Road Vehicle Standards (RVS) legislation implementation
About the RVS legislation
The Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018 (RVSA) and associated Road Vehicle Standards Acts relating to consequential and transitional provisions and charges passed Parliament in late 2018. The Road Vehicle Standards Rules 2019, which cover the operational aspects of the RVSA, were made in February 2019.
The RVSA will replace the existing Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989 (MVSA) and deliver an updated and modernised system to regulate the first provision of road vehicles to the Australian market. The RVS legislation is being phased in over the coming months to facilitate a smooth transition to the new regulatory framework.
The RVS legislation will commence in full on 1 July 2021.
On this page:
- Latest news and updates
- Our stakeholder commitment
- RVS legislation, guides and resources
- RVSA Implementation Consultation Framework
- RVSA guidance material consultation
- The Road Vehicle Standards legislation
- Contact the RVSA Implementation Team
Latest news and updates
- Draft Determinations under the Road Vehicle Standards (RVS) Rules 2019 available for feedback
- You can now apply for a component type approval under RVS legislation
- Component type approvals to commence later this month
- ROVER identity verification checklist is now available
- more news…
Our stakeholder commitment
To ensure industry stakeholders have a comprehensive understanding of the RVS legislation and how the changes will affect them, stakeholder engagement is a key priority.
The department is committed to informing industry stakeholders about the legislative changes, and the IT system developments to support them, on an ongoing basis.
Where possible, in the lead-up to each provision of the RVS legislation being implemented in a phased approach, key stakeholders will be invited to participate in the service design phase and provide feedback.
The department’s RVS Legislation Program Roadmap calendar below highlights the proposed timing and nature of ongoing stakeholder consultation throughout the phased RVS legislation implementation process.
- RVS Legislation Program Roadmap calendar PDF: 1096 KB
Under the RVS legislation
Changes are coming for the following under the RVS legislation:
- Importing a vehicle
- Register of Approved Vehicles (RAV) – new
- Vehicle certification
- Registered automotive workshops
- Model Reports – new
- Authorised vehicle verifiers – new
- Testing facilities (current registered test facilities need to become approved testing facilities under the RVSA)
- Specialist and Enthusiast Vehicles Register
- Component type approvals (replacing CRNs and SARNs) – new
- Vehicle recalls
RVS legislation, guides and resources
The department has published guidance materials that provide further information on the application processes under the RVS legislation. This guidance and links to other useful resources can be accessed on the RVS legislation, guides and resources page.
RVSA Implementation Consultation Framework
The department established the RVSA Implementation Consultation Framework to facilitate the smooth implementation of the Road Vehicle Standards legislation through a targeted consultation process.
RVSA guidance material consultation
A range of guidance material that will be developed to support the implementation of the Road Vehicle Standards legislation will continue to be developed. Further information, including draft material for consultation with stakeholders, will be posted to the RVSA guidance material consultation page as it becomes available.
The Road Vehicle Standards legislation
The commencement date of the main provisions of the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018 has been postponed by the Road Vehicle Standards Legislation Amendment Act 2019 (RVSLAA).
The RVS legislation will commence in full on 1 July 2021. From the day of commencement, a 12 month transitional period will begin, during which transitional arrangements will be in place that allow some approval holders to continue operating under existing approvals.
The Road Vehicle Standards package of legislation includes:
- The Road Vehicle Standards Legislation Amendment Act 2019 (RVSLAA)
- The Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018 (RVSA) as amended by the RVSLAA
- The Road Vehicle Standards (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Act 2018 as amended by the RVSLAA
- The Road Vehicle Standards Charges (Imposition – General) Act 2018
- The Road Vehicle Standards Charges (Imposition – Customs) Act 2018
- The Road Vehicle Standards Charges (Imposition – Excise) Act 2018
- Road Vehicle Standards Rules 2019
Contact the RVSA Implementation Team
By Post: The Director
Program Support and Stakeholder Engagement
Vehicle Safety Standards Branch
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications
GPO Box 594
Canberra ACT 2601