What Documents Are Required to Drive with Temporary License Plates?
4 Answers
Documents required to drive with temporary license plates include: the purchaser's ID card, vehicle purchase invoice, compulsory traffic insurance policy, and vehicle factory certificate. Temporary license plates can be categorized into: 1. Temporary plates for administrative jurisdiction areas; 2. Temporary plates for cross-administrative jurisdiction areas; 3. Temporary plates for testing purposes; 4. Temporary plates for special-type motor vehicles. Temporary license plates are paper motor vehicle plates that permit temporary road use, also known as temporary driving plates. Conditions for applying for temporary plates: 1. Driving the vehicle from the place of purchase to the place of use; 2. Vehicle transfer with official plates already surrendered; 3. New vehicles without official plates in the local area needing to travel elsewhere for modifications; 4. Purchasing a vehicle locally to drive elsewhere; 5. Needing temporary trial use before fixing vehicle registration.
When I picked up my new car last time, I specifically asked my friend at the DMV. Temporary license plates must be properly affixed with two plates—one on the lower left corner of the front windshield and one on the lower left corner of the rear windshield—otherwise, you'll be fined. Always carry the original copy of your driver's license, something many people tend to forget. The original vehicle invoice must be kept in the car for inspection, preferably the first copy. The compulsory traffic insurance policy should also be carried in its original or duplicate form—some places accept electronic versions, while others don’t, so it’s best to print it out. A special reminder for those traveling across cities: remember to apply for a cross-district temporary license plate (the brownish-yellow one), or you won’t be able to drive very far. These documents are all essential—I’ve seen someone fined 300 yuan for missing the compulsory insurance slip. It’s best to prepare a document folder to keep everything organized for easy inspection by traffic police.
Last month when I just bought my new car, the salesperson reminded me about the essential documents for temporary driving. First, the temporary license plate must be properly affixed as required, don't just toss it on the dashboard. The driver's license must be carried with you at all times, as traffic police mainly check this. The original vehicle invoice must be the red first copy, photocopies won't do. The original compulsory traffic insurance policy should be placed in the glove compartment for easy access. Our local DMV also requires a copy of the vehicle qualification certificate, though it's not needed for traffic police checks, I keep it just in case. Note that temporary plates are only valid for 15 to 30 days, never exceed the expiration date. Once my colleague got fined 200 yuan for not displaying the temporary plate on the rear windshield, what a loss. For cross-district driving, you must apply for a cross-jurisdiction temporary plate in advance - blue plates are only valid within the city.
When driving with a temporary license plate, you need to prepare four things: affix the two temporary plates in visible positions on the front and rear windshields, carry your driver's license with you, have the original vehicle purchase invoice, and the compulsory traffic insurance policy. Make sure to check that the VIN on the invoice matches the vehicle. It's best to bring a hard copy of the compulsory insurance policy, as the electronic version might not open in areas with poor signal. For intercity travel, ensure you have a cross-region temporary plate, which is brown-yellow in color. It's recommended to keep all documents in a transparent folder so you can present them quickly during inspections.
