Why Do You Need a Pink Slip When Purchasing a New Car?

The least glamorous aspect of buying your own car is perhaps the sheer amount of paperwork it involves – from registration and insurance papers to car service history and logbook. While these documents may vary from state to state, they are intended to record the transaction and keep track of ownership, licensing, insurance, and financial obligations. As time-consuming as it might be to ensure the paperwork is sound and accurate, it is necessary to protect all parties, i.e., buyer, seller, insurer, etc. One such mandatory document is the pink slip.

Colloquially known as a pink slip, it is a document certifying that a vehicle has passed a safety inspection and is roadworthy. In Australia, this is referred to as an eSafety inspection report, which can be granted by any qualified mechanic in your city.

Which types of vehicles need a pink slip depends on your state or territory, but in general, vehicles that are newly registered, re-registered, or being sold need the slip. Passenger cars and light vehicles older than 5 years and trailers, caravans, motorcycles, scooters, and heavy vehicles like trucks and buses must get a mandatory car eSafety check.

Whether you are purchasing the car you have always dreamed of, re-registering an old car in a new state, or selling it off altogether, you will need to pass the car eSafety check before you can have it on the road. If you’re wondering why this document is necessary, below are the reasons:

A pink slip serves as proof that you are the legal owner of the vehicle. Without it, you cannot register your car or obtain a licence plate. The document will also state the name of the registered owner, and if it has been purchased with a loan, it will show the name of the lender or lienholder.

A roadworthy certificate or a pink slip ensures that your car meets certain safety standards established by your state and is not a risk to driving on public roads. The mechanic will inspect the car’s engine, brakes, suspension and steering, tires, lights, indicators, seatbelts, and other vital components to verify their seamless functioning.

A pink slip guarantees that the car you are putting your hard-earned money into has not been stolen and does not carry any outstanding liens or loans. If it does have a pending lien, the seller does not have the legal right to sell it. This makes it easy for authorities to keep track of legitimate vehicles.

The blue slip is another document your vehicle requires but has a different purpose. While pink slips verify that a car has passed the eSafety inspection and been deemed roadworthy, a blue slip comes into play when verifying that an unregistered, written-off, or imported vehicle is roadworthy.

Another key difference between the two lies in what the safety check comprises. In the case of pink slips, a mechanic will check the safety components of the car, such as the braking system, suspension, lights, tyres, and so on. For a blue slip, however, the test is more comprehensive and includes compliance checks with vehicle standards and emission regulations. The cost of a blue slip inspection is also higher than that of a pink slip due to the extensive nature of the test.

You need a blue slip in Australia when:

• Vehicle registration has expired by over 3 months
• Purchasing an unregistered vehicle
• Importing the vehicle from a different state or country

If you’re applying for a pink or blue slip, it’s worth noting that a pink slip is typically valid for 28 days from the date of issue. A blue slip, on the other hand, is valid for 42 days. This means if the vehicle doesn’t get registered or re-registered within this period, a new pink or blue slip will be required.

Obtaining a pink slip is rather easy in Australia — you can visit any authorised inspection station, such as a licensed mechanic or repair shop, approved by the state’s regulatory authority. Before you go in for the eSafety Check, you must ensure the car has been well-maintained and has no major issues.

Even if there are some faults, our expert mechanics at Dantrans Automotive will fix them and have the car ready to pass inspection in no time. We are also an authorised centre for eSafety Checks and roadworthy certificates — everything your car needs to be road-ready under one roof. Call us on 0418 271 177 or email us at [email protected] to schedule an inspection or any other service!