You require a valid safety Certificate of Inspection (COI) to register a newly acquired vehicle in Manitoba. A COI confirms that, at the time of inspection, a vehicle met basic standards for operation in Manitoba, which are set out in the Vehicle Equipment, Safety and Inspection Regulation.

A COI doesn’t include a detailed inspection of the engine or transmission and is not a guarantee of the overall quality of the vehicle. It is a good idea to have your vehicle fully inspected by a trusted mechanic before purchase.

When do you need a COI

A COI is required:

  • When ownership of a vehicle is transferred. (See Exemptions below.)
  • When bringing any vehicle into Manitoba. This includes vehicles owned by people moving to Manitoba.

A COI is valid for one year to transfer ownership. However, it is important to remember that the vehicle condition will change over time and the current condition may not be accurately reflected in a COI that is several months old. After one year, a new COI is required to transfer the vehicle.

If you buy a used vehicle from a dealer, the dealer must issue you a valid COI. See more information about buying a vehicle. Dealers are also required under Manitoba law to disclose information pertaining to a vehicle’s history. For more information, please read the important tips from the Consumer Protection Office.

If you buy a used vehicle privately without a valid COI, you can either tow your vehicle or get a permit through an Autopac agent to drive it directly to an inspection station. If the vehicle passes inspection and receives a COI, it can be driven away on a permit, and can be immediately registered. If the vehicle does not pass the COI inspection, it must be towed. (A write-off vehicle with a status of “salvageable” cannot be driven or registered until its status is changed to “rebuilt”.)

A new vehicle does not require a COI.

What’s inspected

An inspector at one of Manitoba’s registered vehicle inspection stations signs a COI after a vehicle passes an inspection of components and systems, including:

  • brakes
  • suspension
  • tires
  • lights
  • exhaust system
  • seat belts
  • steering
  • other components and systems

View the COI form to see all the inspected components.

Outcomes

There are three possible outcomes to the COI inspection:

Pass: The vehicle passes the inspection and receives a COI.

Advisement: The vehicle currently meets all minimum safety standards and receives a COI. However, the advisement notes that specified components will soon require servicing or repair.

Fail: The vehicle does not meet certain standards. The vehicle must undergo specified repairs and pass a re-inspection before a COI can be issued.

Note that repairs can be done yourself, as long as the vehicle passes the inspection.

Where to get a COI inspection

Approved inspection stations are located throughout Manitoba and can be located using our inspection station search tool. An approved station will display a sign designating it as a Vehicle Inspection Safety Station and displaying the logos of Manitoba Public Insurance and the Province of Manitoba.

The inspection must be done either in Manitoba or elsewhere through a program substantially similar to Manitoba’s. Contact Vehicle Safety for more information.

There is no set cost for a COI. The cost is determined by the inspection station.

Exemptions

If you are a previous Manitoba resident who is moving back to Manitoba and bringing a vehicle that was previously registered to you in Manitoba, the vehicle is exempt from the COI requirement.

Certain transfers of ownership are exempt from the COI requirements. These are:

  • A vehicle registered in Manitoba that is being transferred to: a spouse or common-law partner; a child or step-child; a parent, or as an inheritance to the beneficiary of an estate.
  • A new vehicle that is not subject to periodic mandatory inspections.
  • Any transfer from a dealer to another dealer.
  • Any transfer from a dealer to a recycler.
  • Any transfer from a dealer if the vehicle has an irreparable status.
  • Any vehicle registered as a remote area vehicle.
  • Any transfer involving a vehicle to be registered as an antique motor vehicle.
  • A lease vehicle, when there is a change of lessor, but no change of lessee.
  • A lease vehicle, when there is a change of lessee on a lease agreement, providing that an amended lease agreement is provided by the lessor and the new lessee would have qualified for a COI exemption if they had actually owned the vehicle (e.g., spouse to spouse, child to parent, parent to child).
  • A lease vehicle, when the ownership is transferred from the lessor to the lessee but only if the lessor is not a dealer. If a dealer is the agent for the lessor, a COI is required.
  • A bus designed for carrying 11 or more people (including the driver) and owned and operated on behalf of the City of Winnipeg or the City of Brandon.

The Body Integrity Inspection Certificate (BIIC) is an additional structural safety inspection required when a motor vehicle is shown with the status of salvageable. (See information on statuses and the Stolen and Wrecked Vehicle Monitoring Program.)

The BIIC provides assurance that the damaged vehicle:

  • has been repaired in accordance with the original equipment manufacturer (OEM)
  • is roadworthy
  • has a structurally sound frame and body

Contact a licensed body integrity inspection station for more information. To locate an inspection station, use our search tool.

Both a BIIC and a Certificate of Inspection (COI) are required to register and insure any vehicle with a salvageable status. You must get your BIIC before obtaining your COI. Exempt vehicles include mopeds, agricultural equipment, trailers and off-road vehicles.

Number of inspections

The repair and inspection process for salvageable vehicles can be very complex and will vary depending on the type and severity of damage to the salvageable vehicle. In some cases two inspections may suffice while in other cases multiple inspections may be required at different times during the rebuilding process.

Fees are set by the inspection station. They will vary according to market rates and the complexity of the inspection(s) required.

Repair plan

Before starting a rebuild, you must complete the Application for Rebuilt Vehicle Certification, which includes a repair plan that lists the repairs and states how they will be made. The application must be approved by a qualified inspection mechanic before repairs can proceed.

The vehicle must be taken to the inspection station for an initial inspection by the inspection mechanic to ensure the repair plan aligns with the damage to the vehicle. The repair plan must be approved by a qualified inspection mechanic before repairs can proceed. It must include the OEM repair procedures for the make/model/year printed from a published source for all structural repairs.

The inspection mechanic will also take four colour photographs of the vehicle (front, rear and both sides).

Proper welding techniques must be followed according to the OEM repair guide. The inspection mechanic must ensure the rebuilder has the tools and training to perform the structural repairs. As part of the approval, the station will determine how frequently and at what points during the rebuilding process vehicle inspections will be required.

Inspecting repairs

Repairs can be performed by any repair facility you choose or the repairs can be done by the owner if approved in the repair plan. However, only a licensed body integrity inspection mechanic can perform the inspections required to obtain a BIIC.

The assembly joints must be assessable for inspection and no sealant, sound-proofing or rust-proofing compound can be applied until the inspection mechanic verifies that repair procedures meet prescribed standards. Every salvageable vehicle must also pass a four-wheel-alignment inspection. In all cases, vehicles are subject to frame-gauging (a detailed structural measurement to ensure manufacturer’s specifications are met).

All Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS) must be fully functional to OEM standards. The vehicle system will be scanned to verify that the SRS system is functioning as per OEM.

MPI’s Vehicle Safety department is responsible for Manitoba’s vehicle inspection standards, and oversees administration of the vehicle inspection programs that are currently in place. Inspections help ensure vehicles are safe and meet the equipment standards and requirements set out in the Vehicle Equipment, Safety and Inspection Regulation.

These standards are important when buying or importing a vehicle, modifying a vehicle or rebuilding a write-off.

Vehicle Safety also looks after the licensing and control of vehicle dealers, to help ensure that dealers conduct their business within legislated requirements, and to maintain an orderly marketplace for Manitobans through investigation and arbitration of consumer complaints relating to the safe operating condition of motor vehicles.

Manitobans who wish to file a complaint about a dealership or government inspection station can contact Vehicle Safety at 204-985-0920 or toll-free at 1-866-323-0542.

About inspections

Some inspections are required as part of the registration process:

Roadside inspections

Vehicles are required to meet certain standards to pass inspections for registration. However, the law also requires that vehicles always meet minimum standards.

Law enforcement agencies throughout Manitoba conduct roadside inspection programs to ensure vehicles are properly maintained and meet those minimum standards for safety. Vehicle Safety cooperates with law enforcement agencies in roadside vehicle inspections to inspect critical components and systems that may pose imminent safety concerns.

Periodic mandatory inspections

Certain commercial vehicles must undergo additional inspections.

Mandatory vehicle safety inspections are required every six months for:

  • common carrier buses
  • regulated passenger vehicles that are a school bus or rental vehicle

Mandatory vehicle safety inspections are required every 12 months for:

  • trucks including truck tractors with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 4,500 kg or more
  • ambulances with a GVWR of 4,500 kg or more
  • stretcher transportation vehicles with a GVWR of 4,500 kg or more
  • regulated passenger vehicles (that are not a school bus or rental vehicle)
  • trailers, including semi-trailers, with a GVWR of 4,500 kg or more
  • trailer converter dollies with a GVWR of 4,500 kg or more

Vehicles excluded from periodic mandatory vehicle inspection requirements include:

  • farm trailers
  • truck tractors registered as a farm truck with a GVWR that is less than 21,952 kg
  • motor vehicles or trailers designed/modified for the purpose of mobile living accommodation
  • regulated passenger vehicles that are owned by an individual and used solely for personal transportation
  • new vehicles in transit from one facility of the manufacturer to another, or from a facility of the manufacturer to a wholesale distributor or dealer
  • motor vehicles registered and restricted to use on highways in and adjoining a remote community
  • motor vehicles registered as the antique vehicles registration category
  • motor vehicles used in a public transportation system owned by or operated on behalf of the City of Winnipeg or City of Brandon

Use this search tool to find an inspection station for:

  • Periodic Mandatory Vehicle Inspection (PMVI)
  • Light Vehicle Inspection (COI)
  • Body Integrity Inspection (BIIC)
  • Motorcycle Inspection (Motorcycle COI)
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