Roadworthy Questions, Answered
Straight answers on Queensland safety certificates, from an approved inspector who does this every day. If your question isn't here, ring us and we'll tell you on the spot.
$150 flat rate
Do I need a safety certificate?
In Queensland you need one in three situations:
- Selling or transferring a registered vehicle. The certificate has to be in place before the transfer goes through.
- Moving interstate registration to Queensland. If you've brought a car down from another state or territory, it needs a Queensland safety certificate before it can be registered here.
- Re-registering a vehicle that's been off the road. Anything unregistered needs one to come back on.
If you're buying from a licensed dealer, you don't need us. The dealer supplies the certificate as part of the sale. Where we come in is the other side of it: selling privately, an interstate move, or bringing something back onto the road.
How long is a safety certificate valid?
For a private seller, a Queensland safety certificate is valid for 2 months or 2,000 km, whichever comes first.
That matters more than people expect when you're selling. Get the certificate too early and it can lapse before you find a buyer, which means paying for a second inspection. Get it too late and you're holding up the sale while you wait on an appointment. The sweet spot is usually once the car is clean, photographed and about to be listed.
What gets checked?
The safety-related parts of the vehicle. The main ones:
- Tyres and wheels, including tread depth and any uneven wear
- Brakes, checked properly on a short road test
- Steering and suspension
- Lights and reflectors
- Windscreen and wipers, including chips and cracks in the driver's line of sight
- Seats and seatbelts
- Exhaust system
- Body and chassis, particularly rust and accident damage
It's a safety inspection, not a mechanical report. We're not assessing whether the engine is any good or what the car is worth, only whether it's safe to be on the road. If you want a condition report before buying, that's a pre-purchase inspection and it's a different service, which we don't offer.
What if it doesn't pass?
You get a clear written list of exactly what needs attention. Nothing vague, nothing padded.
From there it's your call. Get the work done by any mechanic you like: your regular one, whoever's cheapest, or yourself if it's something simple like a globe or a wiper blade. Then we come back and re-check it. We don't do repairs, so there's no conflict of interest in what we write down: we've got nothing to gain by finding a problem that isn't there.
Most cars that fail do so on small things. Worn tyres, a blown globe, perished wiper blades and cracked windscreens are the regulars.
Do I need to be there?
No, as long as we can get to the car and the keys.
We need access to the vehicle and the keys for a short road test to check the brakes. Plenty of our jobs happen at a workplace while the owner is inside working, or at home while they're out. If the car's in an apartment basement or behind a gate, just let us know the code or arrange someone to let us in, and leave enough room around the car to open the doors and get underneath.
What vehicles do you inspect?
Light vehicles only: cars, utes, vans and 4WDs.
To save you a phone call, here's what we don't do: motorcycles, trailers, caravans and heavy vehicles. We also don't issue gas certificates, certificates of inspection for rideshare or taxi work, or pre-purchase inspections. If you need one of those, you'll want an inspector who specialises in it. Ringing us will only cost you time.
Work utes with trays, canopies, bullbars, driving lights, towbars and roof racks are all fine. They just have to be fitted properly and working. If the accessories went on second-hand, it's worth a quick look over them before we arrive.
How quickly can you come out?
Most jobs are booked and done the same day you call.
We're a mobile service based in Newstead covering Brisbane, so how fast we can get to you depends on where you are and what's already booked. If you need a certificate within the next couple of hours, ring rather than text. We can tell you straight away whether it's doable instead of leaving you waiting on a reply.
Calls and texts are answered 24/7, so there's no wrong time to ask.
Where do you cover?
Brisbane wide, from our base in Newstead. These inner-north suburbs get us there fastest:
Newstead · Fortitude Valley · New Farm · Albion · Clayfield
See all the suburbs we cover, or just call with your suburb and we'll confirm on the spot.
Is there a call-out fee?
No. One flat rate wherever we cover, with no travel fee on top and no weekend surcharge.
Coming to you is the service, not an extra. Whether you're five minutes up the road in Newstead or out on the northside, the price is the same, and it doesn't change because it's a Saturday or because you rang at nine at night.
Still got a question?
Ring us and you'll get a straight answer, not a quote form.
Call 0423 083 432 Text us