Vehicle Safety Certificates If You Are Buying a Vehicle to Tour Australia
If you are a backpacker interested in buying a vehicle in Australia to tour around the country, you need to ensure you have the right international driving license, but you also need to ensure the vehicle you buy has a vehicle safety certificate. Although the rules vary from state to state, there are several things you should keep in mind. Here's a look at what to consider:
1. Certificate of roadworthiness
In most cases, if you buy a vehicle that is registered, it also has the vehicle safety certificate that it needs, as that is a condition of registration. However, you should always ask the seller if the vehicle has a safety certificate, and ideally, you should check with the agency that manages road safety initiatives in the state or territory where you are buying the car. For example, in Victoria, VicRoads is the organisation that can let you know whether or not the vehicle you are buying has the correct vehicle safety certificate in place.
Keep in mind, not all sellers have to present a certificate. In some cases, age plays a role. For example, in New South Wales, only sellers with vehicles older than six years are required to obtain a certificate of roadworthiness before selling their cars.
2. Modifications
In many cases, sellers can obtain their certificates of roadworthiness or safety a couple months before selling the vehicle. If they have done any modifications to the vehicle since that time, you may need to obtain a new safety certificate. For example, if you are looking for a vehicle with a lift kit so you can drive through some of the rugged desert landscape of the country, make sure that the lift kit was installed at the time of the safety inspection. If not, you may need to pay for a new inspection.
3. Registering in new state or territory
If you plan to buy your vehicle in one area but register it in another area, check the rules of the state or territory where you plan to register the vehicle. In many cases, state governments require you to obtain a new safety certificate if you re-register a vehicle in their state.
4. Annual considerations
If you stay for more than a year in Australia. Keep in mind that some states require roadworthiness tests to earn a vehicle safety certificate every year. In most cases, this requirement only applies to relatively old cars. For example, in the Northern Territory, all vehicles that are more than ten years old must be tested annually.
These are the issues you need to investigate if you are buying a vehicle in Australia. Make sure you have the right certificates in place, or you could be subject to fines.