Full Registration

CMC-Logo_edited-1Full registration for light vehicle

Please note that this is a guide line based in part on the advice of NSW Road and Maritime Services, Authorised Safety Check Inspection Station (ASCIS) personnel and the experience of various classic vehicle owners who have restored vehicles and had them fully registered in NSW.

For those who wish to register their classic vehicle as a regular street vehicle can do so through the normal process so long as it has been continuously registered. For vehicles obtained from interstate, or with lapsed registration, or found in a barn and restored etc. it is a little different. Keep in mind when dealing with the Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) that they have to sort between bona-fide registrations an recycled stolen vehicles and or their parts, so they can get picky regarding details. The key with the RMS is the three P’s…be persistent, patient and polite and you will get there eventually.

First of all is if you are thinking of looking at a classic vehicle purchase get a registration check list from the RMS (save a lot of angst later on). Remember that all states have very different laws so when buying have a check list from the road authority in the state in which you anticipate registering your vehicle. Here we will deal with some of the current requirements in NSW however as things can change you will need to check for yourself.

The check list when I last looked was straight forward but some pit falls surround it. As an example even following the RMS check list I had to get three bill of sales for one car.

When buying a classic make sure:-

  • That the bill of sale has all the regular details of any sale, date, vendors name, address, amount sold for, (see below). description of the vehicle including engine and body VIN (Vehicle Identification Number).   Check the VIN yourself and don’t rely on previous documents or what the vendors wrote down. Also it would also pay to do and online check to see if the vehicle is stolen or encumbered (any money owing on it from a prior purchase).
  • Keep in mind that although the vendor may provide you with the old registration papers, they aren’t actually required by the RMS (in 2011). Old registration papers can pose a problem. Firstly if any discrepancies are on the old registration slip they may well find their way onto the bill of sale such as a shortened VIN. Any of these errors may get a refusal at the RMS. Also if the vehicle is coming from a business i.e. Pty Ltd and the vendor signs the bill of sale without stating his role in the company on the bill of sale then may not get passed. All these problems are linked to the old registration papers so unless asked for them keep them in your back pocket.
  • All unregistered vehicles (i.e. over the three months after the expiry date) coming before the RMS require a Blue Slip (now the “vehicle identity and safety check”  (we will still use the term blue slip here as the new one is a bit long). This is issued by an Authorised Inspection Station (AIS) of which there are four different types. The one that concerns  people seeking to obtain a blue slip for an unregistered classic vehicle is an  Authorised Unregistered Vehicle Inspection Station (AUVIS). Only a small number of mechanics in a district perform blue slip examinations. The message is don’t present something that you know has a problem and it’s worth remembering when you are buying a classic vehicle… how much work do I need to do to get a blue slip?

 

 

Roadworthy for light vehicle (full registration)

  • There are two different types of roadworth testing for light vehicles required for full registration. These are 1. Registration renewal roadworthy ( pink slip) and 2. Non-registered vehicle roadworthy ( Blue slip).

Where the difference in testing lies:-

  • The pink slip inspection checks for vehicle safety, odometer reading, and registration. The blue slip inspection checks for the same with a vehicle identity check added. The identity check records both vehicle identification number and engine number and checks them against a data base. Keep in mind that a safety check can include (but not limited to) oil leaks, pitting or over tinting of glass, tears in upholstery, small rusts spots on structural and no- structural body parts, pinhole leaks in exhaust etc.
  • Also when performing a roadworthy for registration renewal (pink slip) it is likely that it is being carried out by the mechanic/s that have worked on your vehicle and know it so one would expect that this knowledge would form a part of the assessment. When testing an unregistered vehicle (blue slip) it is highly probable that the vehicle has been through either an interim of neglect and/or some restoration has been carried out. The older the vehicle the more likely that restoration has been carried out and the more likely that it has been done (at least in part) by an amateur and not a certified mechanic. With this in mind it is reasonable to assume that a more rigorous assessment is going to be made. This is not to suggest that pink slip testers are not thorough, it is just that they are likely to have some prior knowledge of the vehicle. The same might apply if the blue slip testers have worked on the vehicle during its restoration but more often than not we tend to keep the project vehicles home until they are almost or totally restored.
  • There have been incidents where a vehicle owner has presented the vehicle with items added (eg borrowed tyres) or modifications removed to pass the blue slip test only to switch things back once they leave the AVIUS. If in a RMS audit following a successful recent blue slip assessment, it is found that the vehicle is defective the AVIUS can be found responsible. For this reason AVIUS blue slip testers often photograph the vehicles including the tyres. Remember that they are wise to pretty much all of the tricks that uncrupulous customers try.

 

From cancelled registration or a registration expired for longer than three months

To re-register a vehicle, you will need to:

  1. Purchase a green slip(CTP)
  2. Pass a vehicle identity and safety check (previously blue slip).
  3. Proof of entitlement to register the vehicle. (proof of ownership).
  4. Go to a motor registry, or send an authorised representative, to re-register the vehicle.

You will need to visit a registry with:

  • Proof of your identity or if registering in the name of a business, proof that the company or organisation is a legal entity.
  • Proof of your address, electricity account, license, passport etc.

Poof of registration entitlement

If the vehicle gas been previously registered in your name then you require your old registration slip.

If you have purchased the unregistered vehicle then you require a proof of purchase.

Proof of purchase (documents must be original)

Proof of   purchase:

  •   Bill of sale
  •   Receipt
  •   Tax invoice
 The bill of sale must   contain:

  •   The Seller’s name, address and signature.
  •   The Buyer’s name, address and signature.
  •   Make and model of vehicle
  •   The Date the vehicle was sold.
  •   The Selling price of the vehicle.
  •   The Vehicle registration (if any) and VIN/Chassis numbers.

Good Luck

Trevor Beckwith Webmaster

Further RMS information

Non RMS information