Certificate of inspection vehicle types and requirements
If a vehicle is unregistered or registered in another state or territory, its first inspection must be performed at an approved inspection station (AIS).
After the vehicle is registered, certain high-risk vehicle categories that require a certificate of inspection (COI) to be issued must be inspected at a National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) inspection site or from an approved inspection station.
To determine the appropriate inspection provider for your vehicle, please refer to the following list of vehicle types. You may need to know the purpose of use and the gross vehicle mass (GVM) or aggregate trailer mass (ATM) of your vehicle. For buses, the registered seating capacity may also be required. You can check the purpose of use for your vehicle on the check registration status page.
A COI vehicle garaged in a remote area is eligible to be inspected at an AIS within that same remote area, even if the table below indicates that the vehicle must be inspected by the NHVR.
All COIs are valid for 12 months, unless cancelled by the Department of Transport and Main Roads or by the registered operator.
A COI issued for a Heavy Primary Production Vehicle that has a registration concession is valid for 2 years after the registration concession is applied. The first COI issued before the registration concession is applied remains valid for 12 months only.
Find the right inspection provider for your vehicle
- passenger vehicles, including motorbikes
- buses
- trucks
- prime movers
- heavy trailers
- mobile home or motorhomes
Passenger vehicles, including motorbikes
Purpose of use | GVM | Who inspects vehicle |
|---|---|---|
Booked hire, Booked hire rental, Limousine, Public passenger service, School services, Taxi | Up to and including 4,500kg | AIS |
Public passenger service, School services | Over 4,500kg | NHVR |
Buses
A bus is any vehicle with 10 or more seats.
Purpose of use | GVM | Who inspects vehicle |
|---|---|---|
Not for profit, Public passenger service | Up to and including 3,499kg | AIS |
Not for profit, Public passenger service | 3,500kg-4,500kg | AIS or NHVR |
Commercial, Emergency services, Farming, Not for profit | Over 4,500kg | NHVR |
Trucks
Purpose of use | GVM | Axles | Who inspects vehicle |
|---|---|---|---|
Licenced tow truck | Up to and including 4,500kg | Any | AIS |
Licenced tow truck | Over 4,500kg | Any | NHVR |
All other trucks | 4,501kg-16,000kg | Any | AIS |
All other trucks | Over 16,000kg | 2 | AIS* |
All other trucks | Over 16,000kg | 3 or more | NHVR |
*Note: A 2-axle truck (single steer axle and single rear axle) cannot legally exceed 15,000kg when used on the road. However, the manufacturer’s rated GVM may be higher than 15,000kg. In this case, the manufacturer's GVM is not used for assessing inspection categories for trucks (other than prime movers) if a 2-axle truck is considered to be under 16,000kg and is to be inspected at an AIS.
Prime movers
Purpose of use | GVM | Who inspects vehicle |
|---|---|---|
All prime movers | Over 4,500kg | NHVR |
Heavy trailers
Purpose of use | ATM | Who inspects vehicle |
|---|---|---|
All heavy trailers | 4,501kg-10,000kg | AIS |
All heavy trailers | Over 10,000kg | NHVR |
Mobile home or motorhomes
Purpose of use | GVM | Axles | Who inspects vehicle |
|---|---|---|---|
All mobile homes, All motorhomes | 4,501kg-16,000kg | Any | AIS |
All mobile homes, All motorhomes | Over 16,000kg | 2 | AIS* |
All mobile homes, All motorhomes | Over 16,000kg | 3 or more | NHVR |
*Note: A 2-axle mobile home or motorhome (single steer axle and single rear axle) cannot legally exceed 15,000kg when used on the road. However, the manufacturer’s rated GVM may be higher than 15,000kg. In this case, the manufacturer's GVM is not used for assessing inspection categories for the vehicle. A 2-axle mobile home or motorhome is considered to be under 16,000kg for determining the inspection provider, and is to be inspected at an AIS.