
Sedans are exempt from inspection for 6 years. Below is the relevant introduction to vehicle inspection exemption: 1. Required materials: The vehicle owner must personally bring the vehicle's driving license (original and copy), the ID card of the vehicle owner, the compulsory traffic policy of the vehicle, and proof of vehicle and vessel tax payment or tax exemption to apply. 2. Exemption regulations: Vehicle inspection exemption means that for vehicles meeting the exemption conditions within 6 years, the on-site inspection procedure is waived. Owners only need to apply for the inspection mark every two years and affix it to the vehicle as required. Essentially, this means the on-site inspection is exempted. As long as the vehicle meets the conditions stipulated by national policies, there is no need for on-site inspection; owners can directly apply to the traffic management department to receive the inspection mark.

When I first bought my car, I was also confused about the exemption , but now I've figured it out and can share with you. For newly purchased private passenger cars (non-commercial use), there's no need for an on-site inspection within the first 6 years. However, note that in the second and fourth years, you must apply for an electronic inspection label via the traffic management app 12123—it's just a few clicks online. By the sixth year, you must drive to the inspection station for a comprehensive check. After that, it becomes an annual inspection, and for cars older than 10 years, inspections are required every year. Additionally, a reminder: if your car has been involved in a fatal accident or penalized for illegal modifications, it won't qualify for the exemption. Vans and commercial vehicles are also excluded from this policy.

Both of our family cars underwent their first on-site annual inspections in the seventh year. The current is quite user-friendly: for regular passenger vehicles, there's no need to queue up for on-site inspections during the first six years. Instead, you only need to apply for electronic labels online in the second and fourth years, which can be done in just three minutes via the 12123 app. However, there's one easily overlooked detail – before the end of the sixth year, you must personally drive the vehicle to the inspection station for exhaust pipe, lighting, and other checks. Missing this will require a make-up inspection. New energy vehicles enjoy the same policy, but pickup trucks and commercial vehicles do not. If you've changed the vehicle color without filing or applied unusual decals, getting caught may result in disqualification from the exemption.

Last year, I helped a friend with the exemption from inspection. Simply put, private cars are exempt from on-site inspections for the first 6 years, but three key time points must be noted: in the second and fourth years, you need to obtain the inspection exemption mark online, and in the sixth year, the vehicle must undergo on-site inspections for emissions, brakes, etc. at an inspection station. After that, inspections are required every two years within ten years (i.e., the 8th and 10th years), and vehicles over ten years old must be inspected annually. Trucks and minivans are not covered by the exemption. Key point: exemption from on-site inspection does not mean exemption from procedures! Forgetting to obtain the mark in the second year counts as inspection evasion and will result in a fine.

My neighbor was asking about this last week. Regular passenger cars are exempt from inspection lines for the first six years, but you need to apply for the inspection mark via mobile operation in the second and fourth years. Remember to take your car to the inspection station for an official annual check in the sixth year—don’t let it expire. The most common pitfalls are modified vehicles—changing wheel rim sizes or flashing ECU programs that get flagged by the system will disqualify you from exemption. Cars involved in fatal accidents also lose eligibility. It’s recommended to set a vehicle age reminder and use the 12123 app when approaching the two or four-year mark. Now, with electronic tags, there’s no need to stick them on the windshield, making it even more convenient.

I remember just helping my mother-in-law with the exemption procedure in March. It's true that non-operational passenger cars are exempt from on-site inspections for the first six years, but in the second and fourth years, you need to complete a procedure to obtain the electronic inspection label, which can be done via the Traffic 12123 app or Alipay. By the sixth year, you can't slack off anymore—you must drive the car to the inspection station. For vehicles aged seven to ten years, inspections are required every two years, and for those over ten years old, annual inspections are mandatory. Special note: Exemption eligibility will be revoked if the vehicle has been involved in fatal accidents, penalized for illegal modifications, or overdue for scrapping. For online processing, make sure to settle any traffic violations in advance, as the system's automatic review is much faster than offline procedures.


