Frequently Asked Questions

They are both the same with Safety Certificate being the new term used by Department of Transport QLD 

A safety certificate is needed when:
Transferring registration to a new owner
or
when transferring to Queensland registration from another state or territory
or
when re-registering an unregistered vehicle.

Safety Certificates are for light vehicles and trailers up to 4.5t Gvm. A COI is required annually for heavy vehicles and trailers over 4.5t Gvm. Taxi & Uber also require an annual COI. 

Private Sales – 2 months or 2000km 

Licensed Motor Dealers – 3 months or 1000km

A HVRAS (Heavy Vehicle Registration Assessment Scheme) is an assessment for vehicles over 4.5 tonne GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass) or for trailers and caravans over 750kg ATM (Aggregate Trailer Mass). The purpose is to ensure these vehicles comply with: Dimension limits
Tyre load ratings

Vehicle identification 

A HVRAS  is required if your vehicle or trailer has been registered in another state and needs to be re-registered in Queensland. You’ll also need a HVRAS should your current registration expire.

In general, a Safety Certificate check can take anywhere up to 45 minutes