The short answer
Usually, yes. Manitoba requires a valid Certificate of Inspection (COI) when a vehicle changes owners or comes into the province, with exemptions such as family transfers. Dealers must supply one. In a private sale without a COI, you tow the car or get a permit to drive it to an approved inspection station.
When is a Certificate of Inspection required?
A COI is required when the registered owner of a vehicle changes and when any vehicle is brought into Manitoba, including by people moving here. A brand-new vehicle does not need one.
MPI lists exemptions, including transfers between spouses or common-law partners, parents and children, and estates, plus vehicles being registered as antiques. Check MPI’s list for your situation.
Buying privately: what if the car has no COI?
You cannot register it until it passes. You can have it towed to an inspection station, or get a permit from an Autopac agent to drive it there directly. If it passes, you can drive it away on the permit and register it. If it fails, it has to be towed.
If you buy from a dealer, the dealer must provide a valid COI.
How long is a COI valid, and what does it cost?
A COI is valid for one year for transferring ownership. A certificate that is several months old may not reflect the car’s current condition, so ask when it was issued.
There is no set fee. Each approved inspection station sets its own price. Approved stations display a Vehicle Inspection Safety Station sign, and MPI has a search tool to find one.
Pass, advisement or fail: what the result means
- Pass: a COI is issued.
- Advisement: a COI is issued, but listed components will need service or repair soon.
- Fail: the listed repairs and a re-inspection are needed before a COI is issued.
Write-offs with salvageable status cannot be driven or registered until their status changes to rebuilt, which also involves a Body Integrity Inspection Certificate.
Is a safety the same as a pre-purchase inspection?
No. A COI confirms the vehicle meets Manitoba’s minimum standard on the day it is inspected. A pre-purchase inspection is done for you as the buyer, before you pay, and looks at wear, leaks, upcoming maintenance and repair costs a safety does not address. On a private sale, many buyers get a pre-purchase inspection first, then the safety once the deal is done.