Can You Drive a Homemade Trailer Under 700 kg on Highways?

Can a homemade trailer caravan weighing less than 700 kg be driven on the road? Can it be used on highways? Is it legal?

I often get this question from netizens. How do I answer it? Just to answer the question: homemade trailer caravans can be driven on the road and on highways. The weight has nothing to do with them, just like an unregistered car. There's no problem with driving on highways, it's just illegal.

Let's not talk about whether they can be driven on the road. Let's talk about the homemade part. The state has long had regulations. Article 100 of the Road Traffic Safety Law states: "If a motor vehicle that has been assembled or has reached scrap standard is driven on the road, the traffic management department of the public security organ shall confiscate it and compulsorily scrap it. Drivers caught driving any of the motor vehicles listed in the preceding paragraph on the road shall be fined not less than 200 yuan but not more than 2,000 yuan, and their driver's license shall be revoked."

You see, building your own RV is illegal. If caught, it will be confiscated, and you'll be fined and have your driver's license revoked. It's a serious offense. Currently, the penalty is usually 12 points deducted, which most people find unacceptable. If your RV is manufactured by a legitimate manufacturer, with an invoice and certificate of conformity, but it's simply not registered, what's the penalty?

According to the "Road Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China": If a motor vehicle is driven on the road without a license plate, the public security traffic management department shall detain the vehicle and notify the driver to produce the corresponding license plate. The driver will be 12 points deducted and fined 200 yuan. The driver must provide the license plate and the vehicle must be promptly returned.

Why do so many people say that vehicles under 700 kg don't need to be registered? Where do they get the courage, and where do they spread this rumor?

Most people base their arguments on this: Article 56 of the Regulations for the Implementation of the Road Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China: A motor vehicle towing a trailer must comply with the following provisions: (2) Small passenger cars are only permitted to tow caravan trailers or trailers with a gross mass of less than 700 kg. Trailers are not allowed to carry passengers.

Actually, this regulation simply states that cars can tow caravans and trailers under 700 kg. Not registering them is, at best, skirting the law, and at worst, covering one's ears and stealing the bell. This interpretation means that we can tow caravans and trailers under 700 kg, which don't require registration. Read on.

In fact, whether you have a caravan or trailer, they are both motor vehicles. Since they are motor vehicles, they must be registered before they can be driven on the road. Failure to register them is illegal. For more information, see the Public Security Industry Standard GA802-2014 of the People's Republic of China, "Motor Vehicle Types - Terms and Definitions," 3.2, which states: "A motor vehicle is propelled or towed by a power unit, including cars and car trains, trailers, trams, special motor vehicles, and road-going tractors."

According to Article 8 of the "Road Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China," the state implements a registration system for motor vehicles. Motor vehicles may only be driven on the road after being registered with the traffic management department of the public security agency. Unregistered motor vehicles that need to temporarily drive on the road must obtain a temporary license plate.

Therefore, you must display a license plate on the road. Driving without one risks being fined, but many police officers don't seem to care these days. You might ask, why do businesses advertise that license plates are permitted even though it's illegal? And why do so many people still drive without them? The main reason is that fewer people drive these days. They're mostly on the road during holidays and at suburban tourist attractions. During these times and places, the police's primary mission is to maintain safety and order, so they won't care whether you have a license plate or not. You're usually caught in traffic in the city or during special inspections, so getting caught is as rare as winning the lottery.

Who drives without a license plate these days? Most are off-roaders, who rarely take the national highway into the city, but rather travel to recreational areas. The next most common type of driver is RV owners, who often travel to exhibitions and similarly mostly use the highway.

My advice to everyone: If you don't have a license plate, don't argue with others. Take the highway whenever possible, and avoid the city if you can.