If a car's license plate is changed, do it need to be re-inspected and road tax paid?

Reply:Currently, the technical safety and environmental protection inspection of automobiles is carried out according to the regulations in Circular No. 47/2024/TT-BGTVT dated November 15, 2024, of the Minister of Transport (now the Minister of Construction), which stipulates the procedures for inspection and exemption from initial inspection for motor vehicles and specialized vehicles; the procedures for certification of technical safety and environmental protection for modified motor vehicles and modified specialized vehicles; and the procedures for exhaust emission inspection of motorcycles and mopeds.

Accordingly, there is no regulation requiring a vehicle to be re-inspected if the vehicle is currently registered under a company name, and after the company name change procedure, a new registration and license plate are issued, while the inspection period is still valid.

However, if a vehicle receives a new license plate with a change in the background color, it must be re-inspected to ensure the information on the inspection certificate matches the type of transport and the inspection cycle.

According to Government Decree No. 90/2023/ND-CP dated December 13, 2023, regulating the rates, collection, payment, exemption, management, and use of road usage fees, the company's automobile only changed ownership from one organization to another, therefore it does not change the amount of road usage fees already paid.

Therefore, if the vehicle has already had its inspection fee paid and the road usage fee payment period is still valid, the company does not yet have to pay the road usage fee based on the new license plate information.

However, in order for the owner's information and the new license plate to match the toll data and the road usage fee sticker (affixed to the vehicle), the company should go to the vehicle inspection center to update the information accordingly.