How Long Does It Take to Pick Up a Car and Get It Licensed?
2 Answers
New car purchase can complete the licensing procedures within 3 hours. However, if the registration has not been completed, a temporary license plate can be applied for. New car licensing regulations: There are time limits for new car licensing. The first limit is the quota restriction, and the second limit is the temporary license plate restriction. 1. Quota restriction: In areas with license plate restrictions, the validity period of the car purchase quota is generally 6 months or 12 months. If the validity period is exceeded, the car cannot be licensed. 2. Temporary license plate restriction: Temporary license plates have a validity period. For example, in Guangzhou, temporary license plates can only be obtained three times, with each validity period being 15 days. After expiration, the car cannot be legally driven on the road, so the permanent license plate must be obtained within the validity period of the temporary license plate.
Last time I bought a new car, I went to the DMV to get license plates right after picking it up, and the whole process was quite exhausting. I left home at 7 in the morning, waited in line for the office to open, went through vehicle inspection, tax payment, and document review—it took until 3 or 4 in the afternoon to finally get the plates. The whole thing took an entire day. The key factor is having all the documents ready—bring your ID, car purchase invoice, vehicle certificate, etc. Missing even one piece of paper means starting over. I recommend calling ahead to ask about less busy times at the DMV or delegating the task to the dealership, which can save a lot of hassle. Normally, in cities, it takes half a day to two days, but during peak periods like month-end or holidays, it might drag on for three or four business days. Don’t stress—just be patient, and it’ll get done eventually.
