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Guides and resources

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To support the safety, environmental and anti-theft performance of all road vehicles being provided to the Australian market for the first time, the Road Vehicle Standards (RVS) legislation has replaced the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989 (MVSA).

Please visit the Road Vehicle Standards laws page for more information.

Resources available:

Approval pathways for entry on the Register of Approved Vehicles (RAV)

The Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018 (RVSA) establishes the Register of Approved Vehicles (RAV), an online database of vehicles that have met the requirements of the RVS legislation and been approved for provision to the Australian market. It replaces the need physical compliance (ID) plates currently fitted to vehicles.

All road vehicle types – cars, trucks, trailers, etc – must be entered on the RAV before they can be provided to the market for the first time in Australia.

The RAV has two approval pathways – vehicle type approval or concessional RAV entry – and manufacturers and suppliers need to decide which one is appropriate for each vehicle type.

A vehicle type approval identifies the applicable national road vehicle standards for a road vehicle type and specifies the documents required to confirm compliance with them.

Under the concessional RAV entry approval pathway, vehicles will be entered on the RAV on behalf of an approval holder on a vehicle-by-vehicle basis. For example, specialist and enthusiast vehicles.

The diagram below provides further information on these two pathways.

diagram showing the approval pathways for entry on the Register of Approved Vehicles (RAV)

Click to enlarge

Vehicle type approvals

These resources provide further information for applicants who wish to apply for a vehicle type approval.

  • Overview of vehicle type approvals PDF: 478 KB ReadSpeaker
  • Guide to vehicle type approvals PDF: 2204 KB ReadSpeaker
  • Guide to vehicle type approvals opt-in arrangements PDF: 1152 KB ReadSpeaker
  • Using other approvals to support a vehicle type approval application PDF: 426 KB ReadSpeaker

Concessional RAV entry approvals

The concessional RAV entry approval is a pathway for entering certain vehicles on the RAV that have concessions against the national road vehicle standards, but are otherwise suitable for use on public roads in Australia.

This resource provides further information for applicants who wish to apply for a concessional RAV entry approval.

Importing a road vehicle into Australia

  • Importing a special purpose vehicle under the RVS legislation—interim arrangements PDF: 965 KB ReadSpeaker
  • Non-RAV entry import approvals guide PDF: 1014 KB ReadSpeaker
  • Vehicle reimportation import approvals guide PDF: 950 KB ReadSpeaker
  • Advisory Notice that a ‘thing’ is not a road vehicle—overview PDF: 444 KB ReadSpeaker
  • Importing road vehicles under Status of Forces Agreements and certain Customs Tariff Act by-laws PDF: 464 KB ReadSpeaker

Registered automotive workshops

Model Reports

  • Guide to applying for a Model Report approval PDF: 1237 KB ReadSpeaker
  • Model Reports – overview PDF: 488 KB ReadSpeaker
  • Guide to Model Reports—Developing a Model Report for SEVs vehicles August 2021 PDF: 1106 KB ReadSpeaker

Authorised vehicle verifiers

These resources provide further information for applicants who wish to apply to become an approved vehicle verifier.

Testing facilities

We are ready for more applications for testing facilities under the RVS legislation to be submitted. Apply in ROVER.

Access a list of approved testing facilities in ROVER.

These resources provide further information for applicants who wish to apply for a testing facility approval.

Specialist and enthusiast vehicles

Component type approvals

Each component type approval that is in force is published in the list of component type approvals. Access a list of component type approvals in ROVER.

NEW: Component type approval holders are now able to initiate a vary, suspend or revoke from their list of approvals in ROVER.

These resources provide further information for applicants who wish to apply for a component type approval.

  • Overview of Component Type Approvals PDF: 479 KB ReadSpeaker
  • Guide to Component Type Approvals PDF: 3539 KB ReadSpeaker
  • Position Paper - Component Type Approval - test reports not completed by an RVS approved testing facility PDF: 4469 KB ReadSpeaker

Low ATM trailers

Under the RVS legislation, every road vehicle, including trailers, will need to have certain vehicle and compliance information listed on an online database known as the Register of Approved Vehicles (RAV) before they may be provided to consumers for the first time in Australia.

  • Overview of low ATM trailers PDF: 463 KB ReadSpeaker
  • Guide to vehicle type approvals for low ATM trailers 4.5t ATM or less, August 2021 PDF: 1166 KB ReadSpeaker

High ATM trailers

ROVER resources

ROVER Templates

  • Multiple CTAs as evidence XLSX: 17 KB

    Note: If you are using multiple different approved components for one ADR, you can use this template to upload additional information as a .pdf or .jpg document with the list of components that may be used. The template can be completed, or used as a guide to the information we expect in the upload. Please ensure the full component type approval number is entered including the separator (eg. CTA-060038).

  • Unique identification numbers under recall CSV: 1 KB

Refuse to consider powers

  • Refuse to consider powers—a guide for industry PDF: 818 KB ReadSpeaker

Varying approvals Guide for industry

Transition to Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018—Guidance Materials

This document provides the plan for how content from Administrator's Circulars and other MVSA guidance material will transition to RVSA guidance material.

Roads Vehicle Standards legislation

The Road Vehicle Standards package of legislation includes:

Road Vehicle Standards Determinations

Glossary of terms

The Road Vehicle Standards (RVS) legislation - Glossary of terms provides a comprehensive list of acronyms and terms used in RVS policies, procedures and guidance material.

Cost Recovery Implementation Statement

The Cost Recovery Implementation Statement provides information on how the department undertakes cost recovery arrangements for administrative and regulatory activities under the Road Vehicle Standards legislation.

  • Cost Recovery Implementation Statement—Road Vehicle Standards 2020–21 PDF: 1170 KB ReadSpeaker

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Last Updated: 3 August, 2021