Must the vehicle owner apply for ETC?
4 Answers
It is not mandatory for the vehicle owner to apply for ETC. According to the "Implementation Plan for Accelerating the Application Service of Electronic Non-stop Toll Collection on Highways" issued by the Ministry of Transport, the original valid ID card of the vehicle owner, the original and copy of the vehicle license, and the page of the vehicle license with the latest annual inspection stamp are required. If applying on behalf of others, the original valid ID card of the agent is also required. If applying for ETC through major bank branches, a debit card or credit card from the corresponding bank must be prepared. Some banks only support ETC binding with credit cards, while others may require freezing a certain amount as a deposit when binding ETC with debit cards. Documents required for company vehicles: Introduction letter from the vehicle owner (with official seal); copy of the organization code certificate or business license (with official seal); original ID card of the agent; original vehicle license; vehicle for which ETC is to be applied. ETC deduction principle: There will be one or more ETC lanes on the highway. Through the dedicated short-range microwave communication between the on-board electronic tag installed on the vehicle windshield and the microwave antenna in the ETC lane of the toll station, the computer network technology is used to settle accounts with the bank in the background, achieving the purpose of paying tolls without stopping at the toll station. All this is based on the principle of passing first and deducting fees later. Benefits of installing ETC: Save time: eliminates the hassle of waiting in line; Green and environmentally friendly: green and low-carbon, vehicles pass through toll stations without stopping, reducing noise and exhaust emissions and pollution; Save wear and tear: saves costs, reduces the frequency of vehicle starts and brakes, and reduces wear and fuel consumption; Improve efficiency: the theoretical efficiency of ETC lanes can be increased by 2-3 times, making traditional ETC newer, faster, and more high-tech. Compared to license plate payment, ETC technology is more mature and advantageous. More policy support: The State Council clearly stated in the "13th Five-Year Plan for the Development of a Modern Comprehensive Transportation System" that "by 2020, the interoperability of transportation cards in key urban agglomerations will be basically achieved, and the proportion of vehicles equipped with ETC will be significantly increased," and clearly proposed in the main indicators of the "13th Five-Year" comprehensive transportation development that "by 2020, the ETC usage rate of road passenger vehicles will reach 50%." More future possibilities: In addition to continuously improving the convenience of ETC installation and usage and the ETC usage rate of passenger vehicles, the future will also promote the use of ETC by trucks, explore the deep integration of the ETC system with the development direction of smart transportation such as vehicle-to-vehicle communication and vehicle-road coordination, and provide vehicle owners with comprehensive travel services, which means more application scenarios will support ETC applications. Precautions for using ETC: The ETC transaction sensing area is 8 meters. When encountering a vehicle in front stopping, to prevent the ETC device of the vehicle in front from malfunctioning or not having an ETC device at all, keep a distance of more than 10 meters from the vehicle in front to prevent automatic sensing from paying for the vehicle in front. The recognition speed of ETC lanes is 20km/h. If the speed is too fast, the vehicle device information cannot be read, and the fee deduction will fail. Unauthorized disassembly or movement of the OBU device, or the ETC electronic tag falling off or loosening, will cause the electronic tag to fail. It can be sent to the bank where the ETC card was applied for or the highway service office for testing. If it is not caused by human factors, it only needs to be reactivated. When using a debit card to bind ETC, insufficient balance will also cause the fee deduction to fail. You can follow the guidance of the on-site staff to go to the manual MTC lane and pass by using cash or swiping the card. Poor sensing due to the thick windshield of the car. Especially for vehicles that have been repaired and replaced the windshield after an accident, or friends who have modified the front windshield need to pay attention.
Actually, the person who applies for an ETC doesn't necessarily have to be the car owner. I've seen many cases like this—as a driver who often helps friends with their cars, when I went to the bank to apply for an ETC, they only asked me to bring a copy of the car owner's ID, the vehicle registration, and my own ID. The staff said the key point is to prove you have the right to use the car, so it's fine if the owner isn't present—super convenient. I remember the first time I applied was at Bank of China, and the process was incredibly fast, taking only about ten minutes, with just a small service fee. If you're borrowing a relative's car or a company vehicle, it's even easier—just apply for an ETC card linked to your account. But a heads-up: the toll fees will be deducted directly from your card, so if any issues arise, you'll have to take some responsibility. Overall, this setup is very user-friendly, encouraging people to use ETC more and avoid queues, saving time on highways and being eco-friendly. If you're worried about complicated procedures, many banks now support online applications—just upload photos of your documents.
Hey, I've got plenty of experience with this. You don't need the actual car owner to handle ETC registration. For example, I often drive my mom's car, and since she can't be bothered to visit the bank, I took care of it for her. Just bring a copy of her ID card, the vehicle registration certificate, and my own ID, then hand them over at the bank counter. It's super simple—the bank mainly checks the vehicle info and verifies your legal right to use the car, without fussing over the owner's identity. The whole process takes about ten minutes. The key is linking your own bank card for fee deductions. Sometimes you can even skip the in-person queue—nowadays, you can apply for ETC via mobile apps by uploading scanned documents and waiting for the card to arrive by mail. There are tons of benefits, especially breezing through toll stations during traffic jams. If you change cars or ownership transfers, remember to update the info promptly to avoid billing errors. This flexibility really takes the pressure off drivers.
I have learned about the relevant regulations. China's ETC application policy does not require the vehicle owner to apply in person. The applicant only needs to provide personal identification documents and the vehicle's registration certificate, and prove the right to use the vehicle. The owner's identity can be confirmed through authorization documents or copies. This is to encourage sharing and facilitate family car use. In practice, it avoids obstacles and improves efficiency, but the responsibility for deductions lies with the applicant. If there are any issues, they need to be resolved through negotiation with the vehicle owner.
