Vehicle type approval
The holder of the relevant approval for the alternative vehicle type manages the approval obligations and RAV entry for vehicles supplied under that approval.
SSM & approval pathways
Check the vehicle before the modification pathway is locked in.
Second Stage Manufacture (SSM) can apply when a new base vehicle is modified to become an alternative vehicle before it is provided to the Australian market.
Regulatory information reviewed 25 August 2025
The first three checks
Eligibility begins with the base vehicle’s status.
Australian Government guidance says an SSM base vehicle must have an RVS approval, be entered on the Register of Approved Vehicles (RAV), still be new and not have been provided to the Australian market.
- 01Approval
Confirm the exact base vehicle and its Road Vehicle Standards approval.
- 02RAV entry
Confirm the vehicle is entered on the RAV and match the relevant identifying details.
- 03New and not supplied
Establish whether the vehicle remains new and has not been provided to the Australian market.
Two routes to distinguish
The responsible parties depend on the route.
Current Australian Government guidance separates SSM under a vehicle type approval from SSM using the concessional RAV entry pathway. VDCA’s role must be defined separately for each project.
Concessional RAV entry
This route may involve an approved Model Report, modification by a Registered Automotive Workshop (RAW), independent verification by an Authorised Vehicle Verifier (AVV), and RAV entry.
Timing matters
Registration is a useful cue, but not the test on its own.
The relevant facts include the approval, RAV entry, supply status and proposed modification. A vehicle should be reviewed against the current rules rather than treated as eligible—or ineligible—because of registration status alone.
What may need review
Examples of modified-vehicle projects.
The appropriate route depends on the complete design and vehicle status, not the modification label alone.
Body and purpose changes
Service bodies, specialised bodies, conversions and vehicles built for a different intended function.
Mass, seating or layout changes
Changes that may affect category, mass limits, occupant arrangements or applicable standards.
Integrated equipment
Equipment or systems that may affect structure, braking, lighting, dimensions, safety or compliance evidence.
Roles remain distinct
Advice is not an approval.
VDCA can support pathway assessment, engineering review and evidence planning. Formal approvals and entries remain the responsibility of the relevant approval holder, Australian Government department and other authorities. No website assessment can guarantee approval, registration or a particular project outcome.