| REGISTRATION Overview Service Outlets Fees Plates Standards & Inspection PVIP SWVMP BIIC Retail Sales Tax Publications (pdf's) FAQs |
Registration > Vehicle Safety and Inspection Programs
The purpose of the vehicle safety inspection is to ensure the vehicle meets established safety standards before being operated on a highway. Those standards are outlined in the Manitoba Vehicle Inspection Handbook, available from any Vehicle Standards and Inspection Office. The inspection does not provide a warranty and does not indicate how long any vehicle component may remain in safe and working condition.
If you are dissatisfied with your vehicle safety inspection, you can contact a Vehicle Standards and Inspection Office.
Vehicles Required to Undergo Inspections
When you first register a used vehicle in your name, you need to have a valid vehicle safety inspection certificate. Exemptions from the vehicle safety inspection requirement include when the vehicle is being exchanged between immediate family members (spouse, parent, child or heir) or if the vehicle is a moped, registered antique vehicle or mobility vehicle.
There are about 1,300 facilities throughout Manitoba licenced to perform vehicle inspections. For further information on authorized vehicle safety inspection stations, contact a Vehicle Standards and Inspection Office.
Mandatory vehicle safety inspections are required:
Every six months for:
- Buses (unless owned by an individual and used only for personal purposes); and
- Truck tractors with a gross vehicle weight rating (g.v.w.r.) of 21,953 kg or more (unless registered as a farm truck).
Every 12 months for:
- Truck tractors with a g.v.w.r. of less than 21,953 kg;
- Truck tractors registered for farm use having a g.v.w.r. of 21,953 kg or more;
- Trucks with a g.v.w.r. of 4,500 kg or more unless registered for farm use;
- Semi trailers and trailer converter dollies;
- Trailers with a g.v.w.r. of 4,500 kg or unless recreational or registered farm use; and
- Buses operated by a church/nonprofit organization.
Private Vehicle Inspection Program (PVIP)
To register any newly acquired motor vehicle in Manitoba, you'll have to get a valid safety inspection certificate (Manitoba's safety inspection certificate is called a Certificate of Inspection (COI). Other jurisdictions may use a different name for this certificate.
If you're bringing any car or truck into Manitoba-new or used-it must have a valid safety inspection certificate before you can register it here. This includes people moving here and bringing their car or truck along with them. The inspection must be done either in Manitoba or elsewhere through a program "substantially similar" to Manitoba's.
These safety inspections before registration ensure that vehicles have met minimum safety standards before they're driven on Manitoba roads. The inspection includes careful examination of the steering, suspension, tires, brakes, exhaust, lights, and the vehicle's supporting structure.
Approved inspection stations are located throughout Manitoba. Call Vehicle Standards and Inspections at (204) 985-0929 or toll-free (866) 323-0542 for an inspection station near you.
"Write-offs" with any collision or structural damage must meet special requirements under the Stolen and Wrecked Vehicle Monitoring Program, before they can be registered.
| Q. | What does a COI cost in Manitoba? |
| A. | An inspection station can charge up to $45.00. This doesn't include any extra fee to reinspect brake components that failed the first time around - that can cost as much as $20 more. Any repairs to make the vehicle safe are extra - these repairs must be completed before you'll be allowed to register your vehicle. |
| Q. | Do dealers have any greater obligations? |
| A. | Yes. If you're buying a used vehicle from a dealer, the dealer must provide you with a new COI for the vehicle you're buying. |
| Q. | If I buy a used vehicle privately, without a valid COI, how can I move it to a safety inspection station without registration? |
| A. | You can either have it towed or get a permit through an Autopac agent to drive the vehicle directly to an inspection station. To move your vehicle after that, you'll either have to register it with a valid Certificate of Inspection, or have it towed. |
| Q. | Can I do the repairs myself? |
| A. | Yes. But the vehicle still has to pass the inspection before you'll get the COI. |
| Q. | Are there any exceptions to the inspection? |
| A. | Yes. You don't need a COI to re-register a vehicle passed from one immediate family member to another by gift or sale (spouse to spouse, parent to child, child to parent). Also, anyone who inherits a Manitoba registered vehicle doesn't require a COI to re-register it. |
| Q. | How long is the Manitoba COI valid? |
| A. | The Manitoba COI is valid for registration purposes for up to one year. You may wish to have a vehicle with a COI that's several months old, inspected again. |
| Q. | After the year is up, do I have to get a new inspection done? |
| A. | Not if you're keeping your vehicle. But when you're selling it, the new owner can't register the vehicle here without a valid COI. |
Stolen and Wrecked Vehicle Monitoring Program
On November 1, 1997, Manitoba implemented the Stolen and Wrecked Vehicle Monitoring Program (SWVMP)--a program to monitor and control the movement of stolen and wrecked vehicles. All Canadian jurisdictions have implemented this program.
The SWVMP identifies potentially unsafe write-offs and stolen vehicles, and prevents them from being registered.
The main objectives of this program are to:
- Prohibit the registration of any irreparable total loss vehicle
- Prevent the registration of any total loss salvageable vehicle unless it has been rebuilt to approved standards using approved techniques
- Prevent the registration of stolen vehicles
- Provide consumers with additional information needed to make a buying decision
Through this program, all vehicles (tracked by their serial numbers) are assigned a status: normal, salvageable, rebuilt, irreparable or unfit. Only safe vehicles are permitted to be registered for use on our roads.
If you're buying a used vehicle, you can check the vehicle's status by looking at the ownership document for that vehicle.
Body Integrity Inspection Certificate
The Body Integrity Inspection Certificate (BIIC) is an additional safety inspection required when a motor vehicle is shown with the status of salvageable i.e., total loss, but still considered capable of being rebuilt. The BIIC offers a more detailed inspection to give extra assurance that the damaged vehicle has been repaired properly and is roadworthy.
Both a BIIC and a Certificate of Inspection will be required in order to register and insure any vehicle with a salvageable status. However, vehicles exempt from the Private Vehicle Inspection Program are also exempt from BIIC (trailers, ORVs, etc.)
You must get your Body Integrity Inspection Certificate before obtaining your Certificate of Inspection.
