Short answer
A licensed vehicle tester — a mechanic specifically authorised by the state to issue them, which is not every workshop. The name and the rules differ by state: a roadworthy certificate in Victoria, a safety certificate in Queensland, an inspection report or pink slip in New South Wales, and the circumstances that require one vary too.
When it is someone else
Calling the wrong trade costs an attendance fee to be told so. These are the cases where this problem belongs to someone other than a Mechanic.
your state transport authority
you are unsure whether you need one. The triggers — sale, transfer, registration, re-registration, defect clearance — differ enough between states that assuming is unwise.
What to do before anyone arrives
- Check the obvious failure items yourself: tyre tread and condition, all lights, wipers, windscreen chips in the driver's view, brakes, and any fluid leaks.
- Fix the cheap ones first. A globe and a wiper blade are a fraction of the cost of a re-inspection.
- Remove any modification that is not certified for the vehicle — suspension, wheels, exhaust and lighting are the usual issues.
- Find out what a re-inspection costs and how long you have to return before it becomes a fresh inspection.
What to ask when you book
- Are you an authorised tester for this state?
- What is the inspection cost, and what is the re-inspection cost and window?
- If it fails, will you give me a written list so I can get the work done elsewhere?
- Do you quote the repairs separately from the inspection?
What changes the price
No dollar figures here: this directory holds no price data and an invented range is worse than none. What follows is what makes one of these jobs cost more than the same job next door, which is the part you can actually use when comparing quotes.
- Whether it passes first time.
- What repairs are required.
- Vehicle type and age.
What you can do yourself
Is this licensed work?
Vehicle testing is a specific authorisation granted by each state's transport or licensing authority on top of the repair licence, and authorised testers are auditable and listed. Issuing a certificate for a vehicle that does not comply is a serious matter for the tester.
There is no national register. Search the licence number with the regulator for the state the work is happening in.
- NSWNSW Fair Tradingbuilders, electricians, plumbers and specialist trades
- VICBuilding and Plumbing Commission, and Energy Safe Victoria for electricalbuilding practitioners and plumbers; electricians are Energy Safe Victoria
- QLDQueensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC)building and most trade contractor licences
- WABuilding and Energybuilders, electricians, plumbers and gas fitters
- SAConsumer and Business Servicesbuilding work contractors and supervisors
- TASConsumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS)building and occupational licences
- ACTAccess Canberraconstruction occupations licensing
- NTNT Government building practitioner registrationbuilding practitioners and electrical workers
Licensing thresholds and certificate requirements differ by state and change with amending regulation, so this page describes the mechanism rather than quoting a figure. The regulator’s own page is the current answer.
Common questions
- Who should I hire for a roadworthy certificate
- A licensed vehicle tester — a mechanic specifically authorised by the state to issue them, which is not every workshop. The name and the rules differ by state: a roadworthy certificate in Victoria, a safety certificate in Queensland, an inspection report or pink slip in New South Wales, and the circumstances that require one vary too.
- Can any mechanic issue a roadworthy certificate?
- No. It requires a specific authorisation from the state transport authority on top of the ordinary repairer's licence, and authorised testers are listed and audited. A workshop that offers to 'sort it out' without that authorisation is offering you something that is not a certificate.
- How long is a roadworthy certificate valid?
- It varies by state, and it is a period measured in weeks or months rather than a year in most cases. Because the validity window and the circumstances that require a certificate are both state-specific, the transport authority's own page is the only reliable source.
Find a Mechanic near you
19,898 mechanics in this directory, ranked on published evidence rather than on advertising.
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General information about who does what, not advice about your specific job. Licensing, consumer law and council rules differ by state and change; the regulator for your state is the current source. More guides to hiring a tradesperson.