Car Reinspection Can Now Be Done with Photos Only, No Visit Required

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Announces Legislative Notice for Amendment to Subordinate Regulations of the Automobile Management Act
Mandatory Disclosure of Brokerage Status in Used Car Advertisements

Seongsan Vehicle Inspection Center Parking Lot, Korea Transportation Safety Authority

When a vehicle fails an inspection and requires a re-inspection, simple inspections that can be visually confirmed for compliance will now be possible through online photo submissions.

When advertising used cars online, it is mandatory to disclose whether the sale is through a brokerage service. This is to prevent damages such as additional brokerage fees.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 5th that it will publicly notify the amendment to the subordinate regulations of the Automobile Management Act containing these details from the 8th of this month until the 18th of next month.

The amendment aims to improve the convenience of vehicle inspections while strengthening safety standards.

First, if a vehicle fails an inspection and requires a re-inspection, and the inspection items can be visually confirmed for compliance, the re-inspection can be conducted by submitting real-time supporting photos online without having to revisit the inspection center.

This allows re-inspections to be conducted online in cases such as damaged license plates or seals, or malfunctioning lighting devices like brake lights.

Additionally, if a consumer purchases a used car whose inspection period has expired, local governments must notify whether the vehicle has undergone the required inspection. This measure is to protect consumers from damages caused by unawareness of the inspection expiration.

Furthermore, the regulation clarifies that the re-inspection period (within 10 days) excludes holidays, Labor Day (May 1), and Saturdays of each month. This effectively extends the actual re-inspection period.

The method of photographing vehicles for inspection confirmation during re-inspection has been improved from the previous 'photographing both front and rear' to 'selecting and photographing only one side where the re-inspection target is located.'

In addition, to prevent fires caused by liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) container gas leaks and to prevent nighttime rear-end collisions of cargo trucks, the inspection items now include checking for corrosion of LPG containers and the installation status (including poor condition) of rear reflectors on cargo trucks (7.5 tons or more).

Also, electric vehicle motors (types of drive motors) that are difficult to visually identify are excluded from inspection items, and transmission oil contamination is only checked when diagnosable, omitting inspection items with low practical benefit.

Regulations have also been strengthened to require used car dealers to mandatorily disclose whether the used car is for sale or brokerage when advertising online. This is to prevent consumers from unexpectedly incurring additional brokerage fees or other costs.

Moreover, photos must be attached to the front of used car dealer ID cards, and the dealer association’s website must provide access to verify ID information.

Systems related to vehicle registration and motorcycle usage reporting have also been improved.

Currently, the vehicle transfer certificate only lists the representative of the transferor, limiting the transferee’s ability to verify detailed ownership information. The amendment adds joint owner information and their share ratios for both transferor and transferee on the vehicle transfer certificate, allowing clearer confirmation of vehicle ownership details.

The procedure for using imported motorcycles has also been improved. If the applicant consents to administrative information verification, they can use the motorcycle by submitting only the usage report without the hassle of obtaining the import declaration certificate directly from the Customs Service and submitting it to the registration authority as before.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to promulgate and enforce the amendment in October after reflecting opinions received during the public notification period, consulting related ministries, and undergoing review by the Ministry of Government Legislation. However, the online re-inspection system will be implemented six months after promulgation.

Park Ji-hong, Director of Automobile Policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, "This amendment will improve the convenience of vehicle safety inspections and enhance driving safety through strengthened inspection standards." He added, "It is expected to provide stronger protection for used car consumers’ rights and improve convenience in administrative tasks for vehicle owners."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.