What materials are needed to apply for ETC for a car?

[VonJoel]

According to the "Implementation Plan for Accelerating the Application Service of Electronic Non-stop Toll Collection on Highways" issued by the Ministry of Transport, the following materials are required: the original valid ID card of the vehicle owner, the original and a copy of the vehicle registration certificate (the page with the most recent annual inspection stamp should be provided). If applying on behalf of someone else, the original valid ID card of the agent is also required. If applying for ETC through bank branches, a debit or credit card from the corresponding bank is needed. Some banks only support ETC binding with credit cards, while others may require freezing a certain amount as a deposit when binding with a debit card. Additionally, the vehicle insurance policy for the current year is required. For corporate applications, the agent's ID card (or driver's license), the company's organization code certificate (or business license), and the company seal are necessary. ETC Deduction Principle: There will be one or more ETC lanes on highways. Through dedicated short-range microwave communication between the on-board electronic tag installed on the vehicle's windshield and the microwave antenna in the ETC lane at toll stations, and using computer networking technology for backend settlement with banks, the system achieves the purpose of collecting tolls without requiring vehicles to stop at toll stations. All this is based on the principle of "pass first, deduct later." Benefits of Installing ETC: Time-saving: Eliminates the hassle of waiting in queues. Green and eco-friendly: Reduces noise and exhaust emissions, minimizing pollution by allowing vehicles to pass through toll stations without stopping. Reduced wear and tear: Saves costs by reducing the frequency of vehicle starts and brakes, thereby lowering wear and fuel consumption. Improved efficiency: ETC lanes can theoretically improve traffic flow efficiency by 2-3 times, making traditional ETC faster, more advanced, and more high-tech. Compared to license plate payment, ETC technology is more mature and advantageous. More Policy Support: The State Council explicitly stated in the "13th Five-Year Plan for the Development of a Modern Comprehensive Transportation System" that "by 2020, the interoperability of transportation cards in key city clusters will be basically achieved, and the proportion of vehicles equipped with ETC will significantly increase." The plan also set a target of "achieving a 50% ETC usage rate for road passenger vehicles by 2020" in the main indicators of comprehensive transportation development during the 13th Five-Year period. More Future Possibilities: In addition to continuously improving the convenience of ETC installation and usage rates for passenger vehicles, efforts will be made to promote ETC use for trucks and explore deeper integration of ETC systems with smart transportation directions such as vehicle-to-vehicle communication and vehicle-to-infrastructure coordination. This will provide comprehensive travel services for vehicle owners, meaning more application scenarios will support ETC. ETC Usage Notes: The ETC transaction sensing range is 8 meters. If the vehicle in front stops, maintain a distance of more than 10 meters to prevent automatic sensing and payment for the vehicle in front, especially if its ETC device is faulty or absent. The recognition speed for ETC lanes is 20 km/h. Driving too fast may result in failure to read the vehicle's device information and subsequent deduction failure. Unauthorized removal or movement of the OBU device, or detachment or loosening of the ETC electronic tag, will render the tag invalid. It can be taken to the bank where the ETC card was issued or a highway service center for inspection. If the detachment or loosening is not due to human factors, reactivation is sufficient. When using a debit card bound to ETC, insufficient balance may cause deduction failure. Follow the guidance of on-site staff to use manual MTC lanes and pay with cash or card. Poor sensing may occur due to overly thick windshields. This is particularly important for vehicles that have had their windshields replaced after accidents or for those with modified front windshields.

[BarrettAnn]

Last month I went to apply for an ETC for my car. The required materials were actually quite simple: just prepare the original and photocopy of the vehicle owner's ID card, the original and photocopy of the vehicle registration certificate, and bring a bank card or credit card for fee deduction binding. Some places might also require the vehicle registration certificate. From my personal experience, applying at a bank or highway service point is relatively quick, taking only about ten minutes to complete. The benefits are that you don't have to queue to pay tolls on the highway, and you can also save some money as there are discounts during certain periods. After installation, remember to check if the ETC device is firmly attached to avoid it falling off and causing payment failures. I think it's quite worth applying for, saving time and reducing the risk of traffic jams. Just make sure to regularly maintain and check the device's battery status.