When do you need a pink slip?
NSW says most light vehicles more than 5 years old need a safety inspection report every year. That takes in passenger cars, motorcycles, light goods vehicles, and trailers and caravans up to 4.5 tonnes. A few are left out, including very light trailers and some historic and conditionally registered vehicles.
The 5 years aren't counted from the day you bought the car. They run from the month and year on its compliance plate, or for an imported car, the month and year it was made. Your renewal notice tells you if this year's rego needs a check, so read that before you ring around.
How long does a pink slip last?
A NSW report is valid for 6 months, and the renewal has to happen inside that window. Once the car passes, the station sends your details through electronically, and you can renew online.
Reports from other states work differently: they're valid for 42 days, or less if that state's own period is shorter.
Pink slip or blue slip?
| Pink slip | Blue slip | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A yearly safety check on a registered vehicle | An authorised unregistered vehicle inspection (AUVIS), covering safety plus design and identity standards |
| When you need it | Most light vehicles more than 5 years old, when the rego renewal asks for it | Rego expired more than 3 months, a vehicle brought in from another state, territory or country, no number plate, or a write-off approved for re-registration |
| How long it's valid | 6 months | 42 days from the inspection date |
| Who does it | An AIS station | An examiner approved by Transport for NSW under the same AIS scheme |
Need a blue slip near you?
It has to come from an examiner working under the AIS scheme, so check the station's sign lists that inspection before you go. The official name is now AUVIS, though Service NSW still puts blue slip in brackets.
Who can do a pink slip near you?
Look for the sign. AIS stations have to display AIS signs at the front of the premises, listing the checks they can do, so you can see what's on offer before you pull in. If the car can't easily get there, a mobile pink slip provider can inspect it at your place. The slip's fee stays the same, but a call-out fee may apply, so ask first.
Steer clear of anyone offering a slip without seeing the car. Transport for NSW has audited 570 pink and blue slip providers since January 2026, and the government's release of 18 October reported 127 licences cancelled and 84 operators suspended over slips issued with no inspection.
What an AIS inspector generally looks at
- Tyres and wheels, including how much tread is left.
- The brakes and the park brake.
- Steering and suspension, including worn joints and leaking shock absorbers.
- Headlights, brake lights, indicators and the horn.
- Seatbelts, mirrors, wipers and the windscreen.
- Rust in the car's structure, and anything loose on the body.
- Fluid leaks and a leaking exhaust.
What happens if the car fails?
The rego can't be renewed until the repairs are done. Fix the car and go back to the same AIS station within 14 days, and there's no extra inspection fee. Past 14 days, another fee is payable.
Anyone running a repair business in NSW needs a motor vehicle repairer licence, and that includes mobile and part-time operators, so it's fair to ask to see it.
Before the inspector sees it
You can
- Find your renewal notice and confirm it asks for a safety check.
- Get someone to watch the brake lights and indicators while you work the switches.
- Look over each tyre for bald patches, cuts and low pressure.
- Fill the washer bottle and replace tired wiper blades.
Leave to the mechanic
- Anything the report lists for brakes, steering or suspension.
- Rust in the car's structure.
- The safety check itself: that's for an AIS station.
If it were our car
We'd get the pink slip as soon as the renewal notice lands. That leaves room to fix whatever it finds and get back inside the 14 days while the rego is still current. If the car's been sitting unregistered, we'd work out how long it's been before ringing anyone, because past 3 months you're looking at a blue slip instead.