Who gets penalized when caught by traffic police without a vehicle license: the driver or the owner?
2 Answers
When caught by traffic police without a vehicle license, the driver is the one who gets penalized. The relevant provisions of the Road Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China are as follows: 1. Article 95 stipulates: If a motor vehicle driven on the road does not display a motor vehicle license plate, does not have an inspection compliance mark or insurance mark, or does not carry the vehicle license or driver's license, the traffic management department of the public security organ shall detain the motor vehicle and notify the party to provide the corresponding plates, marks, or complete the necessary procedures. 2. Article 90 stipulates: If a motor vehicle driver violates the road traffic safety laws and regulations regarding road traffic rules, they shall be given a warning or fined not less than 20 yuan but not more than 200 yuan. If there are other provisions in this law, the penalties shall be imposed in accordance with those provisions.
I remember one time when I was driving without the vehicle registration certificate, the traffic police stopped me for inspection and directly issued me a ticket. The owner, who is my friend, wasn't affected at all. The police penalized me, the driver, because they needed to verify the vehicle's legality and safe operation. So, if you're caught without the registration certificate, the penalty is imposed on the driver themselves, and the owner is generally unaffected, unless under special circumstances. It's advisable to develop the habit of always keeping your documents in the car. If you forget them, don't panic—being polite might just get you a warning. If it happens frequently, accumulating penalty points can affect your driving record, causing issues with annual inspections or increased insurance fees in the future. Now, I always check my pockets before driving to make sure I have them.
