Three of them can. The brake, ABS and airbag warning lamps are on the pink slip list, and each has to light up when the ignition comes on and go out once the engine is running. A check engine light isn’t on the list, so on its own it won’t fail the car.
The three lamps on the list
The Light Vehicle Safety Check Standards are the list every pink slip works through, and they name three dashboard warning lamps.
The brake warning lamp, on a car built to have one, has to light up when the ignition is turned on and the engine isn’t running yet. Where the same lamp doubles as the handbrake light, it has to come on with the ignition on and the handbrake applied.
The ABS lamp has to light up with the ignition too, as the system checks itself. The car fails if the ABS or brake lamp stays on once the engine is running, or comes on when you brake.
The airbag lamp has to come on when the ignition is first turned on and go out once the engine starts. A car with its airbags removed fails as well, and so does one whose steering wheel or dash has been swapped for parts without airbags.
Why a lamp that never lights fails too
A lamp that never comes on can’t warn you of anything, and a blown globe or a disconnected lamp can hide a fault that has been there for months. So the examiner watches the lamps come on at the start as well as go off.
It’s also why pulling a globe out of the dash doesn’t get a car through. A lamp that doesn’t light with the ignition is a reason for rejection on its own.
What about the check engine light?
The check engine light isn’t one of the reasons for rejection in the standards. On its own, an engine light won’t fail a pink slip, and neither will a service reminder.
The fault behind it can still matter. An examiner can’t pass a car they find unsafe, even in a way the rules don’t spell out, and whatever turned the light on can turn up elsewhere on the list. An exhaust leak is a reason for rejection in its own right, for example, and so is an oil leak onto the exhaust or the brakes.
A battery on its way out can cause trouble too. It doesn’t fail the inspection itself, but it can make warning lamps behave oddly or stop the car restarting during the check. What can fail a pink slip goes through the rest of the list.
The lights outside the car
People sometimes mean the outside lights when they ask about lights and pink slips, and those are on the list too. Every lamp and reflector the car needs has to work, so one blown globe can fail it. The examiner checks the headlights’ aim with a headlight tester, and a tinted cover over a light is a reason for rejection.
If a lamp is on before the inspection
Get it looked at first if you can. The lamp means the system has logged a fault, and a fault code scan is the quickest way to find out which one.
If the car fails on a warning lamp, you have 14 days to fix it and take it back to the same inspection station without paying a second inspection fee. What to do after a failed pink slip covers the rest.
How we can help
Our technicians can scan the fault codes at your home or work, and brake work and battery replacement are priced once they’ve seen the car. Our pricing page has the prices we can give up front.
If the lamps behave and the rego is due, you can book a mobile pink slip. Can you get a pink slip online? explains what happens at the car, and our pink slip page has what to have ready.
Quick answers
Will a check engine light fail a pink slip?
Not on its own. It isn’t one of the reasons for rejection in the safety check standards. The fault behind it can still fail the car under another rule, such as an exhaust leak.
Will an ABS or airbag light fail a pink slip?
Yes, if it stays on once the engine is running, or never lights up when the ignition comes on. Each has to come on with the ignition and then go out.
What if a warning lamp doesn’t light up at all?
That fails too. The brake, ABS and airbag lamps have to light up when the ignition comes on, so a blown or disconnected lamp is a reason for rejection.
Where these facts come from
- Transport for NSW, Light Vehicle Safety Check Standards (Section 2 of the AIS Rules) (opens in a new tab). Checked 26 October 2026.
- Transport for NSW, Business Rules for Authorised Proprietors and Authorised Examiners (Section 1 of the AIS Rules) (opens in a new tab). Checked 29 September 2026.
