Do you need a Queensland Safety Certificate / Roadworthy Certificate?

Our Charters Towers car service is fully licensed by Queensland Transport to perform inspections and issue Safety Certificates. Call Towers Automotive now to book a Roadworthy Certificate inspection!

The Safety Certificate offers buyers better protection and makes sure vehicles being offered for disposal or being re-registered are safe - reducing the likelihood of crashes caused by defective vehicles.

In Queensland the laws are very strict about Safety Certificates on vehicles that are up for sale, or that are being re-registered for the first time or from interstate. A Safety Certificate is issued after a vehicle passes an minimum safety standard inspection.

A Safety Certificate covers basic items essential for safe operation of your car:

• brakes
• body damage
• body rust
• lights
• steering
• suspension
• tyres
• windscreen

Note: a safety inspection is not a comprehensive inspection of the vehicle or the engine. Before purchasing a used vehicle, we recommend that you contact Towers Automotive for a full mechanical inspection of the vehicle. It is the seller's legal responsibility to provide the Safety Certificate and complete any roadworthiness related repairs required before the certificate can be issued. You should never be persuaded to get your own Safety Certificate as any necessary repairs will be at your cost.

In Queensland, you are required to obtain a Safety Certificate when registering a new vehicle, or when changing the registered owners of a vehicle. If you have a vehicle registered in another state, has been un-registered for more than 3 months or are registering the vehicle for the first time - the car needs to pass a safety inspection and receive a Safety Certificate before they can be registered.

There is no longer a requirement to display your Safety Certificate. Using the Rego Search function with Queensland Transport will show the Safety Certificate Number and issue date online as we issue Electronic Safety Certificates.

After a failed initial inspection, items that require repair to pass the Inspection must be repaired and reinspected within fourteen (14) days or 1000km whichever comes first. Once this passes, or if the inspection passes on the first go, the Safety Certificate is valid for 2 months or 2000km whichever comes first. Inspections outside these guidelines are considered a new inspection and fees will be payable again.

Unless exempt, unregistered second hand and registered interstate vehicles must have a Safety Certificate as part of the Queensland pre-registration process. This includes:

• Cars
• Motorbikes
• Trailers and caravans with an aggregate trailer mass (ATM) of 0.751-3.50 tonnes
• Any other vehicles up to 4.50t gross vehicle mass (GVM).

All cars fitted with LPG require a Gas Certificate to be issued by a licensed gas fitter (in addition to the Safety Certificate). This involves an inspection to ensure the gas equipment is safe.

As directed by the Department of Transport and Main Roads, the Safety Certificate checklist includes the inspection of the following aspects of your car:

• Seats and Restraints
• Lamps (lights) and electrical components
• Windscreens and glazing
• Body, chassis and frame
• Tow couplings
• Steering and Suspension
• Wheels and tyres
• Brakes
• Engine, driveline and emissions
• Vehicle safety features
• Passenger Transport
• Modifications

The price of a Safety Certificate inspection is controlled by Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads. If you think you have been quoted more than you should be to get a Safety Certificate for your car, check with us at Towers Automotive for the correct price.

Queensland Transport regulations indicate a few situations where a Safety Certificate is not required. Some exemption criteria are:

• Unregistered car being traded to or between licensed motor dealerships
• Vehicle is being sold for parts, and has been de-registered before going on sale
• Vehicle inherited from a deceased estate
• Trading ownership between spouses, including separated couples
• The disposer of car is living in an exempt area (remote locations)

The term Roadworthy Certificate (RWC) was dropped by QLD Department of Transport in favor of the Safety Certificate. Safety certificates can only be issued by Approved Inspection Stations (AIS) as Towers Automotive. These are service stations, garages or workshops approved by the Queensland Government.

To obtain a Safety Certificate in Charters Towers, book a service with Towers Automotive online or call us to make an appointment.

You can download the Vehicle Registration Transfer Application form (F3520) from the QLD Department of Transport website.