Will a 2021 Temporary License Plate Be Captured for Traffic Violations?
3 Answers
2021 temporary license plates can be captured for traffic violations. Although ordinary "electronic police" systems may not recognize the information on temporary plates, many modern electronic monitoring systems are highly intelligent. They can record driving trajectories through 24/7 video surveillance. If violations such as speeding, crossing lines, or running red lights occur, the monitoring screen will trigger an alarm. Operators will then manually review and record the violation process as evidence for penalties. Temporary license plates are the only legal documents allowing vehicles to operate on the road before official plates are issued. They do not grant special privileges. While penalties like fines and demerit points for violations may seem minor, the risks to road safety are significant. For the safety of both yourself and others, whether using temporary or official plates, it is essential to comply with traffic laws. If a temporary plate is not properly displayed, it will be treated as driving without a license plate, resulting in a 12-point deduction, corresponding fines, and possible vehicle impoundment or towing by traffic police. If no temporary plate is present, officers can locate the owner via the VIN on the windshield and notify them to handle the matter.
Driving with temporary license plates can indeed result in traffic violations being captured, and I've personally experienced this. Last year, a friend driving a new car with temporary plates ran a red light in the city, and three days later, a ticket was pushed through the 12123 app. Nowadays, high-definition cameras can clearly capture the numbers on temporary plates placed on the windshield, let alone the checkpoint devices on highways. Especially in major cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, there are numerous electronic eyes with character recognition capabilities—speeding or crossing lines with temporary plates will still get you fined. However, in some smaller cities with older camera systems, recognition might be difficult, but don’t bet on this luck—last week’s news reported a driver who used temporary plates to cover their official license plate while speeding, resulting in their license being revoked. The key factor is the type of temporary plate: the yellow 'cross-administrative region' plates hung on the windshield are valid nationwide and are most likely to be captured, while the local blue plates issued by 4S shops equate to driving without plates if used outside the city. My advice is to drive strictly by the rules during the temporary plate period—traffic management systems are now very smart.
Just finished dealing with my own car's temporary license plate violation, so I'm quite qualified to speak on this. Temporary plates use a different reflective material than regular license plates, but today's smart monitoring systems have long been upgraded. Especially when passing speed traps or gantry structures, the side fill lights combined with OCR recognition can clearly capture temporary plates even if they're stuck in the corner of the rear window. Last week at a highway service area, traffic police mentioned that the new electronic police systems can simultaneously recognize seven different license plate specifications - no matter how small the characters on temporary plates are. However, there are two exceptions: if the camera lens gets fogged up during rainy or foggy weather, or if the temporary plate gets covered in mud, it might be missed. But be warned - many car owners try tricks like folding or obscuring temporary plates, and if caught on the spot, it's directly considered intentional license plate damage, resulting in a full 12-point deduction. Ultimately, the vehicle's VIN has long been recorded in the system - you might escape with the temporary plate, but not with the car itself.
