Is it necessary to return to the local area for vehicle annual inspection?
3 Answers
Large passenger buses and school buses cannot be inspected in a different location and must return to the vehicle's registration place for inspection. Other vehicles can undergo annual inspection in a different location. For out-of-town annual inspections, you can go to any inspection site with the appropriate qualifications. Currently, the traffic management department has fully implemented cross-province inspections for small cars, trucks, and medium-sized buses. Applicants can directly undergo inspections in provinces other than the vehicle's registration place and obtain the inspection qualification mark without needing to go through the entrustment inspection procedure. Annual inspection time requirements: Small and micro non-operational passenger vehicles are exempt from inspection for the first 6 years. After 6 years but less than 10 years, they must be inspected every two years; after 10 years but less than 15 years, they must be inspected annually; after 15 years, they must be inspected every 6 months. Operational passenger vehicles must be inspected annually within the first 5 years; after 5 years, they must be inspected every 6 months. Trucks and large and medium non-operational passenger vehicles must be inspected annually within the first 10 years; after 10 years, they must be inspected every 6 months. Imported vehicles, like other vehicle types, can undergo regular inspections at any inspection site. Annual inspection precautions: Vehicles that fail the annual inspection must be repaired within a specified time limit. If they still fail after the deadline, the vehicle management office will confiscate their license plates and prohibit further driving. Vehicles that do not participate in the annual inspection without reason or fail the inspection are not allowed to drive on the road and cannot be transferred. Vehicles that meet the scrapping conditions or exceed the prescribed service life will not be inspected, and their license plates will be revoked, their files canceled, and they will be scrapped.
I personally encountered this issue during my car's annual inspection, and there's really no need to make a special trip back to the local area. The policy has changed now, and nationwide cross-regional annual inspections are supported. You can simply go to any inspection station to get it done. Remember to bring your vehicle license, compulsory traffic insurance policy, and ID card. It's best to clear any traffic violations in advance. My cousin, who works in Shenzhen, had his car inspected directly in Dongguan last year without any issues. However, special vehicles like commercial vehicles and school buses still need to return to their registered location for inspection. For regular private cars, there's no need to go through the hassle. The money saved on gas could even cover a hot pot meal.
Last week, I just helped a colleague with his annual vehicle inspection. His car had license plates from his hometown, but we got it done in just twenty minutes at a local inspection station. Nowadays, you don’t need to return to the original location anymore, as the nationwide inspection policy covers most private vehicles. However, there are two things to note: First, make sure to settle all traffic violation fines before the inspection, otherwise the system will block the process. Second, some specially modified vehicles might need to return to their registered location for inspection, such as those with raised chassis or modified exhaust systems. For regular family cars, it’s much more convenient—just book a time slot via a mobile app and drive over at the scheduled time.
