Drivers in Beijing get fake married for a licence plate (really) to beat wait of up to nine years caused by rationing

There are over 3,000 applicants for every plate for a petrol vehicle, and those seeking a plate for an electric car can be kept waiting for up to nine years

A black market has sprung up in which a driver who needs a plate marries someone who owns one, has it transferred into their name and the two then divorce

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Beijing has strict limits on the number of licence plates it issues. Photo: AFP

Mandy Zuoin Shanghai

Published: 7:15am, 17 Nov 2020Updated: 8:17am, 17 Nov 2020

How far would you go to obtain a licence plate for a car?

In Chinese cities, the rationing of plates to limit car use – as a way to reduce air pollution and traffic congestion – has spawned a cottage industry of entrepreneurs who offer ways of jumping the queue.

The capital, Beijing, with its notorious smog and jammed streets, has strict limits on the number of licence plates it issues – meaning there are over 3,000 applicants for every plate for a petrol vehicle.

Those seeking a licence plate for an electric car through the official channels can be kept waiting for up to nine years, the local traffic authority says.

Beijing has placed strict limits on the number of licence plates it issues as a way to curb air pollution and clear the skies. Photo: Getty Images

The city introduced a lottery in 2011 to allocate the plates, but demand has fuelled a thriving black market and scams in which specialist agents play matchmaker: a driver who needs a plate marries someone who owns one, has it transferred into their name and the two then divorce.

Marriage agencies have been charging up to 160,000 yuan (US$24,000) to help people obtain a plate for a petrol-powered car, or 110,000 yuan for an electric-powered one, state media reported last year. The money is split between the agent and the seller.