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Department of Transport and Main Roads

Apply to become an Approved Inspection Station

Before you apply

Before you apply for an AIS approval:

* If you are unsure whether you meet the suitability or eligibility requirements for your application to be approved, you may choose to submit your application before you complete the AIS core module.
* If you are applying to hold the AIS approval as an individual, you must complete the AIS core module. If the AIS approval holder will be a company or partnership, the nominee(s) must complete the AIS core module. The directors or partners do not have to complete the AIS core module unless they are also a nominee.

How to apply for AIS approval

To apply for an AIS approval:

Supporting documents

You may also need to supply the following documents to support your application.

AIS training and assessment

You must provide  a copy of your certificate of completion for the AIS core module. Read more about training requirements for new applicants.

Customer reference number

You or your organisation must have a Queensland Transport and Main Roads customer reference number (CRN), issued by our transport and motoring service centres. If you or your organisation do not have a CRN, you must:

If you or your organisation decide to trade under a business name, the CRN must be created under the business name (for example, Mr John Smith trading as ABC Mechanical, or XZY Mechanical Pty Ltd trading as ABC Mechanical).

Individual trading as a registered business

If you are an individual trading as a registered business, you must provide a current Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) business name extract. The ASIC business name extract must include your current business name holder details.

Partnerships

If you are a partner in a partnership, you must nominate someone to act as your nominee. You or your partner/s may be nominees. Each person that is nominated must complete the Nominee Application AIS Scheme (form F2203). If your partnership has a formal partnership agreement, you must provide a copy of the agreement with your application.

If your partnership is also trading as a business, you must also provide a current ASIC business name extract that includes your partnership’s current business name holder’s details.

Companies

Nominees

You must nominate a person to act as the company’s nominee and provide a completed Nominee Application AIS Scheme form F2203 with your application. Find out more about nominees.

ASIC company extract

You must provide a current ASIC company extract that lists your current company’s details including the current director/s with your application.

ASIC business name extract

If your company is also trading as a business, you must also provide a current ASIC business name extract that includes current business name holder details.

Interstate directors

Directors who reside interstate and do not have a Queensland CRN must complete a New Customer Application (form F3503). They must provide certified copies of documents that comply with the evidence of identity requirements for individuals (form S5385) and organisations (form S5386).

An approved witness must certify and endorse the photocopy of the evidence of identity document. The certification must contain the words 'I have sighted the original document and certify this to be a true copy of the original'.

The approved witness must sign and print their full name, position title and contact details. You may have to pay a fee to have the documents certified. All documents must be certified in English or have an English translation.

An approved witness or local equivalent is either a:

  • medical practitioner
  • police officer
  • consular or ambassadorial officer
  • solicitor, barrister, or judge
  • justice of the peace or commissioner of declarations
  • notary public or person authorised by law to witness and sign documents.

Overseas directors

Directors who reside overseas do not need to provide evidence of identity documents. However, they must provide a signed and dated letter including details of:

  • their current overseas residential address
  • convictions of any disqualifying offences*
  • convictions of any road transport offences** within 5 years immediately before applying
  • charges of any disqualifying offences and the charges have not been finalised by the court.
    *A disqualifying offence means any offence against the Queensland Criminal Code Act 1899 (the Criminal Code) or a law of another jurisdiction. This includes a jurisdiction outside of Australia that substantially corresponds to an offence against the Criminal Code (disqualifying offence).
    **A road transport offence means an offence against the Transport Operations Road Use Management Act 1995, or the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) or a law of another State that corresponds to a provision of the HVNL.

Trusts

A trust cannot make an AIS application. However, a trustee can make the application on behalf of the trust.

If you are an individual trustee and will not be supervising work at the AIS on a daily basis, you must have a nominee. A completed Nominee Application AIS Scheme (form F2203) must be provided for each nominee. You must also provide a copy of the deed of trust verifying that you are a trustee of the trust.

If you are a director of a company and the company is a trustee of a trust, you must have a nominee. You must provide a completed Nominee Application AIS Scheme (form F2203) and the following:

  • current ASIC company extract that lists the company details including the current director/s
  • copy of the deed of trust verifying that the company is the trustee of the trust.

If the trustee company is also trading as a business, you must provide a current ASIC business name extract that includes the current business name holder details.

Local government

If the applicant is a local government (council), the council must nominate a responsible person to act on their behalf.

The council must provide written authority on council letterhead. The written authority must authorise a responsible person to formally act on behalf of the council to obtain and renew an AIS approval. The responsible person must be listed on the application, sign the application and meet the evidence of identity requirements for for individuals (form S5385) and organisations (form S5386).

The council must also nominate someone to be their nominee. The 'responsible person' may also be a nominee for the council. Each nominee must complete a Nominee Application AIS Scheme (form F2203) signed by the responsible person. The responsible person may also make an application to be a nominee. The nominee application must be provided with the AIS application.

What happens after I apply?

Once we receive your application, we will assess your experience, qualifications and suitability to be an approval holder.

We will obtain a criminal history report, including a New Zealand criminal history report (if required).

We do not accept criminal history reports issued directly to you by QPS (or any third party). 

We will also look at your accreditation history if you have been accredited before.

Assessing your criminal and accreditation history

If you have a criminal or accreditation history, we will consider:

  • how the offence/s is/are relevant to the role you have applied for
  • how long ago the offence/s was/were committed 
  • any penalty imposed
  • is there a pattern of offending.

If you have a criminal or accreditation history that we believe makes you unsuitable to be an approval holder, your application will be refused.

Charged but not yet convicted

We may refuse your application on the basis that you have been charged with (but not yet convicted of) a disqualifying offence. A disqualifying offence is an offence under the Criminal Code Act 1899.

Being charged with an offence does not mean your application will be refused. 

We may ask for more details of the charge(s) and consider the relevance to the role of an approval holder before making a decision. 

Consideration of other factors

We will consider any relevant information you may want to provide. 

This might include:

  • circumstances that explain your criminal or accreditation offence history
  • impact on the availability of services provided under the scheme that may result from the refusal of the application
  • your qualification and work history, and 
  • any other material, for example, personal references provided where the person is aware of your application and your criminal or accreditation offence history.

Note that your personal circumstance will not outweigh our consideration for public safety, even if refusing your application would cause financial hardship.

Approving your application

If you application is approved, an approval document will be issued. This will show when your accreditation expires and if any conditions apply. 

Application refused

If you application is refused, we will send you a notice which details:

  • the decision
  • the legislation that applies in making the decision
  • the facts relied on in making the decision including any offences considered
  • any evidence or other material considered in reaching the decision
  • the reasons for the decision, and 
  • your rights for a review of and/or appeal against the decision. 

Inspection Certificates Online

ICO is a free web portal and mobile application that allows an AIS to electronically complete and submit safety certificates and certificates of inspection (inspection certificates). Mostly, you'll no longer need to visit a Transport and Motoring Service Centre to lodge an inspection certificate. Find out more about Inspection Certificates Online.

NOTE: a certificate of inspection for CL and CM vehicle type inspections can only be issued using ICO.

Inspection certificate books

Your AIS must have at least 1 inspection certificate book for each vehicle type you are approved to inspect. This is in case you experience problems accessing ICO such as internet or power outages.

Inspection books can also be used if the vehicle you are inspecting does not meet the ICO identification requirements, that is, have a vehicle identification number (VIN), or a Queensland registration plate and chassis number. Read more about purchasing inspection certificate books.

Confirmation and compliance audits

If your application is approved and you receive your AIS approval notice, we will schedule a confirmation audit to verify the information provided in your application is correct.

We may also conduct compliance audits during the period of your AIS approval. This audit assesses your compliance with the conditions of your AIS approval and the performance of your approved examiners and nominees. If you have a mobile AIS listed on your AIS approval notice, you must present it at the fixed AIS premises during the audit.

During the audit, you, your nominee or an approved examiner may be asked to demonstrate:

  • how to access current legislation, business rules, QLVIM and NHVIM, where applicable
  • the operation of equipment that is being used as part of a vehicle inspection.

The purpose of the audit is to help, inform and educate. However, if we detect an offence as part of the audit, we may take compliance action against the relevant person. This may include the AIS approval holder, nominee and/or the approved examiner.

Access our audit checklist. You can also use this as a tool to ensure that your AIS complies with the conditions of your AIS approval.

Contact us

Email: [email protected] 
Phone: 13 23 80 (ask for AIS Administrator)
Post: AIS Administrator
Approved Inspection Station Scheme
Department of Transport and Main Roads
PO Box 673
FORTITUDE VALLEY  QLD  4006


Last updated
24 October 2024