Guidance notes and key updates for certification authorities

The purpose of this Certification Authority Audit Policy is to describe the Board’s approach to Certification Authority audits.
This policy is designed for internal operational use to guide Board decisions about the scope of an audit, including which areas to prioritise when planning an audit, when an additional or more frequent audit may be required, and to inform the development of more detailed internal processes and tools to support this policy.

Certification Authority Audit Policy V1.2

Guidance to assist vehicle inspectors and certification authorities in determining whether a waterless composting toilet meets the requirements for certification.
Please note that this guidance note replaces the previous version that was issued on 17 April 2025.

Guidance Note Composting Toilets In SCV's

Notes

Registered Non Registerd Vehicle Inspection V0.1 Non Registered Vehicle Inspection V0.1

This guidance has been issued to clarify the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Board’s expectations on the use of remote inspections in the self-contained vehicle regulatory system.

Guidance Note Remote Inspections

This guidance has been issued to clarify the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Board’s expectations on the use of photo evidence to support your consideration of inspection findings for smaller converted vehicles before issuing self-containment certification.

Guidance Note Photo Evidence

This update is regarding the vehicles that are on the NZTA restricted list and do not show up on the SCV register.

You may have encountered a vehicle that does not yield a result on the SCV Register. That is due to the registered owner opting to make their information confidential. Therefore, it would be up to the registered owner to let you know this information as they are the one that has requested their information to be confidential initially. 

When you come across a search with no results, the best option would be to send a direct email to the team that looks after the confidential vehicle register at NZTA. 

Their email is conf@nzta.govt.nz. You can use this email to confirm the details as needed.

Green stickers are not part of the self-containment documentation issued by certification authorities under the ‘green warrant’ self-containment certification system and have no legal status.

We know that some certification authorities have been issuing green stickers for their own marketing purposes. However, we have been notified that the display of these stickers may be leading to some confusion, particularly with inbound tourists purchasing vehicles with these stickers.

Under the ‘green warrant’ system, a certification authority issues a self-containment certificate and warrant card if satisfied the vehicle meets the requirements in the Act and Regulations, and the person applying for the certificate has paid the levy. A green sticker is not a requirement of the self-containment certification.

The reason green stickers are not part of the self-containment certification documents is because it was considered that a generic sticker was ineffective as it showed no specific details about the certified vehicle. The risk is a generic green sticker could be placed on the exterior of any vehicle regardless of its self-containment facilities and certification status. Counterfeit stickers can easily be made as was evident with the blue self-containment sticker. The concern was that by continuing to use any type of sticker this problem would remain.

Action:

We ask that if you have been issuing green stickers, could you please now refrain from doing so. This will remove confusion and potential misrepresentation.

We would appreciate your support and cooperation on this request. This will benefit the sector as a whole and provide greater clarity for vehicle owners and the general public.

The Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Board has issued this guidance to assist vehicle inspectors and certification authorities in determining whether a toilet fixed in a vehicle using a Fix-a-Potty™ bracket meets the toilet requirements for certification as self-contained.

Guidance Note Fix A Potty