New car regulations may ease traffic woes, but for many expat drivers, they are proving an unexpected headache.

In January, officials implemented a monthly vehicle license plate “lottery” to cap the number of cars on the capital’s gridlocked streets. Roughly 20,000 plates are doled out per month. Buyers can’t purchase a vehicle—new or secondhand—without a plate. Constance Zhang of ST Auto says that 400,000 applicants are now vying for plates. That number will grow each month, as those that lost out in the lottery are rolled over into the next month’s draw along with new applicants.

The new regulations require expats to have proof of residence in Beijing (i.e., being properly registered with the police) for one year before they can even enter the lottery. “They won’t even look at visas,” said Scott Willis of international moving company Allied Pickfords.

Laws that require expats to officially deregister their vehicles before leaving the country can present problems for car owners. Bruce McNulty, who is preparing to leave the country, is having trouble finding someone who has a license plate to buy the car he bought five years ago. “Customs won’t clear our shipment [of household goods] for however long the car is in my name,” he says.

The Central Registry Office pays ¥3,000 to car owners who wish to deregister their vehicles, a pittance compared to the car’s original cost. According to the Global Times, cars with license plates registered prior to December 24 last year can be sold together, leading to a spike in prices for secondhand cars with plates, which sell for more than new cars. But car dealers savvy to the implications of the new laws aren’t likely to give a good price for the vehicle. Buyers outside of Beijing can purchase secondhand cars, but will still need to complete the paperwork in the city.

Whether the laws last, or are modified in time, they’re giving expats another reason for road rage