Guide to Driving in Hangzhou: License, Plates, and Traffic Rules

1. Driver’s License Requirement

Important: You cannot drive in Mainland China with only an International Driver’s License or a driver’s license from your home country. You must hold a valid Chinese Driver’s License to legally drive in Hangzhou.

Hangzhou PLUS Housing offers assistance services to help expats apply for a Chinese Driver’s License. Contact us for detailed procedures and support.

2. How to Get a Hangzhou Car Plate

Buying a car in Hangzhou is straightforward, but obtaining a car plate is challenging due to monthly quotas. There are two main ways to get a plate for gasoline-powered cars:

• Plate Lottery: The winning rate is usually less than 1% (highly competitive).
• Plate Auction: The cost is around RMB 40,000 (price fluctuates monthly based on demand).

New Energy Vehicles (NEVs): Local Hangzhou NEVs (with green plates) can get plates more easily if you meet basic requirements (e.g., paying social insurance in Hangzhou for a certain period).

3. Hangzhou Traffic Restriction Rules

3.1 Weekday Peak-Hour Restrictions (Workdays Only)

Restricted peak hours: 7:00–9:00 (morning) and 16:30–18:30 (evening). Rules vary by plate type:

A. Hangzhou Local Plates (Starting with "浙A")

Restrictions are based on the last digit of the plate number (if the last character is a letter, use the last Arabic digit before the letter):

Restricted Area:

B. Hangzhou Area Plates (Special "浙A" Format)

What is a Hangzhou Area Plate?
To ease plate shortages, Hangzhou introduced "Area Plates" with letters in specific positions (e.g., "浙A·5B55B" or "浙A·55BB5"). They are easier to apply for than local plates but have stricter restrictions than standard local plates.

Restrictions: All Hangzhou Area Plates are restricted every weekday during peak hours (no exceptions for plate digits).

Restricted Area:

Important: Hangzhou Area Plates are not eligible for the "Non-Local Plate Urgency Exemption" (see Section 6).

C. Non-Local Plates (Not Starting with "浙A")

Restrictions: All non-local plates are restricted every weekday during peak hours (same as Hangzhou Area Plates).

Restricted Area:

3.2 West Lake Scenic Area Restrictions

Restrictions apply weekends and national holidays from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, based on the last digit of the plate number and the date:

• Odd last digits: Restricted on even dates (e.g., 2nd, 4th, 6th of the month).
• Even last digits: Restricted on odd dates (e.g., 1st, 3rd, 5th of the month).

Restricted Area:

4. Driver’s License Points System

Each driver gets 12 points per year (reset annually from the license issuance date). Violations result in points being deducted (1, 2, 3, 6, or 12 points). If 12+ points are deducted, your license is suspended until you complete a 7-day traffic safety course and pass the theory test.

Common Violations & Penalties:

- Local Hangzhou Green Plates: No peak-hour or West Lake scenic area restrictions (fully exempt).
- Non-Local Green Plates: Subject to the same restrictions as non-local gasoline plates (peak-hour and scenic area limits apply).

Non-local plates can apply for temporary exemption from peak-hour restrictions (for urgent needs) with a yearly quota:

• Zhejiang Province Plates (e.g., 浙B, 浙C): Up to 24 exemptions/year (max 3/month).
• Non-Zhejiang Province Plates (e.g., 沪A, 京A): Up to 12 exemptions/year (max 3/month).

Each exemption is valid for 24 hours (either 0:00–24:00 or 12:00–12:00 next day) and must be applied for in advance via the official Hangzhou traffic app or website.