Motor vehicle modifications guideline

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View our individual guidelines to focus on the topics that matter to you. These are also available in plain language versions which are easier to understand (called MyGuides).

Motor vehicle modifications guideline (PDF, 394KB)

MyGuide11: changes to your car (PDF, 195KB)

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  • Defined terms are shown throughout in bold underlined text when they first appear.

    CTP insurance policy means a compulsory third party (CTP) insurance policy defined under the Motor Accident Insurance Act 1994.

    Medical clearance means written confirmation that the participant is suitable to drive a modified vehicle provided by one of the following people:

    • the participant’s treating general practitioner
    • a medical specialist (for example, ophthalmologist, neurologist, rehabilitation physician).

    MyPlan means a support plan prepared by the NIISQ Agency and approved under the National Injury Insurance Scheme Act (Queensland) Act 2016.

    Transport for this guideline means transport by a vehicle that requires modification for use by a person with disability, or cannot otherwise be used by a participant because of the accepted injury-related impairments and may include:

    • disability specific transport services
    • taxi services
    • rideshare services
    • the costs associated with a support worker’s services to transport a participant using the participant’s vehicle.

    Vehicle for this guideline, means a motor vehicle that is:

    • designed and intended to be used as a passenger vehicle on public roads
    • registered or ordinarily capable of registration in Queensland
    • a vehicle that has not been manufactured as a goods vehicle (unless specifically approved by the NIISQ Agency in the circumstances of the participant)
    • capable of coverage under a CTP insurance policy
    • has a gross vehicle mass of 4.5 tons or less.

    Vehicle modifications are modifications to a vehicle which allows a participant to travel in the vehicle as a passenger, or as a driver and include:

    • adapted controls to assist with steering assistance, acceleration and braking fitted to a vehicle
    • assistive technology including hoists, ramps and other modifications which enable access to a vehicle
    • modifications to parking brakes, rear vision mirrors, seat belts or indicators.

    Vehicle modification adviser is a person who meets all of the following:

    • is appropriately qualified and has experience in providing professional advice in relation to vehicle modifications for people with complex support needs
    • where the advice relates to vehicle modifications to allow the participant to drive a modified vehicle, the person must be registered in Australia as a driver assessor occupational therapist
    • is approved by the NIISQ Agency to provide advice about the participant’s treatment, care and support needs for vehicle modifications.

    Vehicle modification assessment is the NIISQ Agency’s assessment of a participant’s needs for vehicle modifications and/or driver supports, and includes advice provided by a vehicle modification adviser.

  • The NIISQ Agency will assess a participant’s needs for (or relating to) vehicle modifications and will fund these supports in accordance with the National Injury Insurance Scheme (Queensland) Act 2016, the National Injury Insurance Scheme (Queensland) Regulation 2016, this guideline, and other relevant guidelines.

    There is a plain language version of this guideline which is shorter and uses simpler words. To access it, view MyGuide 11 – Changes to your car.

    The NIISQ Agency can also fund driver supports (including driving assessment and driver training supports). For more information, refer to the Rehabilitation guideline.

    Vehicle supports

    This guideline

    Vehicle modifications

    Vehicle modifications include:

    • Hand controls
    • Ramps
    • Wheelchair-related modifications

    Rehabilitation guideline

    Driver supports

    Driver supports include:

    • Driver training
    • Driving assessments

    This guideline should be read in conjunction with the:

  • For vehicle modifications to be funded under the NIISQ, there must be a written funding approval provided by the NIISQ Agency before any modification works commence.

  • The National Injury Insurance Scheme (Queensland) Act 2016 and the National Injury Insurance Scheme (Queensland) Regulation 2016 describe how the NIISQ Agency decides whether a vehicle modification is necessary and reasonable, and can be funded.

    The NIISQ Agency has published a guideline which explains how it decides whether a support is necessary and reasonable, and is for a treatment, care and support need (see: Necessary and reasonable guideline).

    When the NIISQ Agency is assessing a participant’s needs for a vehicle modification, including whether the modification is necessary and reasonable, it will give particular attention to the following:

    • whether the vehicle modification will help the participant achieve any goals identified by the participant and/or outlined in their MyPlan
    • whether the vehicle modification is likely to assist the participant to increase their independence, and facilitate participation in the community
    • whether the vehicle modification will promote the safety of the participant, family members and attendant care workers
    • whether the vehicle modification may reduce the participant’s needs for other treatment, care and support, including attendant care and support services (see: Attendant care and support services guideline).

    The NIISQ Agency will assess a participant’s need for vehicle modifications. This assessment will inform the NIISQ Agency’s decisions regarding any necessary and reasonable vehicle modification works and is based on all available and relevant information.

    The NIISQ Agency may require other information or reports not referred to in this guideline but are determined by a NIISQ Agency delegate to be relevant to a decision to fund a vehicle modification.

    Relationship with the Rehabilitation guideline

    This guideline is related to the Rehabilitation guideline, which provides information about the assessment and funding for driver-related supports including driving assessments, and driver training.

  • In accordance with the National Injury Insurance Scheme (Queensland) Regulation 2016, the NIISQ Agency is required to obtain advice from a person that is specifically approved by the NIISQ Agency to provide advice about a participant’s needs for vehicle modifications.

    Only NIISQ-approved advisers (vehicle modification advisers) can provide advice about a participant’s treatment, care and support needs for vehicle modifications and related driver supports.

  • To understand a participant’s needs for vehicle supports, the NIISQ Agency will require a vehicle modification assessment informed by advice provided by one or more vehicle modification advisers. Advice provided by vehicle modification advisers will cover:

    • modifications needed by a participant as a result of their accepted injury (including any trials which may be appropriate for the participant, see: trialling vehicle modifications)
    • suitability of the participant’s vehicle for modification
    • alternatives to any recommended modifications (including other vehicle modifications, or other treatment, care and support)
    • other supports required by the participant relating to vehicle modifications (for example, extra insurance costs directly related to a vehicle modification, regular maintenance costs for the modifications and driver or passenger training costs).

    Advice from a vehicle modification adviser must include clinical and practical justification as to why the supports are necessary and reasonable including the outcomes to be achieved.

    Identifying a participant’s treatment, care and support needs is done in collaboration with the participant, their family and/or other informal supports, and providers.

    Prerequisites for an assessment of a participant’s needs for vehicle modifications

    Vehicle modifications will only be considered where one of the following circumstances apply:

    • a vehicle is owned by the participant
    • a vehicle owned by the participant’s parent or guardian for participants who are under 18 years old
    • a vehicle is owned by the participant’s spouse
    • a vehicle is owned by a member of the participant’s family and the vehicle will be available for use by the participant once modifications are made
    • a participant is in the process of identifying and purchasing a vehicle that is suitable for modification (see: Assistance to identify a suitable vehicle).
    Advice about modifications needed by a participant

    The vehicle modification adviser will provide the following information about the participant:

    • information about the participant’s abilities and limitations arising from their accepted injury including whether the participant’s accepted injury prevents the participant from:
      • safely driving an unmodified vehicle
      • accessing an unmodified vehicle
      • travelling as a passenger in an unmodified vehicle
    • consideration of how vehicle modifications reduce a participant’s needs for other treatment, care and support including transport-related attendant care and support services.

    The NIISQ Agency and/or the vehicle modification adviser may require other information to assess or provide advice on a participant’s needs for vehicle supports, including:

    • information about needs which relate to injuries, conditions, or disability which are not directly attributable to the participant’s accepted injury
    • evidence that the participant or intended driver of a modified vehicle has a current and valid driver licence (modifications will not be supported under the NIISQ without evidence of a valid driver licence)
    • information about risks to the participant or other passengers in a modified vehicle, including strategies to mitigate these risks, or where these risks cannot be appropriately managed, alternatives to provide support to the participant (modifications will not be supported under the NIISQ if a participant has been assessed as being unsafe to drive)
    • medical clearance, or written confirmation by a vehicle modification adviser that the participant is likely to receive medical clearance to drive a vehicle (see: Who can provide medical clearance?)
    • confirmation that any modifications can be completed in accordance with any legal requirements, including engineering certification requirements which apply in the jurisdiction where the vehicle is to be registered (see: vehicle modification requirements).

    Who can provide medical clearance?

    Confirmation in writing, by one of the following people that the participant is suitable to drive a modified vehicle:

    • the participant’s treating general practitioner
    • a medical specialist (for example, ophthalmologist, neurologist, rehabilitation physician).

    The appropriate specialist is based on a participant’s individual circumstances, taking into consideration the nature and severity of the participant’s accepted injury.

  • The vehicle modification adviser will obtain and provide advice to the NIISQ Agency about the suitability of a participant’s vehicle for modification.

    As part of this advice, the advice will provide the NIISQ Agency with the following information:

    • the owner of the vehicle
    • the vehicle’s make, model and year of manufacture
    • the date the vehicle was purchased
    • whether people other than the participant have access to the vehicle, and if so, information about who will have access to the vehicle other than that participant
    • whether the vehicle is second hand
    • whether the vehicle has been imported into Australia
    • whether there are any existing modifications (including factory-fitted modifications) to the vehicle, and if so information about the modifications (including any evidence that the existing modifications comply with local laws, codes and regulations)
    • certificate of registration
    • consent from the participant (if the participant is the owner of the vehicle) for the vehicle to be modified, alternatively consent from the owner of the vehicle.

    Where a vehicle is second hand, already modified, or over five years old and no longer under manufacturer’s warranty, the vehicle modification adviser will also obtain a vehicle condition report from a licensed vehicle modifier which contains information about the suitability of the vehicle for modification.

    The vehicle modification adviser will also provide evidence that the modified vehicle will be legal and safe for a participant to use and meets the requirements for registration in Queensland, or the equivalent registration requirements in the participant’s state – including any evidence required by the NIISQ Agency described in Vehicle modifications requirements.

    Vehicles which are generally not suitable for modification

    Vehicles are generally not suitable for modification where:

    • the vehicle is over 10 years old from date of manufacture
    • the vehicle has travelled more than 160,000 kilometres.

  • The NIISQ Agency requires all vehicle modification works to be:

    • consistent with the written approval provided by the NIISQ Agency
    • performed by a suitably-qualified and accredited person with relevant engineering experience
    • inspected and certified by a suitably-qualified and accredited person (and where required, by an approved person under the Approved Person Scheme for complex modifications). Where required, the NIISQ Agency will ask for evidence which shows there is a certificate of modification, and that a modification plate is attached to the vehicle for the modification
    • compliant with the Australian Design Rules and Queensland-approved modification and certification codes for vehicle modifications, including the Queensland Code of Practice: Vehicle modifications and Queensland Road Vehicle Modification Handbook
    • modified in accordance with minimum safety standards and approved by an approved examiner at an Approved Inspection Station with relevant inspection certificates (including Safety certificate provided to the NIISQ Agency)
    • compliant with Queensland’s applicable legislative framework and regulatory frameworks which apply to modified vehicles
    • compliant with the applicable state legal and regulatory framework for works completed outside Queensland, or for use outside Queensland.

  • After receiving advice from a vehicle modification adviser, the NIISQ Agency may decide that it is appropriate for the participant to trial vehicle modifications under the supervision of a vehicle modification adviser or other suitably-qualified provider.

    Where the participant has trialled vehicle modifications, the vehicle modification adviser will provide information about:

    • the duration of the trial
    • the outcomes of the trial, including any recommendations.

    Where the participant has not trialled any vehicle modifications, the vehicle modification adviser will provide information about whether a trial is appropriate for the participant.

  • Assistance to identify a suitable vehicle

    The NIISQ Agency may fund a vehicle modification adviser to assist a participant to identify a suitable vehicle for the participant. A suitable vehicle is a vehicle which requires minimal modification to address the participant’s support needs.

    Where a vehicle modification adviser has identified a modified vehicle which meets the participant’s support needs, the NIISQ Agency may contribute to the costs of the modifications.

    Where possible, participants should apply for tax concessions which are available to them. For more information, visit the Australian Taxation Office website.

    Insurance

    The NIISQ Agency may fund the private insurance costs relating to vehicle modifications. Vehicle modifications must be identified on the certificate of currency for the vehicle’s policy of insurance.

    The NIISQ Agency will assess its contribution based on the difference between insurance premiums assessed with, and without, the modifications.

    Other insurance costs, including the costs of a CTP insurance policy remain the responsibility of the participant, or the registered owner of the vehicle.

    Assistance with costs relating to vehicle modifications

    The NIISQ Agency may fund the costs relating to the maintenance, repairs, and transfer costs of vehicle modifications.

  • The ordinary interval between vehicle modifications is approximately eight years. This means that the NIISQ Agency expects that a modified vehicle will last a participant at least eight years before the participant requires a subsequent vehicle.

    The ordinary interval between vehicle modifications may be shorter where the participant’s medical condition prevents the participant using or operating the previously-modified vehicle.

    Where the participant has purchased a subsequent vehicle, the NIISQ Agency may fund the costs of transferring modifications from a participant’s previously-modified vehicle (for example, hand controls, swivel seat systems) to the subsequent vehicle where it is:

    • more cost effective compared to the costs of funding modifications to the subsequent vehicle
    • more viable to transfer the modifications due to the complexity of the modifications.

    Where modifications are transferred from one vehicle to another, the vehicle modification requirements described above apply (see: vehicle modification requirements).

  • Vehicle modifications funded under the NIISQ are intended to support participants with any transport- related goals identified by the participant, and will take into account other transport supports available under the NIISQ and other service systems (or as a reasonable adjustment – see: Attendant care and support services guideline).

    The NIISQ Agency will not fund the capital cost of a vehicle.

  • The following vehicle modifications (or related costs) are generally not considered necessary and reasonable treatment, care and support:

    • costs normally associated with vehicle ownership, including running costs and servicing, are the owner’s responsibility
    • driver education or driver training costs which are unrelated to the participant’s accepted injury
    • modifications to more than one vehicle
    • modifications to caravans or recreational vehicles (for example, camper vans, all-terrain vehicles)
    • general maintenance, fuel costs, registration, CTP insurance policy, private insurance (including a comprehensive car insurance policy) and other costs associated with vehicle ownership
    • modifications to a vehicle required for a disability, injury or condition which is not related to a participant’s accepted injury
    • modifications to convert a vehicle’s manual transmission to an automatic transmission
    • capital cost of a vehicle
    • modifications that don’t comply with Queensland legal requirements, or the requirements which apply in the jurisdiction where a vehicle is intended to be driven
    • additional modifications to imported vehicles which have factory-fitted modifications to achieve compliance with Queensland legal requirements (or the requirements which apply in the jurisdictions where a vehicle is intended to be driven)
    • costs of reverting a vehicle to an unmodified state (unless modifications are being transferred to a subsequent vehicle)
    • modifications completed outside of Australia
    • repairs covered by a supplier’s warranty, including vehicle modifier warranty or a private insurance policy (including a comprehensive car insurance policy).

Last updated: July 2024