Every car registered in Korea has to pass a periodic inspection, called 정기검사, and missing it brings a fine even if the car runs perfectly. The rules are the same for foreign residents as for Koreans.
Two parts of the schedule changed on January 1, 2025. Some Korean pages we came across, including a few local government ones, still show the old figures. This guide covers the current rules for a private passenger car, the kind most foreign residents own.
How we checked
The schedule and deadlines come from the Motor Vehicle Management Act (자동차관리법), Articles 43 and 43-2, and its Enforcement Rule, in the versions in force on October 26, 2026. We read Articles 74, 75 and 77 of the Rule, its Annex 15-2 table, and the supplementary provisions of the December 17, 2024 amendment that says which cars the new schedule covers.
The fines come from Annex 2 of the Act’s Enforcement Decree. The comprehensive inspection rules come from Article 9 and Annex 1 of the joint rule on comprehensive inspections. Booking details come from the Korea Transportation Safety Authority’s (TS) inspection site, and a Seoul city government notice. We didn’t use dealer sites, repair shops or forums.
The short answer
- Brand-new car first registered on or after January 1, 2025: first inspection due 5 years after registration, then every 2 years.
- Brand-new car first registered before 2025: the first period was 4 years. After that, every 2 years.
- When to go: any day from 90 days before the expiry date to 31 days after it.
- Bought a car whose inspection had already lapsed: you get 31 days from the day the transfer is registered.
- Late: fines start at ₩40,000 and are capped at ₩600,000.
When your car is due
Annex 15-2 sets the inspection period by vehicle type. For a private (non-commercial) passenger car of any size, it’s 2 years. A brand-new car gets a longer first period, counted from the date it was first registered.
| Private passenger car | First period | After that |
|---|---|---|
| Brand new, first registered on or after January 1, 2025 | 5 years | Every 2 years |
| Brand new, first registered before January 1, 2025 | 4 years | Every 2 years |
The 5-year rule comes from the December 17, 2024 amendment. Its supplementary provisions apply it only to cars newly registered from January 1, 2025. A car re-registered after being deregistered doesn’t count as new. The version of Annex 15-2 in force before that showed 4 years.
Under Article 74, the period runs from the date of first registration. After an inspection, the next period runs from the day after it. If you pass inside the window described below, though, the new period starts the day after your old expiry date, so going early doesn’t shorten your next cycle.
Vans, trucks and commercial cars such as taxis and rentals have shorter periods, often based on the vehicle’s age. This guide doesn’t cover them.
Find your expiry date
Go by the car’s actual expiry date, especially for a used car. The Seoul city government says it’s shown on the car’s registration certificate (자동차등록증). You can also look it up on TS’s Cyber Inspection Center, under 검사유효기간조회. The site is in Korean.
TS also offers a reminder service by text message and email before your inspection is due. According to the Seoul city government, only the owner, or a family member with the owner’s consent, can sign up.
The inspection window
Article 77 of the Enforcement Rule sets the window for the regular inspection, and Article 9 of the comprehensive inspection rule sets the same window for the comprehensive one. You can be inspected from 90 days before the expiry date until 31 days after it. Pass within that window and your next period runs as if you’d been inspected on the expiry date itself.
Go before the window opens and the next period starts the day after that inspection instead, so you lose the time in between.
Before January 1, 2025, the window was 31 days on either side, so older guides may tell you to wait until a month before. Since the change, you can go about three months early without losing any time on your next period.
Regular or comprehensive inspection
Some areas are designated for emissions testing. There, a car registered in that area gets the comprehensive inspection (종합검사) instead of the regular one. It adds an emissions test, and Article 43-2 of the Act says passing it counts as passing the regular inspection, so you don’t need both.
For a private passenger car, the joint rule’s Annex 1 applies the comprehensive inspection once the car is more than 4 years old, every 2 years. Whether your car gets it depends on where it’s registered. If you’re not sure which one applies, ask TS or your vehicle registration office.
Where to go and what to bring
Article 77 lets you take the car to a TS inspection center or to a private repair shop designated for inspections (지정정비사업자). The Cyber Inspection Center handles bookings and has a search for designated private shops. Its pages are in Korean, so a translation app helps.
Bring the car itself. The Rule also asks for proof of mandatory insurance, but if the center can confirm it electronically, it counts as submitted. Our guide to car insurance in Korea for foreigners explains what that mandatory cover is.
Fees depend on the car and on whether it’s a regular or comprehensive inspection, and we haven’t listed amounts here. TS or the shop can tell you the fee for your car.
If you bought a used car
Check the inspection expiry before you buy. If it has already passed when the car changes hands, Article 77 gives the new owner 31 days from the day the ownership transfer is registered. If it passes after the transfer, the normal window applies.
One exception for comprehensive inspections: if a change of ownership or of where the car is based makes it subject to the comprehensive inspection, and it’s already in or past its window, Article 9 of the comprehensive inspection rule gives 62 days from the change of registration.
Our guide to buying a used car in Korea as a foreigner covers checking a car’s records on Car365 before you pay, and the transfer itself.
If you’ll be away or the car can’t be driven
Article 75 lets the city or provincial government extend the period, or postpone the inspection, in some cases. These include theft, an accident, scrapping, seizure, long repairs or another unavoidable reason. You apply with the official form, your registration certificate and proof of the reason.
Being overseas isn’t named as a reason, so don’t count on it. If you’ll be away when your car is due, the simplest fix is to go early, since the window opens 90 days before the expiry date. Your vehicle registration office can say whether your situation qualifies for an extension.
Some cases extend the period automatically. One is when your license plates have been impounded for unpaid car tax. The period then runs until that ends, and you have 31 days after the extended expiry date to be inspected. Our guide to car tax in Korea for foreigners covers when that can happen.
Late fines
Annex 2 of the Enforcement Decree sets the fine for missing a regular or comprehensive inspection. It’s based on how late you are. We count the days from the day after your window closes, which is how we read the table.
| Days late | Fine |
|---|---|
| Up to 30 days | ₩40,000 |
| 31 to 114 days | ₩40,000, plus ₩20,000 for every 3 days, counted from day 31 |
| 115 days or more | ₩600,000 |
The middle row is our reading of how the 3-day steps are counted. The fine notice you receive shows the actual amount.
Use the checker below to see your window and, if you’re late, an estimated fine.
Inspection window and late fine checker
Source: Motor Vehicle Management Act Enforcement Rule Article 77, comprehensive inspection rule Article 9, and Enforcement Decree Annex 2. Last checked: October 26, 2026. For regular and comprehensive inspections of private cars. It doesn’t cover the 62-day rule for cars that newly become subject to the comprehensive inspection. The dates are our calculation and may differ by a day from how your local government counts. TS’s look-up shows your actual window, and the fine on your notice is final.
Before your inspection is due
- Find the expiry date on your registration certificate or in the TS look-up, and put the 90-day mark in your calendar.
- If the car was bought new, check the first registration year. From 2025, the first inspection comes at 5 years, not 4.
- Book through the Cyber Inspection Center, or with a designated private shop near you.
- Make sure the car’s mandatory insurance is current.
- Leaving Korea for a while? Get the inspection done before you go.
Rules and fees change, and the notice you receive decides the fine in your case. If anything here doesn’t match your car’s record, ask TS or your vehicle registration office.
Last checked: October 26, 2026. Sources: Motor Vehicle Management Act, Articles 43 and 43-2 (Korean Law Information Center, in Korean); Enforcement Rule of the Motor Vehicle Management Act, Articles 74, 75 and 77, Annex 15-2, and the supplementary provisions of Ordinance No. 1415 of December 17, 2024 (in Korean); Enforcement Decree of the Motor Vehicle Management Act, Annex 2 (in Korean); Rule on Comprehensive Motor Vehicle Inspections, Annex 1 (in Korean); TS Cyber Inspection Center (in Korean); Seoul Metropolitan Government notice on inspection penalties and expiry dates (in Korean).
