Inspections
What a Victorian roadworthy inspection covers
A workshop guide to the Victorian Certificate of Roadworthiness: what VSI 26 covers, what it deliberately does not, and how to run the inspection and the repair as one job.
17 August 2026 · 7 minute read
When a certificate is required
In Victoria a Certificate of Roadworthiness is generally required when a vehicle is sold or re-registered, as part of the periodic inspection requirement for a bus or taxi, after a vehicle identity validation inspection on a repairable write-off, and in some cases to clear a defect notice. It can only be issued by a Licensed Vehicle Tester operating from an approved facility.
The standard is VSI 26, and it is written as prose
The requirements sit in Vehicle Standards Information sheet 26, issued under the Road Safety (Vehicles) Regulations. Part 3 sets out the general inspection standards in eleven sections, A through K: wheels and tyres, steering and suspension, brakes, seats and seatbelts, lamps and reflectors, exhaust and emission control, windscreen and windows, wipers washers and demisters, body and chassis, engine and driveline, and other items. Unlike the New South Wales and Queensland standards, VSI 26 states its requirements in paragraphs rather than as a numbered checklist, so most workshops build their own worksheet from it.
Be clear with customers about what it is not
VSI 26 says plainly that a certificate is not an inspection of the mechanical quality, reliability or cosmetic condition of the vehicle. Buyers routinely assume otherwise, and workshops absorb the complaint when a car with a fresh certificate develops a fault a month later. The standard also cannot be used to hold a vehicle to a higher standard than applied when it was new. Saying both of those things up front, in writing, prevents most of the argument.
Separate the pass-fail decision from the sales conversation
A roadworthy inspection produces two different lists: the items that must be rectified for the certificate to issue, and everything else the technician noticed. Mixing them makes the quote look padded and invites the customer to distrust the whole thing. Keep the certificate items clearly identified, present the advisory work separately with evidence, and let the customer decide on the second list without pressure.
How MechAxis fits
MechAxis ships a Victorian roadworthy template using the Sections A to K of VSI 26. Because the standard is prose rather than a numbered list, the checks under each section are our summary of it, and the template says so. Technicians record findings with photos, advisors turn them into quote lines the customer can approve individually, and the approved work becomes job tasks. The certificate itself is still issued by the Licensed Vehicle Tester against VSI 26.
Questions
Common questions
01Is a roadworthy certificate a mechanical inspection?+
No. VSI 26 states that a certificate is not an inspection of mechanical quality, reliability or cosmetic aspects. A buyer who wants that should arrange a separate inspection, and it is worth telling them so in writing.
02Why are the MechAxis items a summary rather than the official list?+
Because VSI 26 does not publish one. Its requirements are written as paragraphs under each section, so there is no official item numbering to mirror the way there is in New South Wales and Queensland. The sections are the standard's own; the checks beneath them are ours.
03Can a vehicle be failed for something that was standard when it was built?+
The roadworthiness requirements cannot impose a more stringent standard than applied to the vehicle new and unaltered at its date of manufacture. Assess against the standards that applied then, and refer to VSI 26 where you are unsure.
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