Roadworthy certificate: when you need one, what is checked, and what it costs

A roadworthy certificate is a point-in-time statement that a vehicle was safe and compliant on the day it was tested. It is valid for twelve months, and it is required at specific moments rather than annually - which is why owners are often surprised by the request.

When you need one

Event	Certificate required
Change of ownership	Yes
Re-registration in a new province or under a new registration	Yes
A vehicle previously declared permanently unfit returning to service	Yes
Routine licence disc renewal	Generally no
Sale of the vehicle to a dealer	Yes, and the dealer will insist on it

The one that catches people out is the sale. Registering the change of ownership requires a valid certificate, and an expired one means the vehicle has to be tested again - at the seller’s or buyer’s cost, depending on what the sale agreement says.

What is inspected

The test covers the systems that determine whether a vehicle is safe and legally compliant:

• Brakes - including balance between wheels, which is where older vehicles fail.
• Steering and suspension - play, wear and component condition.
• Tyres - tread depth, condition, matching and speed rating where applicable.
• Lights and indicators - headlights, brake lights, indicators, hazards, number plate lamps.
• Windscreen, wipers and mirrors - chips in the driver’s line of sight fail.
• Exhaust and emissions - noise and emission compliance.
• Seat belts - present, working, and not frayed.
• Structure and identification - chassis and body integrity, and the engine and chassis numbers against the record.

How long it takes and what it costs

Testing takes under an hour at most stations. Fees are set by the station rather than nationally, so they vary - and the real cost of failing is the fee plus the repair plus a re-test charge.

Where the certificate is needed for a sale, the practical rule is to test the vehicle before advertising it. A buyer who arrives, agrees a price and then discovers the vehicle cannot be registered that week will either walk away or renegotiate.

Things that fail and cannot be fixed

Some failures are cheap; a few are terminal:

• Structural corrosion in a load-bearing area can result in the vehicle being declared permanently unfit.
• Identification problems - a chassis number that has been tampered with, or does not match the record - are a legal problem rather than a mechanical one.
• Unauthorised modifications that change the vehicle’s classification may need approval before a test, and approval is not always available retrospectively.

Anyone buying a used vehicle should check the chassis and engine numbers against the registration documents before paying, and be wary of a seller who wants to complete the paperwork later.

Related

A roadworthy is separate from the annual licence disc renewal, which has its own window and its own 21-day grace period. Outstanding traffic fines can affect registration processes, and the traffic fines guide explains how the AARTO framework and the older court-based system differ. If you are the one being tested rather than the vehicle, the driver’s licence and learner’s test guide covers that process.

Last reviewed 13 October 2026. Requirements are set by the National Road Traffic Act and regulations; confirm current requirements with your provincial licensing authority or an accredited testing station.