Is the Compulsory Insurance Label No Longer Required to Be Displayed on Vehicles?
3 Answers
In some regions, it is no longer necessary to display the compulsory traffic insurance label. Starting from January 1, 2019, the traffic authorities implemented a series of new regulations, one of which is the promotion of electronic insurance policies. This means that insurance companies will no longer provide compulsory insurance labels or paper commercial insurance policies, and there is no need to affix the compulsory insurance label or environmental protection label on the windshield. Ultimately, only the annual inspection compliance label remains, making the windshield cleaner and reducing visual blind spots to some extent. Here are some important points to note regarding the display of insurance labels: 1. Removal of the Display Requirement: The removal of the display requirement does not mean that purchasing compulsory insurance is no longer necessary. Traffic police may still require you to present an electronic insurance policy during vehicle inspections or annual reviews. If you have not purchased compulsory insurance or if your compulsory insurance has expired, the traffic police have the authority to impound your vehicle, impose a fine of twice the amount of the compulsory insurance premium, and require you to complete the necessary procedures. 2. "Fake" Insurance Labels: For those who use or manufacture "fake" insurance labels, the public security traffic police will confiscate them, impound the vehicle, and impose fines ranging from several hundred to several thousand yuan. If the act constitutes a crime, criminal liability will be pursued according to the law.
I remember two years ago when I went for my car's annual inspection, I specifically went to the insurance company to get the sticker. The staff member smiled and told me it's all digital now. In fact, since 2020, the requirement to display physical insurance stickers has been gradually phased out nationwide. Traffic police can directly check your compulsory traffic insurance information through your license plate. Once during a random check, I rolled down my window ready to show my documents, but the officer waved his hand and said 'No need, it's all in the system.' Still, I recommend keeping a photo of your electronic insurance policy on your phone, especially when traveling long distances to remote areas. I'm in the habit of storing the electronic sticker in my phone's cloud storage, so I don't have to worry about losing it when changing phones. Of course, don't just throw away the paper policy either—keeping a copy in the glove compartment as a backup is always a good idea.
Old Zhang here, with over 20 years of taxi driving experience, tells you that the windshield can finally stay clean! In the past, replacing the insurance sticker meant scraping off adhesive residue for half a day, but now you can just pull up the electronic version on your insurance app. However, be aware that policy transition periods vary by region—my cousin in a small Yunnan county was still required to display a paper sticker last year. While driving, I’ve noticed traffic police efficiency has improved with upgraded handheld devices—just scanning the license plate pulls up insurance details. For those driving out of town, I recommend checking local regulations in advance, since a 200-yuan fine could buy half a tank of fuel. Oh, and don’t forget to set a reminder a month before your insurance expires—it’s easier to overlook renewal with digitalization.
