Must license plates be installed on the same day they are received?
2 Answers
License plates must be installed on the same day they are received. According to Article 10.2 of the Public Safety Industry Standard GA36-2018 of the People's Republic of China, paper material license plates (temporary plates) become invalid on the day after the metal license plates are collected. When official license plates arrive by mail, users are required to mount the official plates on the same day. In fact, the legal purpose of temporary plates is 'for temporary use before obtaining official license plates.' If temporary plates continue to be used after receiving official license plates, it violates the 'Road Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China.' This constitutes driving a motor vehicle on the road without displaying license plates. If caught, the traffic management department of the public security authorities shall impound the vehicle, notify the party to provide the corresponding plates, and impose a fine and deduct 12 points in accordance with Article 90. Laws and regulations: According to Order No. 123 of the Ministry of Public Security of the People's Republic of China, driving a motor vehicle on the road without displaying license plates, or intentionally obscuring, damaging, or failing to install them as required, will result in a 12-point deduction. According to Article 95 of the 'Road Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China,' driving a motor vehicle on the road without displaying license plates may result in a warning or a fine. While waiting for the issuance of official license plates, we must pay attention to the validity period of temporary plates. According to the 'Motor Vehicle Registration Regulations': For ordinary consumers purchasing new cars for temporary use within their administrative region, temporary plates with a validity period not exceeding 15 days will be issued; for those needing to travel across administrative regions, temporary plates with a validity period not exceeding 30 days will be issued. If the vehicle owner needs to apply for temporary plates multiple times, the vehicle management office may issue temporary plates no more than three times. Generally, consumers can obtain three temporary plates. Owners driving locally can theoretically use temporary plates for up to 45 days, while those with cross-regional requirements can use them for up to 90 days. Vehicle owners should complete vehicle registration as soon as possible after purchase to allow time for installing official license plates.
As a regular car owner who drives frequently, I can say it's best to install the license plate on the same day you receive it to avoid unnecessary trouble. Driving without a license plate makes it easy to get pulled over and fined by the police, especially at common checkpoints in big city intersections. A friend of mine delayed installation by just one day and ended up getting fined 200 yuan with penalty points—definitely not worth it. Moreover, the license plate serves as the vehicle's ID. Without it, insurance companies might give you a hard time and refuse to pay in case of an accident, leading to higher repair costs. Installing it early saves both hassle and money—just find a spot and secure it with a screwdriver; it takes just a few minutes. Of course, legally speaking, it's not strictly required on the same day, but the faster you do it, the lower the risk. Safety first, after all. My advice is not to procrastinate—get it done as soon as you receive it.
