What Documents Are Required for Vehicle Inspection?
2 Answers
For the annual vehicle inspection, you need to bring your driver's license, vehicle registration certificate, road maintenance fee receipt, and the original compulsory traffic insurance policy (one copy must be submitted to the vehicle management office). If the vehicle is registered under a company, you must also bring the original and a copy of the organization code certificate. Vehicles can apply for inspection within three months before the annual inspection date. Below is an introduction to the vehicle inspection requirements: 1. Passenger vehicles for commercial use: Inspected once a year within the first 5 years; after 5 years, inspected every 6 months; 2. Trucks and large or medium-sized non-commercial passenger vehicles: Inspected once a year within the first 10 years; after 10 years, inspected every 6 months; 3. Small and mini non-commercial passenger vehicles: Inspected once every 2 years within the first 6 years; after 6 years, inspected once a year; after 15 years, inspected every 6 months; 4. Motorcycles: Inspected once every 2 years within the first 4 years; after 4 years, inspected once a year; 5. Tractors and other motor vehicles: Inspected once a year. Commercial vehicles that pass the safety technical inspection within the specified period do not need to undergo repeated safety technical inspections; 6. Vehicles exceeding the scrapping age: Cannot be transferred (sold or bought), but can continue to be used. For transactions, you can first apply for the vehicle's scrapping certificate (to deregister the vehicle's records) at the vehicle management office, and then proceed with the transaction.
When it comes to what to bring for the annual inspection, I’ve got some experience. As a regular car owner who drives frequently, the essentials are the original and duplicate copies of the vehicle’s registration certificate, my original ID card or a photocopy, and the paper copy or printed electronic version of the compulsory insurance policy. The car must be driven there, as they’ll check the lights, brakes, and exhaust emissions during the inspection. So, I always check the car’s condition the day before—like whether the lights are working and if the tire pressure is adequate—to avoid being turned away on the spot. Bring some cash or use WeChat Pay for the inspection fee, which is usually 50-80 yuan. I recommend going on a weekday when it’s less crowded and booking an appointment to skip the queue. I also take the opportunity to do related maintenance, like cleaning the car body to improve the pass rate. The whole process takes about half an hour, but forgetting any materials means a wasted trip. Also, make sure there are no signs of illegal modifications on the car.
