Motor vehicle repairer exemptions

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Business / companyLicence holdersMotor industry

every business in the motor repair and servicing industry requires a repair business licence.

Vehicle and parts manufacturers are exempt if they do not actually repair vehicles.  If you manufacture parts but do not fit them to a vehicle you will not require a licence.  The question you must ask yourself is whether you actually repair, modify or service a vehicle itself.

However a body builder who modifies a vehicle by creating a new body is not considered to be a manufacturer and therefore must hold a licence.

Exempted activities

Some services have been specifically exempted from the Motor Vehicle Repairers Act 2003 and therefore will not require a licence, these are:

  • vehicle washing and cleaning services;
  • repairing and installing refrigeration units in trailers;
  • repairing and installing fridges, stoves, sinks toilets and other furnishings in vehicles;
  • repairing and installing equipment such as cranes, concrete mixers, welders and other industrial equipments fixed to vehicles;
  • removal or dismantling only parts by wreckers; 
  • window tinting; and

  • repairing and installing accessories that do not affect the performance, safety or security of a vehicle.

Accessory fitting

From 25 September 2021, repairers will not need to be certified if they are repairing or installing accessories which do not affect the performance, safety or security of a motor vehicle.

Consumer Protection has developed the following guide for the repair industry to assist with understanding which accessories may be exempted from certification requirements.

Please note:

The examples listed below are a guide only and are not intended to be an exhaustive list. If fitment of an accessory listed below would require work on other parts of the vehicle which do affect performance, safety or security (e.g. airbags or impact sensors), then work must be carried out by a certified repairer. 

The replacement or installation of the following accessories are examples of work that may not need to be carried out by a certified repairer:

  • bonnet protectors;
  • light globes;
  • headlight protectors;
  • jerry can carriers;
  • luggage and roof racks;
  • protective awnings, car top tents, enclosures and canopies;
  • side steps, rails and boards;
  • skirts;
  • sound systems and radios;
  • spare wheel racks/carriers;
  • spoilers;
  • tow bars (bolted);
  • ute linings;
  • vehicle detailing;
  • water carriers (rack or body mounted);
  • weather shields; and
  • wiper blades.

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