All vehicles to be driven on roads must be registered in the name of a person or corporation. To assist law enforcement agencies to identify the responsible person for a vehicle, names of second operators, trading names or names of unincorporated bodies are not accepted. It is illegal to drive an unregistered vehicle in NSW. If your vehicle does not conform with NSW Vehicle Standards and the Australian Design Rules, but requires limited road access, you may apply for a conditional registration.

Most vehicles more than five years old must pass an annual safety inspection. If your vehicle needs an inspection, your Renewal Notice will say so. Trailers under 250kg do not need to be inspected.

To renew your registration, you need to get an e-Safety Check. The inspection report will be sent to the RTA electronically. That makes renewing your registration much easier.

After an e-Safety Check, you can renew your rego online or over the phone.

If your vehicle fails to pass the inspection, a 'white slip' will be issued. This will detail the specific items that need to be fixed before your vehicle can be registered.

Once the repairs have been carried out and checked, an e-Safety Check will be issued.

Making sure cars are roadworthy is a big part of the registration system. It’s also about protecting people – every vehicle must be registered to be covered by compulsory third party insurance. This insurance makes sure that everyone is covered for personal injury if someone is hurt in a crash.

Here’s the rundown on what the different road-worthiness inspections, and how to make sure you’re covered.

This is a safety inspection report that proves your car is roadworthy. All vehicles more than three years old require a safety inspection as a condition of registration renewal. Your registration renewal notice will advise you if your vehicle needs an inspection. To get the pink slip, you need to take your vehicle to an Authorised Inspection Station (AIS).

This is a pink slip that has been sent to the RTA electronically. This allows you to renew your rego online or by phone. You must visit an e-Safety Check Inspection Station to get your e-Safety Check.

An inspection report rejection slip. It details the repairs required before a vehicle can be registered. Once the repairs are carried out and you have the vehicle re-inspected, the vehicle will receive a pink or blue slip.

Driving an unregistered vehicle attracts on-the-spot fines ($1007 for driving uninsured and unregistered) and four demerit points. If the matter goes to court, the court can impose fines of up to $2200 for driving unregistered and $5500 for driving uninsured.