What Are the Tips for Choosing a Car License Plate Number?
4 Answers
There are two ways to choose a license plate number: on-site selection at the vehicle management office, where you only have 90 seconds to choose, or online selection, where you simply log into the official website, enter information such as the vehicle frame number, and then select a license plate number. Not only can you choose the method of selection, but if you want to get a consecutive number plate, you also need to keep an eye on the updates from the local vehicle management office, as they occasionally release some consecutive number plates for vehicle owners to choose from. This is when your speed in selection will be tested. Tips for selecting a number at the vehicle management office: The processing time for self-selection and one-time selection is 5 minutes. If you don't make a selection the first time, you can try again after five minutes. When selecting a number, make sure to fully utilize the selection rules. Prepare three numbers in advance and input them in order on the selection machine. If all three numbers you input have already been taken, you can use the approximate number query function. The selection machine will provide six approximate numbers based on the rules of the first number you input, and you can choose from these six numbers. If none of the six approximate numbers are selected, the selection machine will provide a fuzzy query function. At this point, you can input a question mark in the digit you choose and enter the number, then press the fuzzy query key to perform a fuzzy query for selection. Note that you can use no more than two question marks. For self-selected license plates, delivery time is two days in urban areas and three days in suburban areas, while self-pickup takes five days. Self-selected license plates are applicable only to small cars and trucks; other vehicle types are not yet eligible. Self-selected license plates must be for new vehicle registrations or vehicles transferred from outside Beijing; changes in ownership or transfers are not eligible for self-selection.
I spent quite a while pondering when choosing my license plate number. Besides avoiding numbers like '4' that most people consider unlucky, it's best to pick an easily memorable combination, such as consecutive numbers or birthdate digits. However, nowadays many regions have different license plate formats for pure electric vehicles and fuel-powered vehicles, which is something to keep in mind. If you're selecting online, the 12123 platform publishes number segments for each region—checking during update periods increases your chances. Before selecting, it's advisable to prepare 20 alternative numbers since on-site machine selection only gives you one chance. Most importantly, don't blindly chase 'lucky numbers'—triple-digit plates with '8' are now ridiculously overpriced, making them unnecessary for average families. Some cities also have traffic restriction rules based on plate endings, so avoid numbers like 1 or 6 if they're restricted on Mondays.
My suggestion is to first simulate the selection process a few times on the 12123 APP. You have 20 attempts for custom plate numbers - don't immediately go for triple-digit numbers, but rather familiarize yourself with the letter and number combination rules. In regions where certain letters like O can be confused with numbers like 0, the system will automatically block such combinations. For new energy vehicles, the 8th character F on green plates represents non-pure electric vehicles, while D indicates pure electric. When creating custom plates, it's best to prepare meaningful combinations like spousal birthdays or anniversaries. If lacking inspiration, refer to local traffic restriction policies - for example, avoid numbers 5 and 0 if they're restricted on Fridays. During the on-site 50-option selection, don't hesitate as the 180-second countdown goes by very quickly.
When choosing a license plate, consider the subsequent usage costs. Although consecutive-number plates look nice, you might need to reselect a number during transfer, and the insurance costs could be higher. I recommend ordinary families opt for regular number segments to avoid long queues during annual inspections. Now, with nationally unified license plates, transferring to another location doesn’t require a plate change. For new energy vehicles, pay attention to the second letter on the green plate: D stands for pure electric, and F for plug-in hybrid. Check the emission standards before selecting a number; for vehicles meeting China 6B, note that some cities restrict the transfer of older standards. Lastly, be aware that the rules for license plates registered under leasing companies differ from those for personal use, and ride-hailing vehicles must select operation-specific number segments.
