What is a Warrant of Fitness (WoF)?
A Warrant of Fitness (WoF) is a manual check of your vehicle to ensure that it meets the required safety standards to be driven in New Zealand.
Once your vehicle has passed its WoF, you are issued a WoF label that you must display in the front of your vehicle.
Privately operated cars, utes, vans and four-wheel drives must have a current WoF. Commercial vehicles and heavy vehicles must have a current certificate of fitness (CoF).
How Much Is a WoF?
At Mt Roskill Collision Centre a WoF is just $70 including GST*.
We are Auckland’s Leading WoF and service centre. We are experienced and equipped to work with most makes and models – European, Japanese, American, diesel, petrol, EV, hybrid – you name it, we can do a WoF check for it.
* Please note additional charges apply for any extra work carried out e.g. fluid top-up, tyre rotation etc.
How Long Does a WoF Take?
At Mt Roskill Collision Centre, a WoF normally takes between 30 to 60 minutes. We’ll make sure your car is safe to pass its WoF by checking essential elements such as:
- tyre condition (including tread depth)
- brake operation
- structural condition (rust is not allowed in certain areas)
- lights
- glazing (is your windscreen safe?)
- windscreen washers and wipers
- doors (do they open and close safely?)
- safety belts (they must not be damaged or overly faded; buckles must work properly)
- airbags
- speedometer (must be working)
- steering and suspension (must be safe and secure)
- exhaust (there must be no leaks, and the exhaust must not be smoky or louder than the original exhaust system)
- fuel system (there must be no leaks)
For added peace of mind, we will also check your engine oil level and condition as well as your tyre pressure for no extra charge.
We will give you a copy of the check sheet, showing exactly what was checked and passed/failed.
Where Should the Warrant of Fitness Label for Your Car be Displayed?
The WoF label must be attached to the inside of the windscreen, on the same side as the steering wheel. It must be clearly visible from outside the vehicle. The recommended position is the top corner of the windscreen.
This is not optional – it is mandated by the New Zealand Transport Agency/Waka Kotahi. It’s illegal to drive a vehicle if it doesn’t have a valid WoF label displayed.
(The exception to this is if you are driving your vehicle somewhere for repair or to get a new WoF – provided it is safe to do so.)
How Long Does a WoF Last?
How long a WoF lasts depends on the age of the vehicle:
|
When the vehicle was first registered (anywhere in the world) |
WOF issued for |
|
New vehicle that’s never been registered |
WoF is issued for 3 years |
|
Less than two years ago |
WoF is issued to the vehicle’s third ‘birthday’ (third anniversary of when it was first registered) |
|
More than two years ago, but less than three years ago |
WoF is issued for 12 months |
|
On or after 1 January 2000, but more than three years ago |
WoF is issued for 12 months |
|
Before 1 January 2000 |
WoF is issued for six months |
How to Check a WoF Expiry Date
The easiest way to check the expiry date of a WoF is by looking at the WoF label that is displayed on the windscreen of the vehicle.
The WoF expiry date is on the reverse side of the label (on the inside of the windscreen. The month of expiry is punched out and the year is indicated on the windscreen sticker which can be read from the outside of the windscreen.
How Often Should I Get a Warrant of Fitness?
You should get a WoF:
- If your existing WoF is about to expire. They usually last for 12 months, however there are some exceptions.
Please refer to the information above under “How Long Does a WoF Last?”
- If you’re selling a vehicle with a WoF that is about to expire.
The vehicle you are selling must have a warrant of fitness (WoF) issued no more than 1 month before the date you hand the vehicle over to the buyer.
Call us on 0800 227 762 or email [email protected] to book your next Warrant of Fitness (WoF) check.
Talk to us about coordinating your regular vehicle service dates with your WoF renewal. We have a number of service and pricing options to choose from.