Role of a Vehicle Examiner

A Vehicle Examiner (VE) may be any employee or contractor of an AIS, including the contractor or proprietor, provided the Registrar is satisfied they are qualified to issue a roadworthiness certificate in accordance with regulations 79(1) and 79(3) of the Vehicle and Traffic (Driver Licensing and Vehicle Registration) Regulations 2021.

Although the Regulations do not define "qualified", the term extends beyond technical competence. It includes the skills, knowledge, judgement and professional attributes required to competently perform the role and make sound roadworthiness decisions.

Vehicle Examiners determine whether the vehicles they inspect meet required roadworthy and identification standards. There are different levels of Vehicle Examiners. Those who are approved to inspect light vehicles (type one) may conduct pre-registration inspections and prepare pre-registration inspection reports on light vehicles (GVM less than and including 4.5 tonnes), motorcycles and light trailers (GVM less than and including 4.5 tonnes) that:

• Are currently registered in another state.
• Have been registered in Tasmania but whose registration has lapsed for more than 90 days.
• Has been directed to a light vehicle AIS by Officers of Building Tasmania for inspection prior to being issued with conditional registration, restricted registration, and other special classes of registration.

In addition, they may be required to conduct inspections on currently registered vehicles which:

• Require defect notice clearances.
• Require inspection as a result of a vehicle call in being issued
• Engine change, that does not require modification certification
• Vehicles used for the purposes of driver instruction

AIS do not act as agents for the collection of registration fees and will not issue registration plates.

Prior to submitting an application

Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to consider:

• the application requirements and whether they can meet them.
• the additional work that comes with being an Approved Vehicle Examiner. Being an Approved Vehicle Examiner is more than just inspecting vehicles. Vehicle Examiners need to make themselves reasonably available to staff from Building Tasmania for calls and emails from time to time. They are also required to complete an online professional development course at least once every three years and submit a new NPC. There are also non-mandatory information sessions available from time to time. Scheme documents are updated manually. Vehicle Examiners are required to ensure they keep up to date with scheme changes.

Expression of Interest form

Each field in the expression of interest form must be completed. By completing this form, applicants are providing Building Tasmania with:

• Identification and general contact information
• Information regarding relevant experience
• Contact information for your employer and;
• If applicable, relevant visa information.

This information provides us with information we need to process enrolment into the Vehicle Examiner course with Tas TAFE and is used by the Registrar when assessing the application.

View the application form.

NPCs assist the Registrar in determining whether an individual is suitable to be authorised to conduct vehicle inspections on their behalf.

Applications for NPCs must be obtained through Service Tasmania.

When applying for a Tasmania Police National Police Certificate, the correct reason to select is other under Option 2 – Annulled Record. The reason for the application is Vehicle Examiner.

NPC document requirements

At the time the NPC document is submitted to Building Tasmania, they must:

• Have a disclosable records date on the NPC must be less than 90 days old at the time it is submitted to Building Tasmania and;
• be a certified copy each page, front and back must be certified.

Any NPC submitted that does not meet the above will be returned, unprocessed.

Fit and proper persons

A fit and proper person is a person who is deemed suitable, appropriate and legally eligible to undertake a particular activity. In the case of a Vehicle Examiner, the Registrar wants the assurance that a person is a “fit and proper person” to carry out their responsibilities to be authorised to inspect vehicles and in doing so will do so honestly, fairly and with good reputation.

The Registrar is to be satisfied that a Vehicle Examiner meet the “fit and proper person” criteria to perform services of their behalf. A factor the Registrar considers determining whether a person does meet the criteria is whether they have been convicted of a crimes or serious offences within Australia as recorded on their NPC.

Without limiting the matters that may be relevant the Registrar, may determine that a person is not a fit and proper person to be a Proprietor where they have a conviction for a serious offence, or a conviction of a kind that would constitute a serious offence if committed in Tasmania under the following:

1. An offence under sections 124, 125A, 125B, 125C, 125D, 126, and 127 of the Criminal Code, or
2. An offence under sections 158, 159, 167A, 167B, 170, and 172 of the Criminal Code, or
3. An offence under Chapter XXVII, XIX, XX, XXXII or XXVIII of Part V of the Criminal Code, or
4. An offence under section 7A, 35, 37B or 37C of the Police Offences Act 1935, or
5. An offence under section 64 of the Vehicle and Traffic Act 1999.

If an applicant is convicted for any offence listed above and is brought to the attention of the Registrar applicant will be given the opportunity to show cause, why the offence conviction(s) should not affect their application. When and if a response is submitted, it will be taken into consideration.

Step one – Express an Interest

Complete the online Light Vehicle Examiner Expression of Interest form and provide your National Police Certificate.

Step two – Complete the Vehicle Examiner course

After Building Tasmania has referred an application to Tas TAFE, applicants will receive an enrolment email from Tas TAFE.

This email will contain a link for you to progress your enrolment into the Vehicle Examiner course.

Applicants must:

• Complete their enrolment.
• Attend the course.
• Provide Building Tasmania with evidence of course completion – emailed to ais@building.tas.gov.au

Step three – Assessment

After each step above has been completed the Expression of interest will be forwarded onto the Registrar who will make the final decision regarding the application and the applicant will be notified of the outcome.

Applications that are:

Approved

The applicant will receive a Vehicle Examiner pack, delivered to the AIS they will be inspecting from.

Refused

Applicants will be notified in writing with details of reasons.

If you require further information about the application process, please email ais@building.tas.gov.au