How many days does it take to free up the license plate quota after selling a car?
2 Answers
After selling a car, as long as all the procedures between the buyer and seller are completed during the transaction, the quota can generally be freed up the next day. Below is relevant information about the car purchase lottery: Implementation Background: On December 23, 2010, Beijing announced the implementation of measures to control the number of passenger vehicles and stopped increasing the quota for official vehicles. Starting from 2011, Beijing implemented a lottery system to allocate vehicle quotas, averaging 20,000 per month, with individuals accounting for 88%. Method: The car purchase lottery involves first registering and queuing up, then participating in a unified lottery draw. In light of Beijing's severe traffic congestion, the municipal government decided to adopt the lottery system in 2011 to limit car purchases.
As someone who's been through it, I'll give it to you straight—how quickly you can free up your license plate quota after selling a car depends on your city's policies and processing efficiency. When I sold a car in Beijing before, it usually took 5 to 7 working days for the quota to be released after completing the transfer procedures. That's because the DMV needs to process the deregistration and verify documents like ID cards and VIN numbers. But in Shanghai, things move faster—it's typically done in about 2 to 3 days. The key is to prepare all your documents in advance and make sure the buyer doesn't drag their feet. It's best to submit the transfer application on a weekday. Holidays can cause delays—I once got stuck with a weekend and had to wait an extra week. My advice? Call your local DMV before selling to confirm the timeline, so you don't get stressed and mess up your next car purchase plans. Oh, and some cities even let you check the progress online through mobile apps, which is super convenient and a huge help.
