Vehicle Inspectors

Vehicle Inspectors are appointed by Certification Authorities and carry out inspections to assess whether vehicles meet the requirements for self-containment.

You need to apply to a Certification Authority to be appointed as a Vehicle Inspector. Visit the Register to find a Certification Authority operating in your region.As a Vehicle Inspector you can work for one or more Certification Authorities.

Becoming a Vehicle Inspector

To be appointed by a Certification Authority as a Vehicle Inspector, you must meet competency requirements including:

knowledge and understanding of the requirements for self-containment and specifications for facilities of self-contained vehicles
knowledge and understanding of how to correctly interpret those requirements and specifications when inspecting a vehicle
knowledge of how to seek assistance in understanding and interpreting those requirements and specifications, if necessary
the capability to record inspection details in a form that could be entered on the Register.

Each Certification Authority will have their own process for appointing Vehicle Inspectors.

We will update www.nzscv.co.nz with information about Certification Authorities as they come on board. Check this regularly if you’re interested in applying to a Certification Authority to become a Vehicle Inspector.

Working as a Vehicle Inspector

Vehicle inspections must be carried out in accordance with the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Board (Motor Vehicle Inspections) Notice 2023 (the Notice).

Your Certification Authority will provide you with the form you use when inspecting vehicles (you may wish to review the Board’s recommended vehicle inspection form), and you may refer to the Vehicle inspection guidance to help guide your inspection and interpret the requirements contained in the Regulations.

Your Certification Authority will be responsible for ensuring you carry out those inspections in a way that complies with the requirements. They are also responsible for managing your performance, ensuring that you are aware of and comply with guidance or directions issued by the Board, and that you perform your role effectively and with integrity.

You must declare when you have a real or perceived conflict of interest in the vehicle that you are assessing. Declaring a conflict of interest does not always mean you cannot inspect the vehicle, but you must be impartial when managing conflicts of interest and ensure the conflict is clearly recorded.

We’ve created an infographic that shows a typical vehicle Certification process. This shows the steps from when a Certification Authority receives a request to certify a vehicle, through to printing the Certificate and warrant card.

Open the certification process infographic