Safety Certificates (RWC’s)

The roadworthy certificate was superseded by the safety certificate in November 1999. A safety certificate addresses fundamental issues that may jeopardise the vehicle's safe operation, such as:

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

The safety certificate is intended to provide greater protection to buyers. A vehicle with a safety certificate has undergone a safety inspection before being offered for sale, so buyers can be confident that the vehicle is safe to drive. This means that there will be fewer unsafe vehicles on Queensland roads, reducing the likelihood of crashes caused by defective vehicles.

The cost of a Safety/Roadworthy Certificate is $92.90, and the safety inspection is completed at our Mechanical Workshop. Please allow for 40 minutes. You are welcome to wait in the office.

In Queensland, you must obtain and display a safety certificate on any registered light vehicle from the time you offer the vehicle for sale. Vehicles include cars, motorcycles, caravans, trailers weighing 0.75–3.5 tonnes (t) aggregate trailer mass (ATM) and any other vehicles weighing up to 4.5 tonnes gross vehicle mass (GVM).

 **NOTE** Sunshine Coast European Vehicle Centre (also known as Sunshine Coast Roadworthy Inspection Centre) is only licenced to complete Safety/Roadworthy Certificates on vehicles up to 4.5 tonne GVM (Light Vehicle Category LV and Hire Vehicles CL including UBER etc)

Vehicles are not required to have a certificate unless they are unregistered or traded to or between licenced motor dealers. Vehicles can still be sold for parts or for restoration, but they must be de-registered first.

Only authorised inspection stations can issue safety certificates. These are inspection stations, garages or workshops that have been approved by the Department of Transport and Main Roads.

In most parts of Queensland, selling used vehicles requires a safety certificate. Some rural and remote areas are exempt. For more information, call the Department of Transport and Main Roads at 13 23 80.

Private sellers may use safety certificates for one new registration and one transfer of registration as long as they are within the two-month or 2000-kilometre limit, whichever comes first.

Even if you sell the vehicle within two months or 2000 kilometres, a new safety certificate is required. It cannot be used for two transfers.

For dealers, certificates must be issued within three months or 1000 kilometres before a sale, whichever comes first.

A safety certificate cannot be used for more than one transfer. This means that if you are selling a used vehicle and have obtained a safety certificate for it, the person who buys the vehicle will not be able to use the certificate if they later sell the vehicle. Also, the safety certificate cannot contain any alterations.