General information about NSW and Western Australia only; this page does not cover the other states and territories. Check the rules with NSW Fair Trading or Consumer Protection WA.
Two licences behind one repair
In NSW, most repair work on cars, trucks, motorbikes and transport service vehicles, and underbody work on trailers and towable recreation vehicles, may only be done at licensed premises. NSW Fair Trading explains that this takes two licences: one held by the business where the work is done, and one held by the qualified tradesperson for the class of work they do.
Western Australia divides it the same way, between a motor vehicle repair business licence and a motor vehicle repairer’s certificate, and in WA every business in motor repair and servicing needs the business licence.
NSW and WA side by side
| Question | New South Wales | Western Australia |
|---|---|---|
| The law | Motor Dealers and Repairers Act 2013 | Motor Vehicle Repairers Act 2003 |
| Who needs the business licence | A repair business’s owner, a self-employed repairer and a mobile repair business, including part-time work, subcontractors, partnerships and companies. | A repair business’s owner, a self-employed repairer, a mobile repair operator, and an employer of a certified repairer who supervises repair work. |
| Who needs the personal certificate | Anyone doing vehicle repair work, employees included. An apprentice or trainee works under the supervision of a certificate holder in that class. | Owners who do repair work, supervisors, anyone working unsupervised, and anyone whose supervisor lacks a certificate for the same class of work. |
| Work left out | Minor work that does not affect a car’s mechanical operation, its structure or its safety features, such as impact sensors and airbags. | Accessories that do not affect performance, safety or security, plus a list of other exempt work. |
| How to check | The public register of licence holders. | Consumer Protection’s online licence and registration search. |
Accessories, and where they stop
Both states let some accessory work go ahead without a certified repairer. WA lists examples of work that may not need one, including bolted tow bars, roof and luggage racks, sound systems, weather shields, ute linings and wiper blades, and it says plainly that the list is not complete.
The exemption ends where a car’s safety begins. In WA, if fitting an accessory means working on parts that affect performance, safety or security, airbags and impact sensors among them, a certified repairer must do it. In NSW, work counts as minor only if it leaves the car’s mechanics, structure and safety features alone.
What else a NSW licence reaches
- Written-off light vehicles. Repairing one listed on the NSW register, or on any other Australian register, needs a repairer licence.
- Transport service vehicles. Vehicles used to carry goods or passengers for a business, including freight and ride sharing, must be repaired by a licensed repairer and a certified tradesperson.
- Trailers and caravans. A business doing underbody repairs on trailers and towable recreation vehicles needs the licence, but its workers need no tradesperson certificate if the work stays at the licensed premises and on those vehicles. Work on a caravan’s living area, such as its wiring, needs no repairer licence, though other laws still apply.
Records a NSW repairer keeps
A licensed NSW repairer keeps a register of certain second-hand parts it receives or disposes of, among them engines, gearboxes, doors, bonnets, airbags, seats, alloy wheels and headlights. Each entry carries its own number and records the date, who supplied or received the part, the invoice or receipt, and the identifiers of the vehicle it came from or went into, such as the registration, VIN and engine number. The part itself is marked with that entry number.
Odometers are protected too. Altering a reading, removing or replacing an odometer, or stopping it working is against the law; one may be repaired or replaced only after the Fair Trading Commissioner is notified on the approved form, with the reading restored to the true figure.
Penalties in NSW, as at October 2026
NSW Fair Trading lists these penalties on its page for repairers.
- Advertising or running a repair business without a licence: a $5,500 fine or prosecution with a maximum penalty of $110,000. Further unlicensed conduct: up to $110,000, 12 months’ imprisonment, or both.
- Letting an employee do work they are not certified for: a $550 penalty notice or prosecution with a maximum of $5,500.
- Not displaying the licence sign correctly: a $550 fine or prosecution up to $2,200.
- Interfering with an odometer: a $5,500 penalty notice or prosecution with a maximum of $55,000.
Checking a repairer before you book
- Read the sign. A NSW repair business must display a sign, at its premises or on the vehicle of a mobile business, showing the licensee’s name and the licence number.
- Look for the tick in WA. Only a holder of a valid repair business licence may use Consumer Protection’s Licensed Repairer Tick, and falsely implying an approval or affiliation that does not exist breaks the Australian Consumer Law as it applies in WA.
- Search the record. NSW Fair Trading points owners to its public register. WA’s search takes a licence number to confirm it is still valid, or a licence type, such as motor vehicle repairer, with a name or a place.
- Allow for interstate workers. People from other states allowed to work in WA under Automatic Mutual Recognition appear on a separate register.
A licence is the start, not the whole of it: the consumer guarantees still apply to the work, as consumer guarantees on repairs explains.