Mark Jackson Automotive
Whether you’re selling a vehicle, transferring registration, or bringing a car in from interstate, a roadworthy certificate on the Gold Coast is a legal requirement — not just a formality. At Mark Jackson Automotive, your trusted mechanic in Southport, we make the process straightforward, honest, and hassle-free so you can get back on the road with confidence.
We’re a Queensland Government Approved Inspection Station (AIS) at 199 Nerang Street, Southport, and every roadworthy is carried out in our own workshop on a hoist, not in a driveway. Most standard inspections are done while you wait, and if your car passes, your Safety Certificate is issued the same day. If something needs fixing, you’ll get a straight answer and a clear list — no upselling, no surprises.
Every inspection follows the Queensland Code of Practice for vehicle safety standards. For a light vehicle, that covers:
Want the full breakdown? Read our guide: What Is Checked in a Roadworthy Certificate QLD?
In Queensland you need a current Safety Certificate (roadworthy) when you:
Some transfers don’t need one — for example, between spouses, to a beneficiary of a deceased estate, or when trading a car in to a licensed motor dealer. If you’re not sure whether your situation needs a roadworthy, call us on 07 5591 1007 and we’ll tell you before you book.
We inspect passenger cars, SUVs, 4WDs, utes and vans up to 4.5 tonnes GVM — the vehicles most Gold Coast drivers are buying or selling. Our workshop is set up with a hoist and calibrated brake-testing equipment, so every inspection is done to the same standard.
Motorcycles need a Safety Certificate too. We carry out motorcycle roadworthy inspections at our Southport workshop, checking brakes, tyres, chain and sprockets, steering head, suspension, lights and mirrors to the Queensland standard.
Trailers and caravans with an aggregate trailer mass (ATM) between 750 kg and 4,500 kg also need a Safety Certificate when sold or re-registered.
Looking for a cheap roadworthy certificate on the Gold Coast? The Safety Certificate fee itself is set by the Queensland Government, so the real difference between inspection stations is what happens around it. That’s where you save money — or lose it.
At Mark Jackson Automotive, keeping your roadworthy cost down comes down to three things:
The inspection fee is only part of the picture. What usually adds to the bill is repairs — worn brake pads, bald tyres, blown globes, cracked windscreens or oil leaks. A quick check of your lights, tyres and wipers before you come in can save you a return trip.
It happens, and it’s usually something simple. If your vehicle doesn’t meet the standard, we’ll give you a written report of every item that needs attention. You then have 14 days to complete the repairs and bring the vehicle back for re-inspection.
Because we’re a full-service workshop, most common fail items — brakes, tyres, globes, wipers, suspension parts — can be fixed here, often the same day.
Read more: What Happens If Your Car Fails Roadworthy?
We are a Queensland Government Approved Inspection Station (AIS), which means we’re fully licensed and authorised to issue official Safety Certificates. When you get your roadworthy certificate through us, you can trust it’s done right.
Mark Jackson has been working on Gold Coast cars for over 48 years. He’s been a member of the Institute of Automotive Engineering since 1980 and the Motor Trades Association for more than 25 years. When you book a roadworthy with us, it’s inspected by a team that has seen every common fault many times over.
A Safety Certificate is valid for 2 months or 2,000km from the date of issue — whichever comes first. If you’re a licensed motor dealer, the certificate is valid for 3 months or 1,000km.
Yes. In Queensland, a Roadworthy Certificate and a Safety Certificate are the same thing. “Safety Certificate” is the official term used by the Department of Transport and Main Roads, while “roadworthy” or “RWC” is simply what most people call it in everyday conversation.
The Safety Certificate fee is set by the Queensland Government. What changes the total is any repairs needed to pass. We’ll tell you the inspection cost upfront and quote any repairs before we do them.
No — and here’s why that’s actually a good thing. A thorough roadworthy inspection requires a hoist, calibrated brake testing equipment, and proper workshop conditions to be done accurately. We carry out all inspections from our Southport workshop, so you can be confident the job is done properly.
Most inspections take between 45 minutes and an hour for a standard light vehicle. If minor repairs are needed and can be completed on the spot, it may take a little longer.
If your vehicle doesn’t meet the required safety standards, we’ll provide a written report detailing every item that needs attention. You have up to 14 days to have the repairs completed and bring the vehicle back for a re-inspection.
Yes. We’re a full-service mechanical workshop, so we can repair most fail items — brakes, tyres, suspension, lights and more — on site in Southport. You’re never obliged to use us for repairs.
Yes, they’re two different things. A roadworthy inspection checks that a vehicle meets the minimum safety standards required by Queensland law, while a pre-purchase inspection is a much more detailed mechanical assessment designed to give a buyer the full picture of a vehicle’s condition before committing to a purchase.
