Inspections
Safety inspection (Safety Standards Certificate) near you
Safety inspection at a licensed provincial station: brakes, steering, tires, lights and body checked, then a safety certificate issued on a pass.
- Time at the shop
- 1 h 30 min
- about
- Mobile service
- At the shop
- drop-off
- Shops in Canada
- 7
- doing this work
- Your price
- You set it
- shops bid on it
You set the budget
Shops near you send their bids
7 shops in Canada do this
Inspections
What a safety inspection is
In Ontario a used vehicle needs a Safety Standards Certificate before it can be transferred to a new owner or plated, and other provinces ask for one when a vehicle changes hands, comes from another province, or every year or two. Only a licensed inspection station can issue a certificate, so the vehicle has to be driven or towed in, and you should reserve about 90 minutes. A licensed technician checks it against the province’s minimum standard: brakes, steering and suspension, tires and wheels, lights, glass and wipers, seat belts, exhaust, and the condition of the body and frame.
If the vehicle passes, the station issues the certificate, which is valid for 36 days. If it fails, you receive a written list of what must be repaired, and you can have it fixed there or elsewhere and bring it back for reinspection. The certificate records the vehicle’s safety condition on the day. It is not a mechanical warranty and says nothing about the engine or transmission.
- For cars, EVs, motorcycles, vans, trucks, RVs and trailers
- Takes about 1 h 30 min
What does a safety inspection cost?
It depends on your vehicle and the shop. Post a job with your budget and compare the bids shops near you send.
Get bids
Name your budget. Shops near you bid.
7 shops across Canada do safety inspection (Safety Standards Certificate).
What to expect
Safety inspection (Safety Standards Certificate), step by step
What the job normally covers, what to mention in your request, and the signs that it is time. Every shop says what its bid includes.
The job
What’s included
- Brakes measured: pads or shoes, rotors or drums, hoses, lines and the parking brake
- Steering and suspension checked for worn joints, tie rods, bushings and broken or leaking parts
- Tires and wheels examined for tread depth, cuts and bulges, damaged rims and loose wheel fasteners
- Headlights, brake lights, signals, horn, wipers and mirrors tested
- Windshield and windows inspected for cracks and damage that block the driver’s view
- Body, frame and floor examined for structural rust, damage and loose or missing parts
- Exhaust checked for leaks and secure mounting, and seat belts checked for wear and operation
- Certificate issued on a pass, or a written list of failed items if the vehicle does not pass
Checklist
Before you post
- 01Use a licensed Motor Vehicle Inspection Station, and decide beforehand whether it may repair failed items or you will take the list elsewhere
- 02Ask what a return visit costs, whether it rechecks only the failed items and whether the station phones you with an estimate first
- 03Bring the wheel-lock key if your wheels use locking nuts; the brakes cannot be inspected properly without the wheels off
- 04Replace burnt bulbs and worn wiper blades beforehand; small items are a common reason for a fail
- 05Book close to the day you will register the vehicle, since the certificate is valid for only 36 days
- 06Call ahead if the vehicle is a motorcycle, trailer or large truck; not every station inspects them
Signs
When you need it
- You bought a used vehicle and need to register it in your name
- You are selling and want the buyer to see a current certificate
- The vehicle was last registered in another province or country
- A vehicle sold ‘as is’ has been repaired and must be certified before it can be plated
Sound familiar?Tell shops near you what you need and what you want to spend.
Get bidsHow it works
Get a safety inspection done in four steps
You set the budget and choose the shop. Posting is free, and you pay the shop you hire once the work is 100% done.
- 01
Post your job
Choose the service, describe the job and your vehicle, and set your budget. It takes two minutes and costs nothing.
- 02
Shops compete
Nearby shops that do the work see your request and send their best offer: price, when they can start, what is included.
- 03
Accept the best offer
Compare bids, ratings and distance, then hire one shop. The others are told, politely.
- 04
Talk and get it done
Your conversation with the shop opens right away to agree on the day. You pay only after the job is complete.
Keep exploring
Related services
Mechanical Repair
Brake repair
Brake repair for a soft pedal, pulling, warning lights, leaks or seized calipers, with the system bled and road-tested before you drive away.
Mechanical Repair
Suspension & steering repair
Clunks, wander, a bouncy ride or heavy steering traced to worn suspension parts, shocks, struts, joints, bearings or the steering rack, then repaired.
Tires & Wheels
Tire installation
Tire installation for cars, vans, trucks and trailers: new tires mounted and balanced on your wheels, with fresh valve stems and old tires taken away.
Collision & Body Work
Rust repair
Rust repair on rocker panels, wheel wells, doors and box corners: bad metal cut out or ground back, then patched, sealed and repainted.
Collision & Body Work
Windshield repair & replacement
Windshield repair and replacement: stone chips and short cracks filled with resin, or a new windshield fitted, with camera calibration where needed.
Questions
Questions about safety inspections
General answers for drivers in Canada. The shop you hire confirms the details for your vehicle.
Do I need a safety inspection to sell my car privately?
In Ontario, no: a private seller is not required to supply a certificate, and the vehicle can be sold ‘as is’; rules differ by province, so check yours. The buyer then has to have it certified before it can be registered, which narrows your pool of buyers to people ready to take on repairs. Many sellers get the certificate first: it shows any repairs up front and lets the buyer register the vehicle right away.
What happens if my vehicle fails the safety inspection?
The station gives you a written list of the failed items. You can have the station repair them or take the list elsewhere, then bring the vehicle back for reinspection. Ask beforehand whether a return visit covers only the failed items and what it costs. Until the vehicle passes, it cannot be certified, so it cannot be transferred or plated.
How long is a Safety Standards Certificate valid?
It is valid for 36 days from the date of the inspection. If you do not register or transfer the vehicle in that time, the certificate expires and the vehicle needs a new inspection. Book the appointment close to the day you plan to finish the paperwork rather than weeks ahead, and keep the certificate with the bill of sale.
What are the most common reasons a car fails a safety inspection?
Worn brake pads and rotors, worn or damaged tires, loose steering and suspension parts such as tie rod ends and ball joints, exhaust leaks, burnt-out lights, cracked windshields in the driver’s view and rust that weakens the body or frame. Road salt makes corroded brake lines and rotted rocker panels especially common on older Canadian vehicles.
Is the safety inspection the same as an emissions test?
No. A safety certificate covers safety systems such as brakes, steering, tires and lights, and says nothing about emissions. Ontario, for one, ended its Drive Clean emissions test for passenger vehicles in 2019, so there is no separate test to pass there before you register a used vehicle.
Something else to ask? Once you hire a shop, you talk to it directly in your request’s conversation.
Ready when you areTell shops near you what you need and what you want to spend.
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