How to Get a Card on the Highway with a Temporary License Plate?
3 Answers
Driving a car with a temporary license plate on the highway to get a card is the same as a normal car, which is divided into manual card collection and self-service card collection. The following is more information about the two ways to get a card: 1. Manual card collection: Slow down the vehicle, then slowly pass through the lane of the highway toll station, stop at the window, shift the gear to the parking gear, and pull up the handbrake. At this time, the staff will give you a magnetic card. After receiving the magnetic card, release the handbrake, shift the gear to the forward gear, and you can drive normally. 2. Self-service card collection: Slow down the vehicle, then slowly pass through the lane of the highway toll station, and stop next to the self-service card machine. After shifting the gear to the parking gear and pulling up the handbrake, press the card collection button according to the text prompts on the self-service card machine, and the self-service card machine will automatically spit out the magnetic card. After getting the magnetic card, you can release the handbrake and then shift the gear to the forward gear to drive normally.
As a new car owner who just picked up the vehicle, I took it on the highway last week with temporary plates. To be honest, the toll card collection process is no different from regular cars—the key is to use the manual lane. When approaching the toll station, I automatically avoided the ETC sign with the red cross and obediently stopped at the far-right manual lane. I rolled down the window halfway and got ready, but when the attendant handed me the card, I had to reach out—my SUV’s high chassis almost made it hard to reach. If you can’t reach it, don’t force it; remember to shift to P, engage the handbrake, and then open the door to take the card. Oh, and temporary plates must be affixed to the lower-left corner of the front windshield and the lower-right corner of the rear windshield—otherwise, the toll station might pull you over to check your documents, wasting extra time. The whole process takes at most two minutes.
When driving a friend's new car on the highway with temporary plates, taking the toll card is actually quite simple. First, absolutely avoid the ETC lane—temporary plates don’t have an electronic tag, and the barrier will block you. Stop your car precisely in front of the manual toll booth window, and you can reach out to receive the toll card from the staff. If you can’t reach it, it’s safest to open the door and step out to get it, but make sure to pull the handbrake first. It’s advisable to roll down the window in advance to avoid fumbling with the seatbelt at the last moment. Once, I saw a guy accidentally step on the gas while leaning out to grab the card, nearly hitting the toll booth—way too risky. Ensure the temporary license plate is intact and properly affixed to the glass; if it’s curled or folded and blocks the numbers, it could affect recognition. You’ll need this card to pay when exiting the highway!
