When must a new car go for its first roadworthiness test?
It depends on the vehicle's age: a new passenger car (up to 9 seats) does not need its first roadworthiness test for four years. Under the Motor Vehicles Act (ZMV-1), passenger cars follow the 4–2–1 intervals: the first test when the vehicle turns 4 years old, then every 2 years up to age 8, and after 8 years every year. The widespread myth »I have to take it for a test every year from the start« is therefore false for new cars — but so is the opposite myth that it is »every two years forever«, since after the eighth year the test becomes annual. Do not confuse the roadworthiness test with registration (renewing the vehicle licence and paying the annual fee), which is annual regardless of age — before each registration a valid roadworthiness test must be done when it falls due. Other categories have shorter intervals: motorcycles likewise 4 years and then every 2 years to age 8, while lorries and buses go already one year after first registration and then more often. If the test finds a defect, you get a period to fix it and a re-test.
📋 The rules
- For passenger cars up to 9 seats the scheme is 4–2–1: first at 4 years, then every 2 years to age 8, and after 8 years every year (ZMV-1).
- A new car needs no roadworthiness test for the first four years; registration (the vehicle licence) must still be renewed earlier under separate rules.
- Registration is annual and separate from the roadworthiness test; before each registration a valid roadworthiness test must be done when it falls due by the intervals.
- For motorcycles the same scheme applies (4 years, then every 2 years to age 8, then annually); lorries and buses go first already a year after registration and then more often.
- If the vehicle is not roadworthy at the test, you get a period to remove the defect and a re-test; without a valid test the vehicle cannot be registered.
🔓 Exceptions
- Vehicles for public passenger transport, taxis, driving-school cars and ambulances have stricter intervals — the first test a year after registration and then often every 6 months.
- An extraordinary roadworthiness test can be ordered by a police officer or inspector (e.g. after a crash or on suspicion of a technical fault); it is carried out like a regular one and its findings are attached to the order.
- Vehicles carrying dangerous goods and rental (rent-a-car) vehicles must be tested every year regardless of the ordinary scheme for passenger cars.
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Driving a vehicle without a valid roadworthiness test means an unregistered or technically unfit vehicle, for which the police impose a fine and may remove the plates and prohibit further driving. The worst consequence shows up in a crash: if the vehicle was not registered or roadworthy, the insurer may refuse or reduce the payout and seek from the at-fault driver the reimbursement of the paid damages (recourse), and the costs quickly exceed the value of the car. A missed roadworthiness test also means an invalid vehicle licence, which ends the cover of compulsory insurance. Whoever brings a vehicle with a defect pays for a re-test and the repair, while a serious fault (e.g. brakes, steering) means an immediate ban on driving. A well-maintained vehicle passes the test in minutes; delay is almost always more expensive than the test itself.
📎 Official sources
- PISRS · Motor Vehicles Act (ZMV-1) →
- gov.si · vehicle registration and roadworthiness tests →
- AMZS · roadworthiness tests and intervals →
❓ Frequently asked
When must a new car go for its first roadworthiness test?
A new passenger car of up to nine seats needs no roadworthiness test for four years. You first take it for a test when it turns four years old, then every two years up to age eight; only after the eighth year does the test become annual.
Do I have to take my car for a test every year?
Not from the start. A passenger car up to age eight is tested every two years, and the annual test applies only to vehicles older than eight years. Registration, or the vehicle licence, must be renewed every year regardless of this scheme.
Is the roadworthiness test the same as registration?
No. The roadworthiness test checks the technical condition of the vehicle on the 4-2-1 scheme, while registration is the annual renewal of the vehicle licence and payment of the annual fee. Before each registration a valid roadworthiness test must be done when it falls due, otherwise the vehicle cannot be registered.
What happens if a defect is found at the test?
The test is always carried out in full, and if a defect is found you get a period to remove it and a re-test. Until the vehicle is roadworthy it cannot be registered; a serious fault, for example failing brakes or steering, means an immediate ban on driving.
Do the same intervals apply to motorcycles and lorries?
Not entirely. Motorcycles follow a scheme similar to passenger cars, that is first after four years, then every two years to age eight and then annually. Lorries, buses and taxis, however, go for the first test already a year after registration and then far more often.
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