How Old Does a Vehicle Need to Be to Qualify as a Yellow Label Vehicle?
2 Answers
Yellow label vehicles refer to gasoline vehicles with emission levels below the National Level I emission standard and diesel vehicles below the National Level III emission standard. For domestically produced vehicles, those manufactured before 1996 generally fall into the yellow label category, while imported vehicles manufactured before 1998 are considered yellow label vehicles. Starting from 1999, Beijing implemented the National Level I emission standard for motor vehicles, meaning vehicles purchased before this period are typically classified as yellow label vehicles. Application Process for Yellow Label Vehicle Identification: Vehicle owners must submit an application at the Yellow Label Vehicle Identification Office, presenting their vehicle registration certificate and the "Motor Vehicle Replacement Subsidy Fund Application Form" (hereinafter referred to as the "Application Form"). The Yellow Label Vehicle Identification Office will arrange specific testing times and locations based on the owner's application, following centralized and unified principles, and notify the applicant accordingly. Applicants must attend the designated annual inspection line at the scheduled time for testing, which only incurs an exhaust emission testing fee. Inspection staff are not permitted to refuse testing for any reason. Inspectors will use the exhaust emission testing equipment at the annual inspection line to test the vehicle, record the results, document the relevant data on the Motor Vehicle Emission Inspection Certificate, and sign the document. The vehicle owner must then submit the vehicle registration certificate, Motor Vehicle Emission Inspection Certificate, and the Application Form to the Yellow Label Vehicle Identification Office for verification. Staff will determine the classification based on the "Motor Vehicle Environmental Protection Inspection Mark Management Regulations." The Yellow Label Vehicle Identification Office will mark the result on the Application Form and affix the environmental department's review seal. Finally, the office will register and record the identified vehicle.
The classification standard for yellow-label vehicles is not absolutely correlated with the vehicle's age, but primarily depends on the emission level. Generally speaking, gasoline vehicles registered before 2000 are highly likely to be yellow-label vehicles, while diesel vehicles registered before 2008 are mostly classified as such. My old Jetta, for example, was registered in 2003, and when I took it for an emissions test at the inspection station a couple of years ago, it was directly listed as a yellow-label vehicle. Nowadays, many cities enforce stricter environmental regulations. In the city where I live, for instance, the no-entry zone for yellow-label vehicles was expanded to within the Third Ring Road a few years ago. Even if such vehicles are still drivable, they can be particularly troublesome. I'd like to remind everyone not to focus solely on the vehicle's age; it's crucial to check whether the vehicle's emission standard meets the requirements for a green-label vehicle.
