is what truly matters.
