What to Do If the Vehicle's Annual Inspection is Overdue?
3 Answers
Motor vehicle license clearly states the date by which the inspection must be completed. Exceeding this date by even one day is considered a violation. If the inspection is overdue, you can still drive the vehicle to the inspection site. When undergoing the inspection at the designated vehicle management office, they will issue a notice for overdue inspection. You will then need to visit the traffic police station to handle the overdue inspection procedure. The vehicle owner must personally submit a written application for a supplementary inspection at the traffic police station and promptly take the vehicle for its annual inspection at the designated testing facility. According to the laws and regulations of the traffic management authorities, if the vehicle owner fails to participate in the annual inspection after the due date and an accident occurs, the insurance company will not be liable for any compensation.
If I suddenly realize my vehicle's annual inspection has expired, I might feel a bit panicked, but don't worry. The first step is to stop driving immediately to avoid being pulled over by traffic police and facing fines or vehicle impoundment. I searched online for the address and contact information of local inspection stations, usually designated by the DMV, to schedule a make-up inspection. When making the appointment, I need to bring my vehicle registration, ID card, and compulsory traffic insurance policy. It's also a good idea to check minor issues like lights, brakes, and emissions in advance to save time and avoid multiple trips. There might be an additional service fee for the make-up inspection, but it won't cost much. The most important thing is safety first—if I drive an expired vehicle and get into an accident, insurance won't cover it. After this lesson, I set an annual inspection reminder in my phone calendar so I won't forget next year.
My car also missed one inspection, and experience told me the longer you delay, the more you get fined. At that time, I drove directly to the nearest inspection station to make up for it, but I had to be careful not to get caught on the road, so I asked a friend to drive me there. The process was simple: queue up, fill out forms, submit documents, and the staff checked the vehicle condition. If there were no major issues, it could be done in half an hour. The late inspection fee plus late payment surcharge was a few hundred yuan, a bit more expensive than normal but acceptable. Later, I had to be careful that not renewing insurance on time might affect claims, so I contacted the insurance company to update the records. After handling it this way, I felt much more at ease driving. I recommend developing a habit of regular vehicle checks.
