One of the (not so) fun things about China is that almost everything needs to be licenced.
\nAs part of the China bureaucracy plan, all forms of wheeled transport in Shanghai require a licence (yes, even bicycles!).<\/p>\n
Riding motorized transport without one is not recommended, as this can lead to fines, deportation, and jail in worst case scenario’s.
\nThis has been documented enough times by those unfortunate enough to knowingly break the law.<\/p>\n
Electric Bikes\/ Scooters are not exempt from requiring a licence, despite what the nice man at the shop selling you the bike, or others might say.<\/p>\n
To be street legal in Shanghai, you need a plate.<\/p>\n
1) Only bikes purchased in Shanghai can get a Shanghai plate.
\nKeep your official receipt (fapiao) when you buy the bike, as it needs to be used to get your licence.<\/p>\n
2) As of a law passed in April 2008, Shanghai Electric bikes have to be:<\/p>\n
* Under 40kg. If you own a bike that is older than that date that does not conform to the above, and you had a legal licence at that time, then it can be renewed each year, and its still legal.<\/p>\n 3) To licence an electric bike\/scooter\/moped you need to visit the police station for your district.<\/p>\n You will need to bring:<\/p>\n * – The fapiao for the bike —–<\/p>\n FAQ’s:<\/p>\n Can I use a legal plate from another province?<\/strong> Can I carry a passenger?<\/strong> Is is illegal to drive without a plate?<\/strong> Do I need a driving licence for an electric bike\/moped\/scooter?<\/strong> Is there an official list of legal bikes?<\/strong> A current list of legal bikes with photo’s is here: You will need Chinese reading abilities to read either site.<\/p>\n Instructions below for non illiterate:<\/p>\n \u5e02\u6c11\u5728\u8d2d\u4e70\u7535\u52a8\u81ea\u884c\u8f66\u65f6\uff0c\u53ef\u4ee5\u901a\u8fc7\u4e0a\u6d77\u5e02\u81ea\u884c\u8f66\u884c\u4e1a\u534f\u4f1a\u7f51\u7ad9\u4e0a\uff08HTTP:\/\/WWW.SHBICYCLE.COM<\/a>\uff09\uff0c\u6216\u4e0a\u6d77\u4ea4\u901a\u5b89\u5168\u4fe1\u606f\u7f51\uff08\u7f51\u5740\uff1a HTTP:\/\/WWW.SHJTAQ.COM<\/a>\uff0c\u70b9\u51fb\u9996\u9875\u53f3\u4e0a\u65b9\u7684 \u201c\u8f66\/\u724c\/\u8bc1\u516c\u544a\u201d\u680f\u76ee\u4e2d\u7684\u201c\u4e0a\u6d77\u7535\u52a8\u81ea\u884c\u8f66\u2014\u4e0a\u724c\u5907\u6848\u767b\u8bb0\u8868\u201d\uff09\u67e5\u8be2\u8be5\u76ee\u5f55\u3002<\/p>\n Are the cool Vespa lookalikes legal?<\/strong> …but XXX \/ Bike shop \/ my friend etc says its legal?<\/strong> Caveats: What about repair \/ warranty?<\/strong> If you have issues within 7 days the seller is legally obligated to give your money back if you so wish. Parts have the following warranties (by law):
\n* Not capable of speeds faster than 20km\/hr.
\nEffectively this means only bikes < 36v.\n* Listed in the allowed vehicle database for Shanghai.\nLegal bikes have a 15 digit unicode (like a car VIN) which is unique. Manufacturers have to apply for a production licence for this, and not all have done so.\n\nA list of licenced manufacturers is available here:\nhttp:\/\/www.shbicycle.com\/Article\/ShowArticle.asp?ArticleID=6230<\/a><\/p>\n
\n* – Valid form of ID (Passport for foreigners)
\n* – The bike
\n* – Money to pay for the licence (11rmb currently)<\/p>\n
\neg Jiangsu…
\nPossibly No, with some caveats –
\nIt is not legal to ride with an out of town plate unless it is a weekend, or public holiday. You can be fined 200RMB if caught riding outside of these times, although this is unlikely. This is a grey area though, so police attitude to this may vary\/change. While having a plate is better than not having a plate, it may not help if you have an accident.<\/p>\n
\nAccording to the law, no.<\/p>\n
\nYes. Being a foreigner does not exclude you from following the law.<\/p>\n
\nNo.<\/p>\n
\nThere are 2 official sites where you can check if a bike is legal – http:\/\/www.shbicycle.com<\/a> and http:\/www.shjtaq.com<\/a><\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.shbicycle.com\/Photo\/ShowClass.asp?ClassID=84<\/a><\/p>\n
\nNo.
\nThe Vespa lookalikes \/ Spicy Motors bikes are not street legal for various reasons – weight, voltage, speed (unless you have a 2008 model licenced prior to 8\/2008).
\nAdditionally, they are not listed in the police database of allowed models. <\/p>\n
\nIn short: They’re lying.<\/p>\n
\nIf you are in living a city other than Shanghai this may be ok.
\nDifferent cities, different rules.
\nIf the bike is 2nd hand, and has an existing legal Shanghai licence, and it has been renewed each year, then it is also ok (albeit extremely unlikely).
\nOtherwise, see the short answer.<\/p>\n
\nBy Law, bikes have a “\u4e09\u5305” (threefold warranty).<\/p>\n
\nWithin 2 weeks, you are guaranteed a replacement bike.
\nWithin 1 year, if you have more than 2 of the same type of failure, they have to replace, or you can get your money back less depreciation.
\nConsumables such as lights are not covered by this, nor are collisions..<\/p>\n
\nMotor: 2 years
\nFrame, Fork, Charger, Controller, Battery: 1 year<\/p>\n