From August 15, 2023, is it mandatory to change the current license plate to an identification license plate in Vietnam?

From August 15, 2023, is it mandatory to change the current license plate to an identification license plate in Vietnam? (Internet image)

Regarding this issue, LawNet would like to answer as follows:

1. From August 15, 2023, issue and manage license plates according to identification number plates in Vietnam

According to Clause 3, Article 3 of Circular 24/2023/TT-BCA , a license plate shall be issued and managed according to identification number of the vehicle owner (hereinafter referred to as “identification license plate”)  The identification license plate is a license plate with signs, series, size of letters and digits and color according to regulations in Circular 24/2023/TT-BCA.  

2. From August 15, 2023, is it mandatory to change the current license plate to an identification license plate in Vietnam?

According to Article 39 of Circular 24/2023/TT-BCA: 

- If vehicles have been issued with 5-digit license plates before the effective date of Circular 24/2023/TT-BCA but procedures for revocation of these license plates have not been carried out, such license plates shall be identified as identification license plates of vehicle owners.

- With regard to vehicles issued with 5-digit license plates, if vehicle owners have carried out procedures for revocation of these license plates before the effective date of Circular 24/2023/TT-BCA, such license plates shall be transferred to the license plate storage for issuance of license plates according to regulations.

- Vehicles issued with 5-digit license plates that have symbols “LD”, “DA”, “MD”, “R” may continue to operate on roads, even when these license plates are replaced or re-issued, unless vehicle owners wish to carry out procedures for replacement of license plates according to regulations of Circular 24/2023/TT-BCA.

- Vehicles issued with 3-digit license plates or 4-digit license plates may continue to operate on roads. However, in cases where vehicle owners wish to replace these license plates by identification license plates or vehicle owners carry out procedures for replacement or re-issuance of vehicle registration certificates and license plates or registration of title transfer, vehicle transfer according to regulations of Circular 24/2023/TT-BCA, such 3-digit license plates or 4-digit license plates shall be revoked and replaced by identification license plates according to regulations.

- The commune-level police authority designated to register motorcycles before the effective date of Circular 24/2023/TT-BCA may continue to register such motorcycles according to regulations in Circular 24/2023/TT-BCA.

- Vehicle Registration Form template enclosed with Circular 58/2020/TT-BCA of the Minister of Public Security and license plates of automobiles, trailers and semi-trailers, 5-digit license plates of motorcycles manufactured before the effective date of Circular 24/2023/TT-BCA may continue to be used until their expiry.

Thus, it is not required that vehicle owners using license plates at the present time must change to identification license plates from August 15, 2023.

3. Cases of revocation of license plate in Vietnam from August 15, 2023

Cases of revocation of license plate are specified in Article 23 of Circular 24/2023/TT-BCA including:

- Any vehicle that is out of order, unusable and damaged due to objective reasons.

- End-of-life vehicles; vehicles that are unroadworthy as stipulated by laws; 

- Vehicles that have been lost, stolen, illegally possessed or discarded. The vehicle owner requests the revocation of its/his/her vehicle registration certificate and license plate.

- Vehicles that are imported dutyfree, temporarily imported by foreign agencies, organizations and individuals and then re-exported, transferred or destroyed.

- Vehicles that are registered at economic zones as promulgated by the Government when they are re-exported and transferred into Vietnam.

- Vehicles undergoing title transfer or transfer.

- Vehicles that are disassembled to use their engine and chassis as spare parts for other vehicles.

- Any vehicle which has been registered but the application thereof was falsified or any vehicle of which both or either of the engine number and chassis number are/is falsified according to the conclusion of a competent authority or any vehicle whose the license plate has been issued against the law.

Circular 24/2023/TT-BCA takes effect on August 15, 2023.

Nguyen Ngoc Que Anh

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