Ontario safety certificate: what it covers, and what it doesn't

When you need one

• To put plates on a used car you've bought from someone other than your spouse.
• To register a car brought in from another province or country.
• To register a rebuilt vehicle, or change a car from unfit to fit.

You can buy a car "as is" without one, but you can't plate or drive it until it passes.

What it doesn't mean

Inspectors check items like brakes, steering, suspension, tires, lights and the body for safety defects. Passing means those met a minimum on that day. It doesn't mean:

• the engine or transmission is in good shape,
• the car has never been in a collision or a flood,
• the odometer is accurate, or
• it will still pass in a month.

"Certified" listings: be careful

A seller who offers a fresh safety is offering something useful, but it was done at a garage they chose. Two ways to protect yourself:

• Get your own pre-purchase inspection at an independent mechanic you pick.
• Look up the car's inspection history. Ontario keeps records of safety inspections done at DriveON Vehicle Inspection Centres, and you can look them up through the province's portal. A car that failed last week at one shop and passed the next day at another deserves questions.

Cost and timing

The price isn't regulated, so it varies by garage. Because the certificate expires 36 days after the inspection, time it close to when you'll register the car, or you'll pay for a second one.