Repair certification is required when a vehicle has had significant structural damage and must be confirmed safe and compliant before returning to public roads. It ensures the vehicle meets NZTA Waka Kotahi standards for re-registration and legal road use.

Cars, motorcycles, light and heavy vehicles, and pre-1990 vehicles may all require certification if they have been structurally damaged, written off, deregistered, affected by corrosion, or repaired after a significant collision.

The inspection focuses on structural integrity and safety including repaired structural areas, chassis alignment, welding quality, corrosion repairs, and overall NZTA VIRM compliance. The goal is to confirm the vehicle has been properly restored to a safe, roadworthy standard.

This depends on the complexity of the repair. Some vehicles require only one inspection. More involved structural repairs may need staged visits, typically one to four, as the work progresses, ensuring compliance at each stage before final sign-off.

Inspections are carried out at a suitable workshop with hoist access for proper structural assessment. Andy works directly with repair workshops and fits his schedule around theirs.

In most cases, a vehicle requiring repair certification should not be driven on public roads until the full compliance process is complete and certification has been issued.