Mobile Auto Electricians Guides & Resources

What is a blue slip?

A Blue Slip serves as an important part of the compulsory third party car insurance process in New South Wales. Owners of unregistered vehicles in NSW need a blue slip inspection to ascertain the roadworthiness of the vehicle. A Blue Slip is a safety check report from Service NSW that confirms that a car has met the necessary roadworthy, design and identification standards. It is an official inspection you must undergo to check that your car meets certain criteria, including the below. - The correct year model for registration purposes - The stated odometer reading is accurate - The vehicle has a current roadworthy certificate - The vehicle identification number (VIN) does not contain any missing numbers or letters which are illegible due to paint overspray, rusting, chipping, or fading - The design inspection confirms that the vehicle meets the manufacturer's standards - The vehicle passes the written-off vehicle check - To ascertain details that have changed significantly, like a new engine, are correctly reported in the registration records. Blue Slips are also used in cars that have been imported into New South Wales from another location within Australia before RMS can issue number plates. ## What gets checked for a Blue Slip? he Blue Slip Safety Check is a full inspection of a car's current condition. Blue slips serve as a certificate from the NSW Government that says your vehicle meets all relevant standards under the Road Transport Act. Every unregistered vehicle or one whose registration is more than three months after expiry must pass a blue slip vehicle inspection. In order to pass the blue slip inspections, there are several things that must be confirmed at the service centre. These include: - That the vehicle identification number (VIN) is readable and not worn away, obscured by rust or paint, or otherwise illegible - All seatbelts must work properly - Horns and brakes need to function correctly - Flashing lights need to work properly - Windshield wipers and washers need to operate at all speeds without interruption or failure of any kind - The car's headlights need to work properly, including high beam and direction indicator lights - The car's taillights need to work properly, including the right colour of lens tinting for each light type - Reverse lights must be functional ## How much is a Blue Slip in New South Wales? The cost of a Blue Slip inspection for a car in New South Wales is around $70. Depending on the type of vehicle (light vehicle, a trailer, or a motorcycle), the cost ranges between $50 to $70. ## What is the difference between Blue, Pink, and Green Slips? A Blue Slip is a certification that your vehicle meets the state government's requirements to be registered and driven on the roads. You need blue slip inspections for an interstate transfer if you have just imported your vehicle and when you want to re-register an unregistered vehicle. A Pink Slip is a safety report issued by a service centre. It is required by the police to confirm that your vehicle meets all state government standards for safe driving. This Pink Slip is also known as an annual safety certification. A pink slip is typically the safety inspection report for your vehicle. Also known as e-safety checks, pink slips are mandatory annual vehicle roadworthiness inspections for all registered vehicles. If you have a failed pink slip, you have 14 days to get defects repaired. After that, the slip expires. A Green Slip is the NSW equivalent of car insurance. It is the insurance policy for compensating third party property damage, third party personal injury, fire, and theft. In NSW, CTP insurance is legally required for all motor vehicles, except for trailers. Trailers should get a green slip for a towing vehicle ## How long does a Blue Slip inspection take? If you need a Blue Slip, you can get it at an authorised inspection station. The Blue Slip Safety Check is a thorough inspection of your car's current condition. It can take up to 40 minutes, but the average time on site for an inspection is around 20 minutes. ## What are some things that could fail my Blue Slip inspection? Not all the components of your vehicle will be checked during the Blue Slip safety check, but there are some components that inspectors will be looking for specifically. These include the below. ### Tyre tread depth and condition The minimum legal tyre tread depth in NSW is 1.5mm; any less than this and you risk having your tyres replaced by the inspector and receiving a failed inspection result. ### Exhaust emissions The inspection is designed to measure the exhaust emissions in your engine, and any increase beyond the legal limit will lead to an automatic fail. ### Brakes Brakes are tested by stopping your vehicle on a slight incline, watching it roll back for 3 seconds, then releasing the brake pedal quickly. This test is also designed to check that there are no leaks in the brake lines and issues with the brakes. ### Seat belts All seat belts are checked during the inspection process. If you have faulty seat belts of any kind, this can be grounds for failing an inspection . ### Lights Your car's lights are checked for proper function and can include high beams, directional indicators, taillights, and more. Any fault with your lights will lead to a failed inspection. ### Windshield wipers and washer fluid The wiper blades themselves must be inspected at their full length, checking them for any cracking or damage. ### LPG/CNG tanks If you have any gas bottles in the car that require servicing by qualified personnel (such as under the bonnet), it is necessary to produce documentation confirming this has been done before you receive a Passed result at an inspection station. A vehicle that fails a blue slip test has 14 days to have the defects corrected and present for re-inspection at your local inspection centre. A new blue slip inspection must be booked If the 14 days expire. ## Where Can I find my VIN number? The Vehicle Identification Number may also be called the "chassis" number. Every car has a unique, 17 digit number found in several places on the vehicle. - Inside the driver's door frame near where you sit when driving - Underneath the steering column - On the left side of the engine bay firewall (a wall between the engine and passenger compartment) - On or around your windscreen, either directly above your wiper blades or behind them - On your registration papers ## What is a Green Slip? A Green Slip is also known as Compulsory Third Party Insurance. It covers injuries and damages caused by your vehicle so long as they do not exceed the specified sum insured provided in the Green Slip itself. Your car must be covered by a Green Slip before you can register it with Roads and Maritime Services (RMS). The insurance companies issue the Green Slip. Green Slips are compulsory in NSW. ## What is Service NSW? Service NSW is a website that handles almost all aspects of car registration and licensing in New South Wales. You can visit the site at https://service.nsw.gov.au/ ## My car has no rego, how do I get it? Your vehicle must be registered with RMS before driving it on any public road in New South Wales. If you own an unregistered vehicle or do not have current green slips, you will need to take your car down to an RMS centre so they can register it for you; this process generally takes up to 30 minutes (or longer). RMS will require a blue and pink slip inspection for registration renewal if the vehicle is older than 5 years.