Test Licence Plates (Autonomous Driving Test Licence Plates)

Autonomous driving test licence plates (also referred to as autonomous driving road test plates) are temporary vehicle registration plates issued by local traffic police departments for autonomous vehicle road trials, serving as legal permits for autonomous vehicles to conduct technical road testing on designated public roads. Securing a test plate requires passing closed-track evaluations and capability assessments, marking a vehicle's transition from proving grounds to public roads—a pivotal step in moving autonomous driving technology from R&D laboratories to commercial mass production.

Plate Classification and Regulations

Tiered regulatory frameworks for test plates are implemented across different cities. In Beijing, for instance, plates are categorised into five progressive tiers from T1 to T5, corresponding to increasing test scenario complexity and technical competency requirements. Test vehicles are required to obtain dedicated temporary registration plates to operate on designated public test routes during specific time windows, while adhering strictly to local regulatory guidelines.

Difference Between Road Test Plates and Product Homologation Approvals

There is a fundamental difference in positioning between road test plates and Level 3 (L3) product homologation approvals issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

Road test plates are issued by municipal governments to a diverse range of testing entities (including carmakers, research institutes, and tech firms). Utilising dedicated test plates, their primary objective is to "drive R&D through real-world testing"—validating technical functions and gathering operational data in real traffic environments without involving commercial deployment. Vehicles fitted with these test plates cannot be sold to retail consumers.

Product homologation approvals, conversely, are jointly reviewed and endorsed by four national ministries including MIIT specifically for vehicle manufacturers. Authorised vehicles can bear standard registration plates to run commercial pilot programmes under designated conditions on approved road sections. Serving effectively as the official regulatory green light for Level 3 autonomous driving, this provides the institutional pathway for technology to transition from validation to commercial mass production.

Issuance Volume and Key Brands

As of December 2025, over 16,000 autonomous driving road test licence plates have been issued nationwide across China. The issuance of Level 3 test plates commenced systematically in 2023, with testing primarily concentrated on highways and controlled expressways. According to compiled industry data, brands that have secured Level 3 autonomous driving test plates include Zeekr, BYD, Avatr, Seres, IM Motors, Changan, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Arcfox, Deepal, Xiaomi, XPeng, and Li Auto. Notably, carmakers partnering with Huawei Smart Driving have collectively secured 30 Level 3 test plates, Changan Automobile alone obtained 17 in Chongqing, and Avatr announced securing its Level 3 test plates in July 2026. In July 2026, the Stelato G9 was granted Beijing's Level 3 autonomous driving road test plate certified for speeds up to 120 km/h, becoming the first vehicle model approved for this speed rating.

Application Process and Technical Validation

The application workflow for a road test plate typically entails: submitting the application dossier to the relevant authority (comprising self-declarations of safety, third-party inspection reports, and detailed testing protocols) → expert panel review and evaluation → departmental verification and approval → issuance of temporary road test plates → conducting on-road trials within approved zones and scheduled operational hours. Licensed vehicles must undergo rigorous compliance testing across multiple areas, including autonomous driving feature validation, functional safety audits, Safety of the Intended Functionality (SOTIF) evaluations, road traffic regulation compliance verification, and Data Storage System for Automated Driving (DSSAD) logging. The onboard system must feature robust emergency contingency mechanisms—in critical scenarios such as driver take-over timeout or driver incapacitation, the vehicle must autonomously execute a Minimal Risk Manoeuvre (MRM) to smoothly and safely pull over to a complete stop.