What are the requirements for participating in the license plate lottery?
3 Answers
The primary requirement for participating in the license plate lottery is that the applicant must be a resident of the city, possess a valid motor vehicle driver's license, and either have no small passenger vehicle registered in their name within the city or have all such vehicles registered as forcibly deregistered. Application for the car license plate lottery: Submit an application to the city's regulation office and participate in the license plate lottery or bidding with a valid code. Both individuals and organizations need to obtain a quota by applying to the city's regulation office. Applications for incremental quotas or renewal quotas can be processed through the designated website. For those unable to apply online or required to confirm in person, applications can be made at service windows. Checking the results of the car license plate lottery: The results are generally announced on the 26th of each month. The lottery takes place around 10 a.m. on the 26th, and the results can usually be checked about an hour after the lottery. To participate in the lottery, applications must be completed by the 8th of each month. Applications submitted before the 8th will have their review results announced on the 25th of the same month, while applications submitted after the 8th will have their review results announced on the 25th of the following month.
I just participated in the lottery for a car license plate, and the conditions are quite demanding. You must be a local resident or provide proof of continuous social security payments as a non-local, like in Beijing where non-local hukou holders need over five years of social security to prove stable work and life in the city. You must be at least 18 years old, have a driver's license, and a clean driving record. There should be no passenger vehicle registered under your name, which is strictly checked to avoid duplicate quota occupation. When applying, you also need to submit copies of your ID card and driver's license, and complete the process online. I only met the social security requirements last year and applied, but after six months, I still haven't won the lottery—the quotas are extremely tight. The DMV staff said this is to control vehicle growth and reduce congestion, which is a kind of urban management wisdom. I suggest beginners prepare their materials in advance and wait patiently for the draw. After winning, choosing the plate number is another hassle.
As a veteran driver with 20 years of experience, I'm very familiar with the conditions for license plate lottery. The core requirement is identity verification: locals or non-locals must have a local residence permit and social security records, with non-local hukou typically requiring 3-5 years of social security. The driver's license must be valid without any violation records, and the applicant must be at least 18 years old. Your vehicle registration information will be checked to ensure no small car is registered under your name, as the system now conducts strict online verification. Remember that new energy vehicles have priority for green license plates under certain conditions, and many cities encourage this due to environmental trends. Policies change every year - I've seen quotas in Shanghai increase from few to many but with stronger competition. Prepare all materials and submit them via the DMV app; the process is quick but the winning rate is low. Don't rush when selecting plate numbers after purchasing a car - based on my experience, regular numbers are easier to win while good numbers depend on luck.
