What to Do If the Vehicle Annual Inspection Deadline is Missed?
2 Answers
If the vehicle annual inspection deadline is missed, you can normally participate in the inspection after paying the required penalty. Vehicles that fail to undergo mandatory safety technical inspections within the prescribed period will receive a warning or a fine from the traffic management department of the public security authority. Driving an uninspected vehicle is illegal, but as long as no accidents occur, promptly completing a late inspection will resolve the issue. Operating a vehicle without valid inspection constitutes illegal driving, and insurance companies will not cover any accidents that occur under such circumstances. Therefore, vehicle owners must ensure their vehicles undergo regular annual inspections. Vehicle inspection frequency regulations: 1. Commercial passenger vehicles must be inspected annually for the first 5 years, and every 6 months thereafter; 2. Trucks and large/medium-sized non-commercial passenger vehicles require annual inspections for the first 10 years, switching to 6-month intervals after that; 3. Small and mini non-commercial passenger vehicles enjoy 6-year exemption from physical inspections but must apply for exemption decals biennially. Since November 20, 2020, 7-9 seat non-commercial mini/micro buses have been included in the exemption range.
I remember being too busy last year and forgetting about the annual vehicle inspection, only realizing it two weeks after the deadline. I immediately called the inspection station, and the staff told me to prepare my vehicle license, copy of compulsory traffic insurance, and ID card to handle any violations first. At the vehicle management office, I paid a 200 yuan overdue fine, but the inspection process was the same as usual, checking lights and brakes. The whole process took half a day, but the staff warned that if caught by traffic police, not only would there be fines and points deducted, but insurance would also refuse to cover any accidents. Later, I set a phone reminder to prepare a month in advance every year, checking the lights and tires myself first. A reminder to everyone: never drive with an overdue inspection—it's really not worth it.
