How Long Can a Temporary License Plate Be Used in Shenzhen?
4 Answers
Shenzhen temporary license plates can be issued up to three times, with each valid for 15 days. Below is relevant information about applying for temporary license plates: 1. Driving from the place of purchase to the place of use: You need to apply for a temporary license plate at the vehicle management office in the place of purchase. 2. Vehicle transfer: When formal license plates have already been paid for, you need to apply for a temporary license plate. 3. New vehicles without formal license plates in the local area: You need to apply for a temporary license plate locally, and only after the modification is completed can you drive back to the original location. 4. The use of temporary license plates is time-limited and region-specific. If a temporary license plate expires, the vehicle will be temporarily impounded, and corresponding fines and demerit points will be imposed.
Last time I used a temporary license plate for my new car for over two weeks. In Shenzhen, there are two types of temporary plates: the blue plate limited to local roads, which is valid for only 15 days, and the high-speed temporary plate that allows driving outside the city, which was valid for a month when I bought my car at the end of last year. The validity period starts from the day after the plate is issued by the vehicle management office, not from the day you pick up the car! My neighbor learned this the hard way—they thought it was calculated from the invoice date and ended up getting fined for an expired plate. Temporary plates cannot be renewed; you must get a permanent metal plate immediately after it expires. Driving with an expired temporary plate will result in a full 12-point deduction and a 200-yuan fine. I recommend scheduling an appointment with the vehicle management office on the day you pick up your car, as the queue for new car registrations in Shenzhen can be quite long. Also, never remove the temporary plate—I’ve seen people take it off because it blocked their view and kept it in the car, but if caught, it still counts as driving without a license plate, which would be a huge loss.
I just helped my daughter with a temporary license plate in Shenzhen. The vehicle management office clearly stated that temporary plates come in two types based on validity: local and inter-provincial. For driving only within Shenzhen, it's valid for 15 days, while for travel outside Guangdong, it's valid for 30 days. The count starts from the day the plate is issued, strictly 30 days—not a day less. I once encountered an issue with an expired temporary plate when buying a used car for transfer. The salesperson claimed it could be renewed, but in reality, regulations don’t allow it—you must switch to a formal plate upon expiry. Don’t take chances. A friend of mine was caught driving with an expired temporary plate just three days over the limit last month, got flagged by surveillance, and was heavily fined. Another detail—the temporary plate must be affixed to the lower right corner of the front windshield. Don’t just stash it in the glove compartment like some people do. If checked by traffic police, it’ll be deemed invalid.
I have studied the temporary license plate regulations in Guangdong, and Shenzhen is subject to stricter management as a special city. The validity period of temporary license plates is determined according to Article 47 of the "Motor Vehicle Registration Regulations": 15 days for temporary plates within the administrative jurisdiction and 30 days for temporary plates across jurisdictions. The period starts from the day after the endorsement date. For example, if you receive the plate on Friday, Saturday will be counted as the first day. This time limit design is related to the vehicle inspection process, as the vehicle management office needs to ensure registration is completed within thirty days. There is no grace period after expiration; the plate becomes invalid immediately. Last year, Shenzhen traffic police released data showing that driving with expired temporary plates accounted for 17% of license-related violations, indicating that many people overlook this issue. Core recommendation: On the day of vehicle pickup, print the temporary plate and immediately schedule the permanent plate registration.
