plate is 车牌, you can not register it without emission test and safety certification. For some car which is not for resale or ownership transfer, if the car is fail to emission test, it could be conditional pass when it is fully diagnostic and repaired by accredited drive clean technian within total cost $200. But you car is for ownership transfer, that means you or the owner hace to repair the car till to pass emission test at any cost. I do not know how bad is your car, some just change spark plug, hose, PCV vavle, etc, If the engine have problem, it will cost much.