In Korea, the Motor Vehicle Management Act requires regular vehicle inspections to be performed at regular intervals after a vehicle is newly registered. It is an obligation that every car owner must fulfill.
Today, we’ll take a closer look at the validity period, inspection period, penalties, appointments, costs, and what to bring.
Car maintenance at a glance
1. Car inspection validity period
The validity period for automobile inspections is stipulated in [Table 2 of Appendix 15 of the Enforcement Rules of the Automobile Management Act] by vehicle use and size, and the details are as follows.
Vehicle Type Periodic Inspection Validity Period Remarks
2 years for non-business passenger cars 4 years for the first inspection of a new car
1 year for business passenger cars 2 years for the most recent inspection of a new car
Light or mini-vans (cargo vehicles) 1 year
1 year for business large cargo vehicles up to 2 years old
6 months for vehicles over 2 years old
1 year for medium-sized passenger vans and large business vans 8 years old or less
6 months over 8 years old
Other vehicles 5 years old or less 1 year
6 months over 5 years old
The term “vehicle age” refers to the number of days the vehicle has been in use since the date it was first manufactured.
2. Periodic Vehicle Inspection Period
The inspection period is within 31 days before and after the expiration date of the inspection validity period.
For example, if the expiration date of the periodic inspection is August 1, 2023, the inspection period is from July 1, 2023 to September 1, 2023.
If you apply for the “Car Inspection Period Information Service” from the Korea Transportation Safety Administration, you can receive your car inspection date via text message. You can sign up for the service on the KTS website linked below.
Apply for the Car Inspection Period Information Service
3. Vehicle Inspection Fines
A vehicle inspection fine is imposed when a vehicle is not inspected within the inspection period prescribed by law.
The automobile periodic inspection penalty is called a “delayed inspection penalty,” and the amount of the penalty is as follows.
○ If the inspection is performed within 30 days from the day after the expiration date of the inspection period, the late inspection penalty is 40,000 won.
○ 20,000 won is added for every 3 days beyond 30 days from the day after the expiration date of the inspection period.
The maximum amount of the late inspection penalty is 600,000 won.
If you fail to have your car inspected, you will not only be fined for delayed inspection, but you can also be suspended from driving if your car has not been inspected for more than one year.
4. Scheduling a Car Inspection
You can make a reservation for a routine automobile inspection online at the Korea Transportation Safety Authority Cyber Inspection Center website (www.cyberts.kr).
○ Route to make a reservation: [Access to KTS Cyber Inspection Center] > [Make a reservation for car inspection] > [Search/reserve inspection vehicle] > [Make a reservation for car inspection].
Korea Transportation Safety Authority
Car Inspection Reservation | Korea Traffic Safety Organization (cyberts.kr)
Cyber Inspection Center | Korea Transportation Safety Authority
1 Select vehicle type 2 Agree to terms and conditions 3 Select inspection center/date 4 Make payment 5 Complete Please select an inspection appointment item
www.cyberts.kr
5. Vehicle Inspection Cost
The cost of a routine automobile inspection is determined by the vehicle’s displacement.
The cost of a routine vehicle inspection is as follows
Light vehicle inspection fee: 17,000 won (tax included)
Small cars: 23,000 won (tax included)
Medium-sized cars: 26,500 won (tax included)
Large car: 29,000 won (tax included)
Please note that if you qualify for a tax reduction, you may be eligible for a tax reduction.
Reduction rate for car maintenance fee Remarks
Disabled 30% Mild, 50% Severe Vehicles issued with a disability placard
Single-parent families 80% Vehicles owned under the Single Parent Family Act
Multi-child families 15% For families with 3 or fewer children under the age of 18
Vehicles registered to the head of household and spouse
National Meritorious 80% Vehicles issued with prosthetic car plates for national meritors, etc.
80% of families affected by automobile accidents Cars registered to the person who is receiving support from the public corporation, or to their immediate relatives within two generations.
However, the fee reduction is only available for non-business vehicles.
The fee reduction is based on the results of the computerized search requested by the inspection party. Please note that the fee cannot be reduced by checking supporting documents other than the computerized search.
The fee reduction is only available at KTS inspection centers and business trip inspection centers, and the maximum reduction is limited to one case (duplicate reduction cannot be applied).
6. What to bring for a routine automobile inspection
You need to bring the vehicle to be inspected and the vehicle registration certificate.
7. Recent Car Inspection Reviews
This is a review of a recent car inspection.
I made a reservation at the Korea Transportation Safety Authority Cyber Inspection Center and arrived 10 minutes before my appointment time. When I visited the inspection center, I realized that the inspection was done in the order of arrival rather than the reservation time. We were able to enter the inspection center 10 minutes before the appointment time.
The inspection took about 20 minutes, which was quicker than expected if you wait in the customer waiting area.
After the inspection, we were given a report of the inspection results and a detailed explanation of any abnormalities.
General Information Center for Car Inspection: 02-740-0499
Korea Traffic Safety Organization Call Center : 1577-0990
