Who needs one
Cars, utes and light commercials over five years old, due for NSW registration renewal. Your renewal notice is the deciding document — if it asks for an inspection, book one.
Pink slip — eSafety check
Pink slip and eSafety check in North Albury
Regal Automotive is a licensed inspection station — station number S11222 — authorised to carry out NSW eSafety checks, the inspection most people still call a pink slip. If your registration renewal notice says you need a safety inspection report, you can have it done here in North Albury and renew your rego the same day.
What a pink slip actually is
The official name is a safety inspection report, or eSafety check. It is a set inspection, defined by Transport for NSW, that confirms your vehicle meets minimum safety standards before its registration can be renewed. Most light vehicles more than 5 years old need one every year.
The five-year mark is counted from the month and year on your vehicle’s compliance plate rather than the model year, so a car sold as a newer model may still be due. For imported vehicles it is counted from the month and year of manufacture. Your registration renewal notice will tell you either way — if it says an inspection is required, you need one.
Only a station authorised under the NSW Authorised Inspection Scheme can carry one out. Regal Automotive holds that authorisation under station number S11222. Once your vehicle passes, we lodge the report with Transport for NSW electronically. There is no paper slip to keep track of and nothing to hand in at Service NSW — you can go straight to renewing your registration online.
The essentials
- Required for most light vehicles more than 5 years old
- Valid for 6 months — renew your registration within that window
- Lodged electronically with Transport for NSW, not issued on paper
- Carried out only at a licensed inspection station
- Usually around half an hour for a standard car
What it costs
Transport for NSW caps what any inspection station can charge for an eSafety check, so the fee is the same story everywhere. Call us for our current price.
What you walk away with
A pass lodged electronically the same day, and a plain-language rundown of anything we noticed that is not a fail but is worth keeping an eye on.
What we inspect
An eSafety check follows a standard set by Transport for NSW, so the same items are examined at every licensed inspection station in the state. It is a safety check rather than a mechanical service — it confirms the vehicle is safe to be on the road, not that everything under the bonnet is in perfect health.
- Brakes, including handbrake operation and brake lines
- Tyres — tread depth, condition and suitability
- Steering, suspension and wheel bearings
- Lights, indicators, brake lights and reflectors
- Seatbelts and their mountings
- Windscreen, wipers, mirrors and horn
- Body, chassis and structural rust
- Exhaust system and visible fluid leaks
- Number plates and general roadworthiness
If your vehicle does not pass
A fail is not the end of it. You have the faults repaired, then bring the vehicle back. If the repairs are done within 14 days and the vehicle returns to the same inspection station, there is no second inspection fee. Leave it longer than 14 days and another fee applies.
We will explain exactly what failed and why, and quote any repair work before it starts. You are under no obligation to have the repairs done here — the choice is yours either way, and the 14-day window still applies as long as the vehicle comes back to us for the re-check.
Book an inspectionLiving on the border
Pink slip or roadworthy? It depends on your plates
Albury and Wodonga sit either side of the state line, and this is the single most common mix-up we hear. A pink slip is a NSW scheme. A Victorian-registered vehicle needs a Victorian roadworthy certificate instead, issued by a licensed vehicle tester in Victoria — the two are not interchangeable.
What matters is where the vehicle is registered, not where you live. If your car wears NSW plates, it needs a NSW eSafety check even if you are based on the Victorian side. If you have just moved across the border and are registering a vehicle in NSW for the first time, that is a different inspection again — you need a blue slip, which we are also authorised to carry out.
Also worth knowing
- A safety check is not a mechanical service — it is a pass or fail against a set standard
- It is also not a pre-purchase inspection or a condition report
- Pair it with a logbook service on the same visit to save a trip
- For a deeper look at overall condition, see our yearly vehicle inspection
- Unregistered, interstate or off the road over 3 months? You need a blue slip, not a pink slip
Common questions
Pink slips in NSW, answered
Do I need a pink slip for my car?
Most light vehicles more than 5 years old need one before NSW registration can be renewed. Your renewal notice states whether an inspection is required.
How long is a pink slip valid?
Six months. You need to renew your registration within that window for the report to still count.
Do I get a paper slip?
No. Once the vehicle passes, we send the report to Transport for NSW electronically. You can renew online right away.
What if my vehicle fails?
Have the faults repaired and bring the vehicle back within 14 days for a re-check with no additional inspection fee.
How much does it cost?
Transport for NSW sets a maximum fee that no inspection station can exceed. Call us on 02 7245 2811 for our current price.
My car is registered in Victoria — do I need one?
No. Victorian-registered vehicles need a Victorian roadworthy certificate, which is a separate scheme. NSW plates mean a NSW eSafety check.
Do you inspect trailers, caravans or motorcycles?
No. Our authorisation covers cars and light vehicles. Trailers, caravans and motorcycles need a station authorised for those classes.
Do I need to book?
Booking ahead is best so the hoist is free when you arrive. A standard car takes around half an hour.