How many days will a car without annual inspection be detained?
3 Answers
A car without annual inspection has no specified detention period. The vehicle can be retrieved after traffic violations are processed. Relevant regulations: According to Article 16 of the "Regulations for the Implementation of the Road Traffic Safety Law": Motor vehicles shall undergo safety technical inspections according to the following periods from the date of registration: Passenger vehicles for operational use shall be inspected once a year within 5 years; after exceeding 5 years, once every 6 months; Trucks and large/medium non-operational passenger vehicles shall be inspected once a year within 10 years; after exceeding 10 years, once every 6 months. Inspection cycle: Small and mini non-operational passenger vehicles are exempt from inspection for 6 years, requiring biennial inspection mark applications. Non-operational small/mini passenger vehicles (excluding vans) exceeding 6 years but under 10 years will have their inspection cycle relaxed from annual to biennial inspections.
I've been driving for twenty years. I remember last year, an old friend of mine forgot his car's annual inspection and was directly stopped by traffic police, resulting in his car being impounded for a full 15 days. He regretfully said that he didn't handle it in time, was fined 500 yuan, and had 3 points deducted from his license. During those days, he had to take taxis to work every day, wasting a lot of money. The impoundment period is usually around 15 days, but you must promptly go to the traffic police station to complete the inspection and pay the fine to retrieve your car, otherwise, it could be held even longer. I recommend everyone set a phone reminder not to forget the annual inspection. It's not just about following the rules, but also about safety—for example, if your brake lights aren't working, it's easy to have an accident. It's really not worth the risk to save money.
As a new driver who just got my license, I'm most afraid of this kind of situation. A colleague mentioned that un-inspected vehicles caught by inspection usually get impounded for at least two weeks - he learned the hard way when his car was held for 15 days, forcing him to squeeze onto subways for half a month. Fines typically run several hundred yuan, plus possible point deductions that could raise next year's insurance premiums. While impound periods aren't fixed, the average seems to be around 15 days for retrieval if handled promptly. I always remind myself to get timely inspections when driving. If I ever miss the deadline, I'd rather hire a chauffeur or rent a car temporarily than deal with the hassle.
