Common questions on the Road Vehicle Standards Act, answered
Select a question to see the answer. Questions are grouped by topic.
The RVSA is the Road Vehicle Standards Act, a federal act managed by the Vehicle Safety Standards Branch of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications. The RVSA replaces the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989.
The RVSA provides a modern regulatory framework for the Australian Government to regulate the importation of road vehicles into Australia, and the first provision of road vehicles in Australia. Into the future, vehicles are set to become even smarter, more autonomous, and more connected to each other and to infrastructure. The RVSA provides a flexible and responsive legislative framework for ensuring that Australia can access and make use of technological advancements while still meeting the safety, security and anti-theft standards expected by the Australian community.
The RVSA affects all trade sectors of the recreational vehicle industry in some way, as summarised below.
Low ATM trailer manufacturers or importers. All low ATM trailers, with an aggregate trailer mass of 4.5 tonnes or less, provided to the Australian market for the first time must be entered into the Register of Approved Vehicles. For a low ATM trailer to be recorded, manufacturers and importers providing more than four trailers to the Australian market must obtain a vehicle type approval for their trailer type. Trailers which do not appear on the RAV may not be registered by state transport authorities.
Motorhome manufacturers or importers. Motorhome and campervan manufacturers and importers needed to transition their Identification Plate Approvals under the MVSA to RVSA approvals. All vehicles need to be recorded on the RAV. Motorhomes and campervans which do not appear on the RAV may not be registered by state transport authorities.
Recreational vehicle dealers. Under the RVSA, it is an offence to modify a vehicle, for example with dealer-fitted options, in a way that will invalidate the approval conditions once it is entered on the RAV and before it is first provided, sold or under contract, to the market. The RVSA is also likely to affect the registration process of all vehicles including trailers at a dealer level. Each state and territory transport authority will incorporate the RVSA requirements and RAV database into their registration systems. More information is on our RV Retailers, Dealers and the RVSA page.
Component suppliers, manufacturers or importers. If you manufacture, supply or import a component, accessory or assembly which is governed by a relevant Australian Design Rule, then under the RVSA you may need to obtain a Component Type Approval in place of any existing Component Registration Numbers or Sub-Assembly Registration Numbers. Over time, to obtain an approval, your evidence or testing for the relevant component will need to come from an RVSA approved testing facility.
Recreational vehicle service and repair agents. Service and repair agents need to be aware of the changes through the RVSA and understand the implications of modifying a recreational vehicle, particularly prior to it being provided, sold or under contract, to market.
The Department will consider a road vehicle to have been provided to a consumer for the first time when both of the following conditions are satisfied:
For more information, see the Department’s vehicle type approvals guidance.
All recreational vehicles entered on the Register of Approved Vehicles must be consistent with the relevant approval conditions. Under the RVSA, it is an offence to modify a vehicle, for example with dealer-fitted options, in a way that will invalidate the approval conditions once it is entered on the RAV and before it is provided, either sold or under contract, to the market.
Once provided to market, the vehicle may be altered or have aftermarket accessories added. However, any alterations or aftermarket accessories added must fully comply with the relevant ADRs. Further information is on our RV Retailers, Dealers and the RVSA page.
When a manufacturer requests a World Manufacturer Identifier from the Australian National Exchange of Vehicle and Driver Information System to be able to issue VINs for vehicles covered by their vehicle type approval, NEVDIS needs to establish them as an Australian vehicle manufacturer.
A manufacturer must provide the following to NEVDIS:
More information is on our VIN Submissions to NEVDIS page.
A business effectively has three options:
The checklist is based upon the requirements outlined in Appendix 2 and Appendix 3 of the Guide to Vehicle Type Approvals and the Guide to Vehicle Type Approvals for Low ATM Trailers. Download the checklist.
Yes. It is the responsibility of the vehicle type approval holder to comply with all the conditions specified within the approval, and this includes keeping your Quality Management System and ADR evidence maintained and updated. Both must be treated as living documents.
The Quality Management System must address how this change is implemented, for example design control, engineering documentation and manufacturing control. More information is on our Conformity of Production page.
An ISO 9001:2015 standard covers a wide range of operations that are defined in the scope of the certificate. An approval applicant must ensure that the certificate has a specific scope that covers the operation the applicant is applying for, for example testing facilities or manufacturing.
Where the scope of the certificate does not cover the relevant operations the applicant is applying for, the Department may request further information from the applicant to establish the capabilities.
ROVER, the Road Vehicle Regulator, is the Department’s online administration system for the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018. All applications for approvals are managed through ROVER.
No. ROVER integrates all applications and approvals under the Road Vehicle Standards legislation and guides the user throughout the process. If you encounter issues, see the Department’s contact us page.
No. ROVER is only the Department’s administration system for the RVSA. For an applicant, most of the work required is meeting the eligibility criteria outlined in the RVS legislation. Two challenging key elements of obtaining a vehicle type approval are the Quality Management System and documented evidence of compliance to the relevant ADRs.
Generally it should take around five days for the Department to verify your submitted identification documents. If you are facing issues and require assistance, see the Department’s contact us page.
Yes. Vehicle Import System and ROVER account logins are linked due to their reliance on the Departmental Access Management System. Once you have successfully logged into ROVER, you do not need to maintain your Vehicle Import System account unless you are still using it. The Department will be severing ROVER’s reliance on that system as part of an update, when it will use Azure B2C instead.
Six tips to ensure a more timely assessment process:
It is also important to get your application right the first time, as the opportunity to change your application after it has been submitted is limited.
A Request for Further Information is a notification from the assessor requesting an applicant to provide details to assess specific aspects of the application.
You have 30 business days to respond. If you need more time, respond to the request and provide reasons for the extension request. Be sure to do so before the deadline.
The 30-day response time includes responses to subsequent requests for clarification with respect to the same Request for Further Information.
However, stakeholders can seek an extension by requesting this through the request form, including the reasons for seeking the extension and an indication of how long the extension may take to be able to provide the additional information being requested.
Yes. If you submit and pay for an incorrect application, you can transfer that payment to a newly submitted correct application.
An approval holder can apply to vary their approval through ROVER. An application to vary your approval may require assessment and may incur an application fee to recover the cost of assessing and deciding the application.
Not updating your model in your vehicle type approval may result in a failed submission to the RAV. See the Department’s guide to varying approvals in ROVER and our Variation of Approval pages.
There are no legislated timeframes for processing applications to vary approvals. However, the Department aims to assess within the legislated timeframe for the original application type.
Email notifications are sent to the applicant and approval holder. Users with relevant Authorities to Act are always able to view what payments are outstanding within the ROVER portal. Where a payment is required to commence a varied approval, the approval will only commence once the payment has been processed.
Tokens are used in providing authorities to act within an organisation. ROVER users, such as other employees or representatives, issued with a token can be assigned functions depending on the level of access that was granted.
An organisation’s authorised user can create a token by navigating to Authority to Act in the user’s ROVER dashboard. The steps to record an Authority to Act and create tokens are in the Department’s multi-level Authority to Act guide.
There have been some instances where the Department has contacted individual organisation entities and names have subsequently been changed. This may be to align trading names or better reflect a business structure.
Changing an entity’s name by the Department does not occur without consultation with the organisation or entity.
To revoke an approval, sign in to ROVER. Find the approval that you want to revoke on the approvals page and select the Revoke button, then complete the procedure. A step-by-step guide is on our How to Revoke an RVS Approval page.
No. These are not tracked, as they are registrations, not approvals.
However, component type approval holders will be notified if an applicable ADR is updated, so approval holders are responsible for ensuring their approvals are kept up to date. When opted-in approvals are varied for the first time, compliance checks with all applicable ADR evidence, including these registrations if being relied upon, are undertaken. If they are no longer valid, applicants will be advised.
Manufacturers and suppliers of ADR-related components require evidence to prove compliance to the ADR, and are required to provide such evidence on request to support vehicle type approval applications for their customers.
There are various types of evidence options: a Component Type Approval, a UN ECE approval, or a test report from an RVSA approved testing facility.
See ADRs Relevant to Towables for the evidence expected against each ADR. If you have questions, see the Department’s contact us page.
Under the RVSA, only components called up in an ADR require you to hold evidence of compliance.
Road vehicle components under the RVSA are intended to cover:
Importantly, the component or assembly is capable of being assessed for compliance against a relevant standard only if the standard provides for the assessment of that particular kind of component or assembly, and is independent from an assessment of a broader system of the vehicle.
A component that is intended primarily for general sale directly to consumers is not expected to be approved under the RVS legislation.
No. However, if you use a road vehicle component that does not have one, it is your obligation to demonstrate the ADR compliance of the component to support your vehicle type approval application. You also become responsible for the compliance of the component.
Using a component with a Component Type Approval will streamline the process, as you can simply hold on file the approval number for the component rather than having to retain all the supporting evidence.
If a road vehicle component has a Component Type Approval, the holder of that approval is responsible for the compliance, or any non-compliance, of the component.
If a vehicle type approval is granted using components that do not have a Component Type Approval, where other evidence has been used to prove compliance to the relevant ADR, then the holder of the vehicle approval is responsible for compliance of the component.
There are various ways to demonstrate compliance to the relevant ADRs, which could include UN ECE approvals or a test report from an approved testing facility. More information is on our ADRs Relevant to Towables page.
No, there is no self-certification. More information about acceptable evidence options is on our ADRs Relevant to Towables page.
Yes. Control over design and manufacture is one of the main pillars of the RVSA. You will need to complete the application from the approval holder’s perspective.
The requirement in ADR 38/05 is that an efficient braking system shall be provided. As there is no standardised test requirement for an efficient braking system, it is recommended that an approval applicant collects whatever information is provided by the brake supplier, for example original equipment manufacturer test results, performance data or product specifications.
If you are unsure of what applies to your circumstances, see the Department’s contact us page.
The concession to accept older evidence from test facilities that no longer exist only extends to components that are part of a vehicle with an opted-in approval, from an Identification Plate Approval under the MVSA to a vehicle type approval under the RVSA.
As low ATM trailer manufacturers were not previously required to hold an Identification Plate Approval, the test report cannot be accepted, and further evidence from an RVSA approved testing facility will be required.
ADR 62 allows for approved calculations to be used. A calculation using an approved calculation does not need to be from an approved testing facility. However, an approved calculation is processed through the Component Type Approval pathway, not the vehicle type approval pathway.
A calculation is acceptable within a vehicle type approval application where the calculation, that is the finite element analysis model, is an approved calculation. If the model has been approved by the Department, it would be appropriate for it to be used for similar designs for confirmation of compliance with ADR 62/02, drawbar strength.
If the model has not been approved by the Department, there would need to be testing by an approved testing facility to validate the assumptions, the engineering principles and methodology used, in the model when applying for a Component Type Approval.
Furthermore, drawbar safety chain attachment point has no provision for an approved calculation, so testing from an approved testing facility is required.
Responsibility for complying with ADRs sits with the relevant approval holder. However, safety chain connection is not part of the compliance information form for ADR 62.
You must ensure that you always obtain evidence of ADR compliance for any new component that is used in your build. More information is on our ADRs Relevant to Towables page.
In ADR 61/03, the following items are required:
VSB 1 Revision 6 has additional requirements. Although not a requirement in ADR 61/03, Caravan Industry Association of Australia has these as required fields for RVMAP businesses and strongly recommends other businesses also include this information on the plate:
The following tyre information is required and may be displayed either on the vehicle plate or an alternate tyre placard: tyre size, tyre load rating, speed rating and cold inflation pressure.
Further information may be included on the plate at the discretion of the manufacturer. After industry consultation, it was decided to include an optional field for a variant, so manufacturers and importers could include the vehicle length, how many berths, or a family bunk, if they choose to.
Yes. The Road Vehicle Standards Rules 2019 require the RAV entry charge to be paid before a vehicle is entered on the RAV. However, a vehicle type approval holder can request to enter into an agreement with the Department to pay RAV entry charges after vehicles have been entered. More information is on our Register of Approved Vehicles pages.
For low ATM trailers, the RAV entry requires:
More information is on our RAV for Low ATM Trailers page.
No. The Authorised By field is for the organisation name of the approval holder.
Where the base vehicle is on the RAV, the entry pathway sub-category is Type Approval, Second Stage of Manufacture.
Where the base vehicle is not on the RAV, the entry pathway sub-category is Type Approval, Standard, or Type Approval, Non-standard, as applicable.
The validation of the RAV submission will reject a second stage of manufacture vehicle using the sub-category Type Approval, Second Stage of Manufacture, if the base vehicle is not yet on the RAV.
Your RAV submitter procedures should include steps for second stage of manufacture vehicles to first ensure the base vehicle is already entered on the RAV, by searching via the VIN. Always pay attention to the error messages, which will guide you to rectify the issue required to complete an accurate submission.
The approval holder is responsible for all activities under the approval. When authorising someone else to enter vehicle details on the RAV, that entity must be aware of the need to provide accurate details.
Where an error has occurred, it is a condition of the approval that when you become aware of an error in information entered on the RAV, the Department is notified as soon as practicable. It is also your responsibility to rectify the error through ROVER.
You must ensure that your vehicle type approval covers all the vehicle models that you intend to provide to market. The models declared in your application within ROVER must match the details on your VIN plate and the Register of Approved Vehicles. A RAV submission will fail if the model does not match the model declared in your approval.
Once the transitional period ceased on 30 June 2023, entities providing trailers in Australia for the first time must ensure their trailers meet the standards listed in VSB 1 Revision 6 before they can be entered on the RAV and provided for use in transport on public roads. Trailers that were plated under the MVSA are not exempted from this requirement if they are first provided after 30 June 2023.
An entity has the following options for adding an MVSA plated low ATM trailer on the RAV after 1 July 2023:
More information is on our Adding MVSA Vehicles into the RAV page.
All successful submissions are automatically invoiced on the first day of the following month. For example, all submissions in July are invoiced on 1 August, whether that is a weekend or public holiday.
Invoices are itemised down to the approval level only. If you have five submissions of one approval and nine of another, you will see them as line items. Invoices do not show the individual VINs.
If the companies are using the same RAV submitter organisation, then separate invoices will not be sent. Monthly invoices are sent to the RAV organisation.
To receive separate invoices, remove the pre-approved payment submitter and pay by the batch, or set up separate submitters.
No. However, anyone with an Authority to Act can see an aggregated level of information on RAV entry batches within the payment section of the ROVER portal. The RAV also sends an automatic response to submitters to confirm the status of their submissions, successful or failed.
Yes, there is similar functionality. It is possible to re-use data from a previous XML file by selecting the Open File button. Any number of previously created records are then returned, and this data can be edited and used to generate a subsequent XML.
Note that the XML file generator was designed primarily to assist type approval holders generate valid XML files using their own systems. Ongoing use of the tool may only be suitable for lower volume approval holders.
This message means that the submitted CSV file does not meet the schema, for example an extra blank column has been inserted. A RAV submission CSV template can be downloaded from the Department’s RAV page.
Records of new entries are transferred to the public search database hourly. Note that the RAV levy must be paid, or the submission lodged by a pre-approved submitter, before an entry is searchable.
RAV correction timeframes are not legislated. However, the Department treats these as a high priority and will endeavour to process them within 10 business days.
Yes. Agents can have one submitter ID to act on behalf of multiple organisations.
For low ATM trailers, a vehicle type approval under the RVSA is based on the Vehicle Category Code. Multiple models of the same code are covered by the one approval. Low ATM trailers are based on the gross trailer mass of the vehicle.
For a motorhome, a vehicle type approval may be issued either as an originally built motorhome or as a second stage of manufacture to a completed vehicle.
An application for a type approval for second stage of manufacture can only be made using one base vehicle. Therefore, separate applications are required for each different base vehicle approval.
When you complete your vehicle type approval application within ROVER, you will be asked to nominate the Vehicle Category Code the approval will cover. You then have the opportunity to list the various models that you offer as part of your approval.
For low ATM trailers, a model is the particular name or code number by which the trailers are identified.
No, as long as the applications come from the same approval holder.
Holding multiple approvals within the same Vehicle Category Code is possible as long as you keep both approvals updated. You also need to ensure that you use the correct approval number for each of the vehicles when doing a RAV entry.
To streamline and simplify your approvals, you can vary one approval to incorporate what was captured by the other approvals, then apply to suspend your other approvals. See the guide to varying approvals in ROVER.
The Department has published the fees and charges associated with administering the Road Vehicle Standards Act. The fees associated with applying for approvals and for entering road vehicles onto the RAV are summarised below. This covers the vehicle type approval pathway only, not the concessional RAV pathway.
| RVSA approval | Application fee | Annual levy | RAV charge, per vehicle | Variation of an approval |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low ATM trailer, ATM of 4,500kg or less | $50 | n/a | $0.60 | $50 |
| Goods vehicle (NA, NB, NC), for example motorhome or campervan | $330 | n/a | $5.25 | $140 |
| Testing facility | $370 | $970 | n/a | $75 |
| Component Type Approval | $35 | n/a | n/a | $0 |
Fees are indexed and change over time. Check the Department’s current fees and charges before budgeting.
Payments may be made in ROVER using electronic funds transfer, however the Department’s preferred payment method is credit card, since this reduces delays in processing your application.
To receive an invoice for payment by electronic funds transfer, contact the Department through the contact us page, quoting the application number.
Vehicle type approvals and component type approvals are assessed within the legislated timeframe of up to 60 business days. Opt-in applications are processed in up to 10 business days.
These timeframes may be extended where further information is needed from an applicant to finalise the application. The assessment clock stops when a request for further information is sent and restarts when it is responded to satisfactorily.
For assessment periods of other approval applications, see the Department’s decision making timeframes.
The Department must decide on your application for approval of a road vehicle within 60 business days after receiving the application. This is a legislated requirement under section 21 of the Rules.
The Department aims to notify the applicant within the 60 business days. However, if a request for further information or an inspection of premises or vehicles is needed, the time to make a decision may take longer.
Yes. Applicants for all approval types receive an emailed notification of any decision made on their application. If the application results in an approval being granted, an approval notice is emailed to both the submitter of the application and the approval holder.
If you have not received an emailed notification for a decision made on your application, see the Department’s contact us page and provide the specific application number.
Yes. With an appropriate active Authority to Act in place for the applicant, more than one user can edit the same application.
When a user edits a sub form in an application and then saves the information, that information becomes visible to other users working on the same application form.
If a ROVER user is the applicant, or has an active Authority to Act for the applicant, they can see the submitted applications.
There is a filter at the top of the list of applications which defaults to showing applications where you are the applicant. Select this filter, then select the applicant, to see those applications.
Yes. The approval holder would need to contact the Department requesting prioritisation of the existing variation application if further variations are necessary.
Vehicle type approvals can be varied through ROVER by selecting the vary option on the approvals tab. When a new ADR is gazetted, ROVER will notify affected approval holders, who can then vary their application to reflect the ADR change.
Variations to an approval as a response to an ADR update are not a paid variation, unless they are combined with other changes that increase the scope of the approval. See the guide to varying approvals in ROVER.
No. A Component Type Approval is not mandatory and is something that a component manufacturer or supplier can choose to apply for.
One of the benefits is to streamline applications for road vehicle type and Model Report approvals. Having one is a way to demonstrate compliance with the applicable ADRs for vehicle components used in manufacturing or modifying a road vehicle. See our Component Manufacturers and Suppliers page.
If you hold or have held a Component Registration Number or Sub-Assembly Registration Number in the Road Vehicle Certification System and you wish to supply approved road vehicle components to vehicle manufacturers, you may choose to apply for a Component Type Approval under the RVS legislation.
However, there will be circumstances where these registrations can continue to be used for some RVS legislation approvals. More information is on our Component Manufacturers and Suppliers page.
Vehicle type and component type approval holders may submit a new application up to six months before their current approval expires. Other approval holders, such as testing facilities, registered automotive workshops and authorised vehicle verifiers, can reapply up to three months before expiration.
Extensions are not permitted under the RVS legislation. A new application must be submitted via ROVER. To retain the same approval number, include a request in the Comments and any other matters section of your new application.
The full process is set out on our Renewal of Expired or Expiring Approvals page.
Vehicle type and component type approval holders may submit a new application up to 6 months before their current approval expires. Other approval holders, such as testing facilities, registered automotive workshops and authorised vehicle verifiers, can reapply up to 3 months before expiration.
No. Extensions are not permitted under the RVS legislation. A new application must be submitted through ROVER.
To retain the same approval number, include a request in the “Comments and any other matters” section of the application. Clearly state your existing approval number and that you wish to retain it.
Yes. If the new application is for the same vehicle model and the previous approval has not been revoked, the vehicle is considered an existing model under the Australian Design Rules, which supports uninterrupted vehicle supply.
Sign in to ROVER, find the approval you want to revoke on the approvals page, select Revoke and complete the procedure. A step by step guide is on the How to revoke an RVS approval page.
When a manufacturer requests a World Manufacturer Identifier from the Australian National Exchange of Vehicle and Driver Information System so that it can issue VINs for vehicles covered by its vehicle type approval, NEVDIS needs to establish that manufacturer as an Australian vehicle manufacturer.
A manufacturer must provide the following to NEVDIS:
NEVDIS may also ask about any import activities undertaken, such as presenting approval documentation to an import broker or to secure customs clearance for the vehicle. More detail is on the VIN submissions to NEVDIS page.
