How to Determine Which National Emission Standard Your Vehicle Meets?

[LaCamilla]

There are several methods to determine which national emission standard your vehicle meets: 1. Check the vehicle's environmental protection label. There is usually a clear marking on the back of the label attached to the vehicle. 2. Visit the website of the Motor Vehicle Exhaust Pollution Supervision and Management Center to inquire. 3. Bring the motor vehicle registration certificate (original or copy) to the vehicle management office for inquiry. 4. Make a rough estimation based on the year your vehicle was registered. Most vehicles registered after 2008 meet National IV standard; vehicles registered in 2007 may meet either National III or National IV standard; vehicles registered before 2007 mostly meet National III or National II standard; and vehicles registered before 2005 mostly meet National II standard.

[GriffinFitz]

When I changed my car, I checked the emission standards several times. The most straightforward method is to look at the environmental protection label under the car window—that small yellow sticker will indicate the national emission standard (e.g., China IV, China V). If there's no sticker, check the supplementary page of the vehicle registration certificate, which shows the registration date, and then compare it with the implementation timeline of emission standards published on the environmental protection website. For example, Beijing implemented China V standards on January 1, 2013, so vehicles registered after this date are mostly China V-compliant. If you're still unsure, visit a repair shop and use a diagnostic tool to connect to the OBD port and read the engine parameters—it will definitely include environmental information. If all else fails, go to the vehicle management office's archives department to check the registration records. Bring your ID card and vehicle registration certificate, and it’ll take about half an hour. Everyone should pay attention to this when driving, especially now with many traffic restrictions in place. You don’t want to be stopped only to find out your car is a China III vehicle.

[SanParker]

My friend got burned on this when buying a used car last time. Actually, the easiest way is to check via the official environmental protection WeChat account by entering the license plate number and the last six digits of the VIN - you'll get instant results. The VIN is that 17-digit alphanumeric combination at the bottom left of the windshield. Alternatively, you can call the 4S store with the model and year - cars manufactured after 2017 are at least China V compliant. If online info seems unreliable, just open the glove compartment and find the Vehicle Conformity Certificate - the second-to-last page clearly states which emission standard it meets. Some people think manufacturing date alone suffices, but cars made in the same year might have different emissions - the key is the environmental approval date. I'd recommend verifying carefully since this affects resale value.

[TaylorDella]

I often help car owners check this during the ownership transfer process. Mainly look at the second page of the vehicle registration certificate, which clearly indicates the emission standard level. If there's no registration certificate, take the vehicle license to the DMV to access the records - the staff can check it in their system. There's also a traditional method: check the last letter of the vehicle model code. For example, Volkswagen models starting with BV are China IV, while BW indicates China V. But this method has inaccuracies, so it's best to cross-reference with the manufacturing year. Most pre-2007 vehicles are China III, while those registered after 2010 are generally China IV. Checking emissions isn't too complicated, and it helps avoid buying restricted vehicles.