How often does a new car need an annual inspection?
2 Answers
New cars are exempt from inspection for the first 6 years. Below are the relevant regulations for vehicle annual inspections: Elimination of environmental protection label: China's traffic authorities have issued new regulations stating that as long as the vehicle passes the annual inspection, the environmental protection label no longer needs to be displayed. Elimination of compulsory insurance label: Currently being piloted in Beijing, vehicles in Beijing can stop displaying the compulsory insurance label and switch to electronic policies. Inspection exemption period: Non-commercial vehicles such as passenger cars are exempt from inspection for 6 years, but every 2 years, the owner must submit the compulsory insurance policy and vehicle and vessel tax certificate to the vehicle management office, then directly apply for the inspection compliance label from the traffic police department.
I recently helped a friend with the annual inspection for their new car. The current regulation states that new cars do not require an on-site inspection for the first 6 years, but a test compliance decal must be applied for every two years. That time, I handled it through the Traffic Management 12123 App, uploaded the compulsory traffic insurance and vehicle/vessel tax certificates, and had it mailed directly to my home—super convenient. However, be aware that modifications like alloy wheels or flashy car wraps might disqualify you from the exemption. Last time, someone in the neighborhood had their headlights modified to be too bright and was required to restore them to the original condition to pass the inspection. For cars older than 6 years, you’ll have to queue up for an on-site inspection to check things like lights and brakes.
