How long is the grace period for vehicle annual inspection?

[MacRowan]

There is no grace period for vehicle annual inspection. Even if it is overdue by one day, it is considered as inspection delinquency. Here are some additional details: 1. If you continue to drive on the road and are caught, you will be penalized with a deduction of 3 points and your vehicle may be impounded. 2. If you forget to conduct the inspection, you need to complete a supplementary inspection as soon as possible. The vehicle owner must personally submit a written application for supplementary inspection to the traffic police department and will also face point deductions and fines. Extended content: The consequences of overdue vehicle inspection include: 1. Vehicles that have not undergone annual inspection on time are not allowed on the road. 2. If a vehicle involved in a traffic accident has not undergone inspection, the responsible party will bear full or primary liability, and the insurance company will not provide compensation. 3. Driving without timely annual inspection is considered illegal and may result in vehicle impoundment.

[Arwen]

After driving for so many years, I know full well that the annual vehicle inspection can't be delayed—there's no so-called grace period from the authorities. You must get it done immediately on the last day of the validity period; driving even one day late counts as inspection delinquency. A friend of mine didn’t take it seriously last time and drove just three days past the deadline, only to be caught by traffic police—resulting in a 3-point deduction, a 200-yuan fine, and his car being impounded. If an accident happens during the delinquency period, insurance companies can use it as grounds to deny claims, making the risks far too great. I recommend everyone set a reminder on the Traffic Management 12123 app—annual inspections can be handled 30 days in advance, so don’t wait until the last few days and end up in long queues. If you genuinely forget, the safest option is to hire a driver to tow your car to the inspection station for a late check—never risk driving it there yourself.

[JourneyAnn]

As a seasoned driver, let me give you a piece of advice: don't believe those so-called grace period rumors. The DMV system locks your vehicle registration status immediately upon expiration - even one day overdue counts as inspection delinquency. I once forgot my annual inspection during a business trip and got caught by traffic cameras just two days past due. When I went to handle it, the officer at the window shook his head, saying they'd already dealt with over a dozen similar cases that month. What's worse was when my uninspected car got rear-ended - the insurance company really did deny the claim, leaving me to pay tens of thousands for repairs. Now I've developed good habits: keeping an inspection reminder card in my license, setting double phone calendar alerts, and posting notes on my fridge. Pay special attention that even exemption-eligible vehicles need new stickers every two years - many people assume the full 6-year period is maintenance-free and end up paying the price. Actually, going to the inspection station 20 days early means you can finish in half an hour with no crowd.

[LeKaleb]

Just went through the overdue inspection process: there's no grace period for expired annual inspections. I mistakenly believed a 15-day leniency period mentioned in a car owners' group, but received a traffic police SMS warning on the very first day of expiration. For a make-up inspection, you must first settle all traffic violations—I cleared three parking fines on-site using the 12123 app. Bring your original ID, compulsory traffic insurance policy (electronic version is acceptable), and vehicle registration. Arriving at the inspection station by 9 AM helps avoid long queues. Focus areas are lights and brakes—replace yellowed headlight covers beforehand for older cars. I spent 200 RMB at a chain quick-service shop for pre-inspection prep and passed the recheck in one go. Towing cost me 350 RMB, still cheaper than fines. Now I've developed a habit of checking insurance expiry dates at year-start to back-calculate inspection deadlines—saves hassle.