How Many Chances Do You Have to Choose a License Plate for a New Car?
3 Answers
New car license plate selection is divided into online selection and on-site selection at the vehicle management office. For on-site selection at the vehicle management office, you have 2 chances, with each session lasting 2 minutes. The third attempt can only be made after waiting for 15 minutes. For online selection, there are a total of 6 chances. At the vehicle management office, the selection is not self-arranged. Instead, within the specified time, you choose 1 from 50 options. The process involves scanning the printed list from the traffic management office, confirming personal information, and then the screen starts rolling. When selecting a license plate, you can choose some special plates based on your actual situation. During the selection process, only the middle three numbers can be combined according to the owner's preference. Once you have selected a license plate online, it cannot be canceled. If the user fails to confirm the online pre-selected license plate at the vehicle management office within the validity period after successful pre-selection, the user will be blacklisted and unable to pre-select a license plate online again. The blacklist will be automatically lifted after 2 years.
Since I was young, I've always been fascinated by cars, and there are plenty of opportunities to choose a license plate for a new vehicle. Online selection typically offers 50 random attempts plus 20 custom number tries—it's as easy as flipping through a book at home until you find a satisfying plate. If you go to the DMV in person, dozens of numbers will scroll on the screen for you to pick from. Rules vary by location; for example, Beijing might give you around 30 options to decide within 5 seconds, while Shanghai allows more time. Don’t rush—trying multiple times won’t hurt. I recommend checking the selection process online beforehand and noting down a list of available plate numbers to improve your chances with custom selections. If you exhaust your attempts without making a choice, you’ll have to queue again or switch methods, which can be quite a hassle. In short, there are plenty of opportunities—just be patient when choosing.
As someone who often helps friends choose license plate numbers, I understand that the number of selection attempts depends on how you play the game. The online system typically offers 50 random selections and 20 self-composed options, which can be easily done using a computer. On-site, the screen scrolls through dozens of numbers, and you have to time your stop. I've encountered peak periods a few times, where long waits affected my mood. There are significant regional differences, so it's best to check the local DMV website announcements. Don't waste your chances—choose a commemorative or meaningful number, like a birthday combination. I recommend trying the 50 online attempts first, and if that doesn't work, try your luck on-site. Thinking of your preferred number segments in advance can save a lot of hassle. Anyway, there are plenty of attempts, so make good use of them.
