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WoF Inspections & Pre CoF Checks.

Dedicated to Quality

WoF Inspections & Pre CoF Checks

At William Gill & Sons, our dedicated team can help with WoF inspections and Pre CoF checks to ensure your vehicles are safe and roadworthy. Contact us today to register your vehicle for an assessment!

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Do I need a Warrant of Fitness or a Certificate of Fitness?

What is a Warrant of Fitness (WoF)?

A Warrant of Fitness (WoF) ensures that your vehicle is legally compliant with road safety regulations. Through regular inspections, we ensure your vehicle is up to scratch and safe to have on the road. Sign up today for regular WoF and reminders for follow-up appointments.

What is a Certificate of Fitness (CoF)?

A Certificate of Fitness (CoF) ensures that heavier vehicles—and commercial passenger vehicles—are legally compliant with road safety regulations. Regular CoF inspections ensure that your heavy-weight vehicles continue to be safe to drive on roads New Zealand-wide. Contact us for a regular pre CoF inspection of your vehicle today.

What is a Warrant of Fitness (WoF)?

A Warrant of Fitness (WoF) ensures that your vehicle is legally compliant with road safety regulations.

What is a Certificate of Fitness (CoF)?

A Certificate of Fitness (CoF) ensures that heavier vehicles—and commercial passenger vehicles—are legally compliant with road safety regulations.

What Vehicles Require a CoF?

If your vehicle weighs over 3,500kgs, it will require a CoF inspection. Aside from heavy vehicles, commercial passenger vehicles (taxis, rental cars) also require a CoF inspection.

Vehicles requiring this inspection and certification include the following:

  • Heavy vehicles including Trucks, Larger trailers and Motor homes
  • All passenger service vehicles including Taxis, Shuttles and Buses
  • Rental vehicles

What do CoF Inspections Cover?

During a CoF assessment, the inspector will check:

  • Wheel condition
  • Tyre condition (including tread depth)
  • Structural condition (rust is not allowed in certain areas)
  • Mudguards and mudflaps
  • Brake condition and performance
  • Lighting condition and performance
  • Windscreen washers/wipers
  • Glazing (is your windscreen clear and safe?)
  • Doors (can they open and close safely?)
  • Safety belts/buckles (must not be faded or damaged, and buckles must work properly)
  • Airbags (if fitted)
  • Occupant protection systems
  • Speedometer (must be working)
  • Steering and suspension (must be safe and secure)
  • Exhaust condition and performance (must not have any leaks and must not be smoky or louder than the original exhaust system)
  • Fuel system condition (there must be no leaks)
  • Towing connection condition and certification
  • Certificate of loading (display and validity)
  • Transport service licence number (if required)
  • Load restraints (anchorage systems, log bolsters, etc.,)
  • Stock crate/crate retention system condition

*Depending on the design and needs of the vehicle, we may check more or fewer items than listed above.

It’s illegal to drive a vehicle if...

  • It doesn't meet WoF/CoF inspection requirements
  • It doesn't have a current WoF\CoF label displayed.

*Note that it is legal to drive your vehicle on the road without meeting WoF/CoF requirements only when taking it for repair or to get a new WoF/CoF. It also must be safe to do so.

What Vehicles Require a WoF?

Vehicles that are for personal use, that weigh under 3,500kgs, and are intended to be used on the road, must have regular WoF inspections.

Most privately-owned vehicles require regular Warrant of Fitness assessments,

Including the following:

Cars, Utes, Trailers, Motorbikes, Caravans and Small trucks

What do CoF Inspections Cover?

During a CoF assessment, the inspector will check:

  • The vehicles structural condition (rust/damage is not allowed in certain areas)
  • Glazing (is your windscreen clear and safe?)
  • Lights (are your headlights aligned and are all bulbs working properly?)
  • Tyre condition (tread depth included)
  • Brake operation Windscreen washers/wipers (are they clean and working properly?)
  • Doors (are they secure and able to safely open/close?)
  • Safety buckles/belts (must not be faded or damaged, and buckles must work properly)
  • Airbags, anti-lock brakes, and electronic stability control Steering and suspension (must be safe and secure)
  • Speedometer (must be working)
  • Exhaust (must not have any leaks and the exhaust must not be too loud or smokey)
  • Fuel system (must not have any leaks)

How to Prepare for an Inspection

  • Ensure lights are in good working order. Check indicators, brake lights, headlights (dipped and high beam), and park lights
  • Check tyre pressure and tread. Correctly inflated tyres are more fuel-efficient and provide better road grip. Before inflating, make sure to check the recommended tyre pressures for your car.
  • Check your car oil level with the dipstick to make sure it reaches the indicator mark.
  • Ensure all seatbelts are accessible, functioning, and in good quality before the inspection.
  • Ensure that your window wipers are clean and working well. Also, check that your windscreen washers deliver clean water smoothly only the windscreen.
  • Make sure your car boot is empty before your vehicle’s inspection. This makes it easier for us to check your spare wheel and complete the inspection faster.

Note: If you do find any issues during your pre-inspection check (blown bulbs, insufficient oil level), we can help with that! For the small stuff, we can sort that out for you during your assessment. For other issues, feel free to contact us for a service and repair.

What to do when you arrive?

When you arrive for your WoF or CoF inspection, simply park your vehicle in the designated area, take note of your number plate, and let us know when you arrive!

What happens if my vehicle fails inspection?

If there are any major issues with your vehicle that prevent it from meeting safety standards and passing inspection, our Automotive Technicians will explain in detail exactly what needs to be repaired, so that you can get your vehicle fixed and roadworthy in no time at all.

When to get a WoF inspection?

How often you need to get a WoF will depend on the age of your vehicle.

Vehicle Age & WoF Assessment Frequency

When to get a CoF inspection?

A certificate of fitness expiry date is displayed on your vehicle’s current CoF label. Your CoF begins from the date that your vehicle passes inspection. CoF’s can last anywhere from 3-12 months, so ensure you get a new certificate before your current one expires.