WOF Regulations

A warrant of fitness is a regular check that is compulsory and ensures your vehicle meets required safety standards, at the time of inspection. It’s your job to keep your vehicle in warrantable condition at all times & it is our responsibility to comply with the Vehicle Inspection Requirements Manual (VIRM) issued by NZTA.

You must have your vehicle inspected for a Warrant of Fitness also known as a (WOF) as a legal requirement to drive on NZ roads:

From 1 January 2014

The Minister has confirmed that from 1 January 2014, light vehicles first registered anywhere between 2004 and 2008 will move to annual, rather than their current six-monthly warrant of fitness inspections. Once on annual inspections, vehicles will remain on that frequency for their lifetime.

From 1 July 2014:

Annual inspections will be extended to include all light vehicles first registered anywhere on or after 1 January 2000
New vehicles will receive an initial inspection, another one when they’re three years old, then annual inspections for their lifetime
The extended variable frequency range for certificate of fitness inspections will also get underway. This will see the frequency for certificate of fitness inspections on heavy vehicles expanded to three to 12 months from the current three to nine months.
There is no change for light vehicles first registered anywhere before 1 January 2000. They will remain on six-monthly inspections for their lifetime.

A Warrant of Fitness inspection includes the following safety checks:

Tyre condition (including tread depth)
Brake operation
Structural condition (rust isn't allowed in certain key areas)
Lights (are all bulbs working?)
Glazing (is your windscreen safe?)
Windscreen washers and wipers (do they work?)
Doors (do they open and close safely?)
Safety belts (must not be faded or damaged; buckles must work properly)
Airbags (if fitted - SRS light should work correctly)
Speedometer (must be working)
Steering and suspension (must be safe and secure)
Exhaust (there must be no leaks and the exhaust must not be too loud or too smoky)
Fuel system (there must be no leaks).

After your vehicle passes its Warrant of Fitness check, it becomes your responsibility to keep it in the condition that it was in when it passed the inspection.?

The WOF starts from the date your vehicle passes the inspection. However, if you bring your vehicle to us prior to the expiry date of the new WOF we can extend it to a maximum of 14 days or equal to the number of days you had left on the old WOF

What happens if your vehicle fails its Warrant of Fitness inspection?

If your vehicle fails its Warrant of Fitness inspection and your old Warrant of Fitness has expired, you are not allowed to drive it on the road (unless it is being operated solely for the purpose of bringing it into compliance and obtaining a new WOF, and provided the vehicle is safe to be operated for that purpose).

When all the areas that required attention have been fixed, the re-check is free of charge as long as you return the vehicle to Hometune within 28 days of the first inspection.

If your vehicle fails its inspection, we explain what it failed on and list what needs to be fixed to get it’s WOF.

If you modify your light vehicle, the modification may need to be inspected and certified before the vehicle can pass its Warrant of Fitness.

Our responsibility is your safety