Licensed vehicle tester
Roadworthy Certificate (RWC) in Nunawading
BM Garage is a licensed vehicle tester. We carry out the inspection and issue the Victorian Certificate of Roadworthiness here at the workshop, and when a car fails on something we can repair it and re-inspect it in the same visit rather than sending you across town.
What a roadworthy certificate actually is
A Certificate of Roadworthiness, which nearly everybody calls an RWC or simply a roadworthy, is a Victorian safety inspection carried out by a licensed vehicle tester. It confirms that the vehicle met the minimum safety standard on the day it was inspected. That is the whole of what it does, and knowing that is what stops it being misunderstood.
It is a safety check, not a condition report. A roadworthy says nothing about how much life is left in the clutch, whether the timing belt is due, or how the car will hold up over the next twelve months. If that is what you want to know before you buy, a pre-purchase inspection is the right check, and the two are often booked together.
BM Garage holds the tester licence, so the inspection and the certificate both happen here at 13 Metropolitan Avenue, Nunawading. You do not need to take the car anywhere else to have it issued.
When you need one in Victoria
The usual reasons a Victorian driver needs a roadworthy certificate are:
- Selling a registered vehicle, or transferring it to a new owner
- Registering a vehicle that is currently unregistered
- Re-registering a vehicle after the registration has lapsed
- Registering a vehicle brought in from interstate
- Clearing a defect notice, where the notice calls for one
A certificate is valid for 30 days from the day it is issued. That is worth planning around: book the inspection close to the date you actually need it rather than months ahead, or you will end up paying for it twice.
What the inspection covers
A roadworthy inspection follows the standard set by VicRoads and looks at the safety related parts of the vehicle. In broad terms that means:
- Wheels and tyres, including tread depth and general condition
- Steering, suspension, and the components that locate the wheels
- Brakes, including pads, discs, hoses and the handbrake
- Seats and seatbelts
- Lights, indicators and reflectors
- Windscreen, windows, mirrors and wipers
- The body, chassis and structure of the vehicle
- Other safety related items such as the exhaust system
Plenty of things sit outside that list and are not part of the test: air conditioning, the audio system, paint, and general presentation. We will still mention anything obvious we notice while the car is with us, because it is better to hear it from us now than to discover it yourself in three months.
What happens if the car does not pass
Most cars that fail do so on one or two small things, and tyres and brakes are the usual culprits. We tell you exactly what did not pass and what it costs to put right before any work begins, so the decision stays yours: have us do it, or take the car away and deal with it elsewhere.
Being both the workshop and the tester is the practical advantage. When a car fails on a tyre or a set of brake pads, the repair and the re-inspection happen in the same visit, instead of becoming two bookings at two businesses on two different days with the car driven between them.
Booking a roadworthy inspection
Bring the car in with the registration details or the sale papers ready, and plan to leave it with us rather than waiting on the kerb. Call the workshop or use the booking form, and tell us it is for a roadworthy so we allocate the right kind of slot.
We are at 13 Metropolitan Avenue, Nunawading VIC 3131, open Monday to Friday from 8:00am and Saturday morning. We are closed on Sundays.
Preguntas frecuentes
Do you issue roadworthy certificates?
Yes. BM Garage is a licensed vehicle tester, so we carry out the inspection and issue the Victorian Certificate of Roadworthiness at our Nunawading workshop. Call (03) 9886 7244 or use the booking form, and let us know it is for a roadworthy.
How long is a roadworthy certificate valid for?
A Victorian Certificate of Roadworthiness is valid for 30 days from the day it is issued. If the sale or the registration has not gone through inside that window, the vehicle has to be inspected again.
What happens if my car fails the roadworthy?
We tell you what failed and what it costs to repair before anything is done. You can have us carry out the work and re-inspect the car in the same visit, or take the car elsewhere. Nothing is repaired without your approval.
Is a roadworthy the same as a pre-purchase inspection?
No. A roadworthy is a minimum safety standard set by VicRoads and the result is a pass or a fail. A pre-purchase inspection is a much wider look at the mechanical condition of the car, and it gives you a report rather than a certificate. People buying a used car often want both.
Do I need a roadworthy to sell my car in Victoria?
In most cases yes. A roadworthy certificate is normally required when a registered vehicle is sold or transferred to a new owner in Victoria. If you are not sure whether your situation is one of the exceptions, call the workshop and we will talk it through.
More answers, including servicing, booking and payment, are on the questions page.
Book it in
Say that it is for a roadworthy when you book, so we set aside an inspection slot rather than a service slot.
BM Garage, 13 Metropolitan Ave, Nunawading VIC 3131
Mon – Fri 8:00am – 5:00pm, Saturday 8:30am – 1:30pm, Sunday Closed