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Commonwealth act
This law creates a national framework for regulating every road vehicle and key vehicle parts sold or imported into Australia. It replaces a patchwork of state and territory rules with one consistent national system.
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Direct links to the current provisions in Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018.
Zoe has indexed the source text for search and analysis. Use the official register for the original document and download formats.
View on official registerSourced from the Federal Register of Legislation (legislation.gov.au), CC BY 4.0.
| Situation | What the Law Requires | |---|---| | Importing a vehicle | Must hold a type approval or import approval | | Selling a new vehicle | Vehicle must be on the RAV | | Vehicle recalls | Must comply with any recall notice; severe penalties apply | | Modifying a RAV-listed vehicle before first sale | Must not cause it to fall below entry standards | | Giving false information | Criminal offence |
If the government issues a recall notice (ordering you to fix or retrieve unsafe vehicles), you must comply. The penalties are massive:
The Minister sets national road vehicle standards covering:
These standards can incorporate international agreements Australia has signed, keeping us aligned with global vehicle rules.
Government inspectors can enter premises, examine vehicles, take samples, and seize evidence. The law uses a graduated (stepped) approach:
The national vehicle standards are treated as safety standards under Australian Consumer Law, meaning buyers have additional legal protections if a vehicle doesn't meet them.
In most cases, if your new vehicle is on the RAV and meets national standards, it does not need to separately comply with state vehicle standards — the federal standard overrides them.
The government charges fees for processing approvals and other services under this law. Unpaid fees can result in your approvals being suspended or revoked.