Chapter II Vehicles and Drivers

Section 1 Motor Vehicles and Non-motor vehicles

Article 8 The State practises a registration system for motor vehicles. A motor vehicle shall be driven on roads only after it is registered with the traffic control department of a public security organ. Where a motor vehicle is not yet registered but needs to be driven on roads temporarily, a temporary pass shall be obtained.

Article 9 The following certificates and vouchers shall be submitted for application for the registration of a motor vehicle:

(1) certificate of identification of the owner of the vehicle;

(2) certificate of the manner in which the vehicle is obtained;

(3) certificate of outgoing quality for the whole vehicle or certificate of import license for the vehicle imported;

(4) payment receipt of vehicle purchase tax or duty free certificate; and

(5) other certificates or vouchers to be submitted as required by the provisions of laws and administrative regulations for registration of motor vehicles.

The traffic control department of a public security organ shall finish the examination for registration of a motor vehicle within five working days from the date it receives the application and shall, if the conditions provided for in the preceding paragraph are met, issue the registration certificate, number plate and license for the vehicle; and if the said conditions are not met, the department shall explain the reasons why the vehicle is not to be registered.

Units and individuals, other than the traffic control departments of the public security organs, shall not issue number plates for motor vehicles or require that other plates are used, except where otherwise provided for by this Law.

The registration certificate, number plate and license for motor vehicles shall be designed and made under the supervision of the department for public security under the State Council.

Article 10 Motor vehicles permitted for registration shall conform to the State safety and technical standards for them. A motor vehicle for the registration of which an application is submitted shall undergo safety and technical inspection. However, with respect to those models of motor vehicles which are manufactured by enterprises confirmed, in accordance with the State safety and technical standards for motor vehicles, by the government department in charge of the products of motor vehicles, if the new vehicles of such models meet the said standards upon inspection conducted before they leave the plant and the certificates of inspection of quality are granted, they shall be exempted from safety and technical inspection.

Article 11 A motor vehicle running on roads shall be hung with its number plate and stuck with the inspection certificate and the insurance label, accompanied by the motor vehicle license.

Number plates shall be hung in accordance with relevant regulations, kept clear and intact; and they shall not purposely be covered, stained or damaged.

No units or individuals shall confiscate or distrain the number plates of motor vehicles.

Article 12 Registration shall be needed in one of the following circumstances:

(1) when ownership of a motor vehicle is transferred;

(2) when alterations are made in the registration of a motor vehicle;

(3) when a motor vehicle is mortgaged; and

(4) when a motor vehicle is scrapped.

Article 13 Once a motor vehicle runs on roads for the first time after registration, it shall, in accordance with the provisions of laws and administrative regulations, undergo regular safety and technical inspection, in terms of its designed purpose of use, quantity of passengers and goods, service life, etc. Where the motor vehicle license and the certificate of the compulsory third party liability insurance on the vehicle are provided, the authority for motor vehicle safety and technical inspection shall inspect the vehicle; and no units shall add other conditions. If the vehicle conforms to the State safety and technical standards, the traffic control department of the public security organ shall issue the sticker of the inspection certificate.

The safety and technical inspection of motor vehicles shall be socialized. Specific measures in this regard shall be formulated by the State Council.

In places where motor vehicle safety and technical inspection is socialized, no units shall require that motor vehicles are inspected at designated places.

Traffic control departments of the public security organs and the authority for motor vehicle safety and technical inspection shall not require that motor vehicles are maintained or serviced at designated places.

The authority for motor vehicle safety and technical inspection shall collect fees for such inspection strictly in accordance with the rates approved by the department for pricing under the State Council.

Article 14 The State practises the compulsory system for scrapping motor vehicles, under which different criteria for scrapping the vehicles shall be established on the basis of the safety and technical conditions and the different purposes of use of the motor vehicles.

Registration of the motor vehicles shall be cancelled as soon as they are scrapped.

Motor vehicles that reach the criteria for scrapping shall not run on roads. The large passenger cars, trucks and other commercial vehicles that are scrapped shall be disintegrated under the supervision of the traffic control departments of the public security organs.

Article 15 Different signs for police vans, fire engines, ambulances and engineering rescue vehicles shall, in accordance with relevant regulations, be sprayed or painted on them, and these vehicles shall be installed with alarm sirens and signal lights. No signs specially for the vehicles mentioned above or anything similar to such signs shall be sprayed or painted on other motor vehicles, and no alarm sirens or signal lights specially for the said vehicles or anything similar to such sirens or lights shall be installed on them or used.

Police vans, fire engines, ambulances and engineering rescue vehicles shall be used strictly in accordance with their specified purposes of use and conditions.

The vehicles specially used for highway supervision and inspection shall be equipped with unified signs and warning lights in accordance with the provisions of the Highway Law.

Article 16 No units or individuals shall do the following:

(1) assembling motor vehicles or altering the registered composition, structure or features of motor vehicles without authorization;

(2) changing the models of motor vehicles, their engine number, chassis number or the identification code of the vehicles;

(3) falsifying or counterfeiting or using falsified or counterfeited certificates of registration, number plates, licenses, stickers of the inspection certificates or insurance labels of motor vehicles; or

(4) using the certificates of registration, number plates, licenses, stickers of the inspection certificates or insurance labels of other motor vehicles.

Article 17 The State practises the system of the compulsory third party liability insurance for motor vehicles and establishes the social relief fund for road traffic accidents. Specific measures in this regard shall be formulated by the State Council.

Article 18 Non-motor vehicles required for registration according to law shall run on roads only after they are registered with the traffic control departments of the public security organs.

The types of non-motor vehicles required for registration according to law shall be specified by the people’s governments of provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government in light of the actual local conditions.

The external size, quality, brake, handle-bar bell and night reflectors of a non-motor vehicle shall be in conformity with the safety and technical standards for non-motor vehicles.