What are the procedures for obtaining temporary license plates for a new car?
3 Answers
To apply for temporary license plates for a vehicle, you need to bring the car purchase invoice and the motor vehicle product qualification certificate. After the vehicle passes the inspection by the public security vehicle management department, temporary license plates will be issued. These are paper motor vehicle license plates that allow temporary road use, also known as temporary driving license plates. They serve as temporary vehicle driving permits issued by the public security vehicle management department before the new vehicle is officially registered. The use of temporary license plates is subject to time and regional limitations. You can apply for temporary license plates from the local vehicle management office under any of the following conditions: 1. When driving the vehicle from the place of purchase back to the place of use, you need to apply for temporary license plates at the vehicle management office where the car was purchased; 2. If the vehicle is being transferred and the official license plates have already been surrendered, you need to apply for temporary license plates at the local vehicle management office to drive the vehicle back to your locality. The vehicle management office will review the above documents to ensure compliance with regulations and conduct a safety and technical performance inspection of the vehicle. If everything is in order, temporary driving license plates will be issued, specifying the validity period and the start and end locations.
Last time I helped my cousin apply for temporary license plates, I had to make two trips to the DMV. Required documents include: original ID card and its copy, original compulsory traffic insurance policy (many are electronic now so print it in advance), car purchase invoice, vehicle certificate, plus a rubbing of the vehicle identification number. If you delegate this to a 4S shop, it's much easier - they usually charge 300-500 yuan as a service fee. Note there are two types of temp plates: blue background for intra-city use (15-day validity) and brown for cross-province (30-day validity). Don't think temp plates mean you can do whatever - speed cameras still ticket you, and I once saw highway cops specifically checking if VINs matched on temp-plated cars at a service area.
Last week, I just picked up my new car and immediately suffered from lack of experience! First, I went to the insurance company to get the original compulsory traffic insurance policy, only to be told that an electronic policy would suffice—wasted a trip. Then, when filling out the application form at the DMV, I realized I hadn’t brought the vehicle purchase tax payment certificate and had to go back home to fetch it. The most frustrating part was that the salesperson didn’t remind me to get the car inspected first. The DMV inspector used a paint thickness gauge to check the car and found the windshield tint was reflective, so it had to be removed on the spot to pass. A piece of advice for the ladies: bring a bottle of water and a small fan, as the queue takes at least two hours. And whatever you do, don’t casually toss that paper temporary license into the glove box—traffic police require it to be affixed to the lower left corner of the front windshield.
