What to Do If Driving Without License and Vehicle Registration Certificate?
4 Answers
Retrieve them promptly or provide valid proof. Here are the detailed explanations: 1. Relevant Penalties: If the vehicle registration certificate is not carried, the vehicle will be temporarily impounded, and a compulsory measure certificate will be issued until the relevant proof materials (vehicle registration certificate) are presented, after which an administrative penalty decision will be made. The penalty for not carrying the vehicle registration certificate is between 20 and 200 yuan, with 1 point deducted. However, traffic police cannot make an administrative penalty decision on the spot and can only temporarily impound the vehicle until the vehicle registration certificate can be provided. 2. Legal Provisions: According to Article 95 of the Road Traffic Safety Law, motor vehicles driven on the road without displaying license plates, inspection qualification marks, insurance marks, or without carrying the vehicle registration certificate or driver's license shall be detained by the traffic management department of the public security organ. The party concerned shall be notified to provide the corresponding license plates, marks, or complete the relevant procedures, and may be penalized in accordance with Article 90 of this Law. The motor vehicle shall be promptly returned once the party concerned provides the corresponding license plates, marks, or completes the relevant procedures. Intentionally covering, soiling, or not installing the motor vehicle license plates in accordance with the regulations shall be penalized in accordance with Article 90 of this Law.
A couple of years ago, I was stopped by traffic police during a long-distance drive when I forgot to bring my driver's license and vehicle registration. I immediately admitted the oversight and suggested showing the electronic copy of my license stored on my phone, as many cities now accept digital documents as temporary proof. After verifying my identity, the officer only gave me a verbal warning, reminding me to bring the original copies next time just in case. Since then, I've developed a habit: keeping my documents with my car keys in a fixed spot or storing clear photos of them in cloud storage for easy access. If you do forget them, don't panic—stay polite, explain the situation, and cooperate with the police to verify your information to avoid fines or worse. Both new and experienced drivers can make this mistake; the key is to learn from it and get smarter.
Don't panic if you forget your documents while driving. Once when I was stopped, I calmly communicated with the traffic police, explaining that I had forgotten them and asked if they could check the system records. Now, with relaxed policies, it's super convenient to display electronic driver's licenses and vehicle licenses through Alipay or WeChat mini-programs—I recommend everyone set this up for emergencies. If that's not possible, try providing your ID number for official backend verification. After handling the situation, learn your lesson and develop a pre-driving ritual to check your documents, like placing them in the passenger storage compartment and glancing at them every time you get in the car to prevent trouble and ensure smooth travel. If you do get a ticket, don't argue—just pay it to avoid escalating the situation, and remind yourself or your family not to forget the documents next time.
Often forgetting things and documents during driving lessons can be nerve-wracking when checked, but don't panic—I've been in similar situations. Honestly tell the officer you forgot to bring them and request verification of vehicle ownership. After checking the database, he gave me a warning without deducting points. The key lesson is to download electronic documents to a prominent spot on your phone's home screen for quick access, and set up travel reminder texts to ensure all items are packed. New drivers especially should practice cultivating such safety habits.
