Saskatchewan Government Insurance Out-of-Province/Light Vehicle Inspection
SGI mandates that all vehicles operating primarily in Saskatchewan must pass a mechanical safety inspection in order to be eligible for insurance in the province. The inspection consists of an hour to work through SGI’s 93 point checklist, including measuring brake components for remaining life, and a half hour wheel alignment check that includes minor adjustments. If the vehicle is significantly out of alignment, it will require a full wheel alignment at the cost of an hour’s labour; however, this wheel alignment will be part of the quote, and it will not be performed without your authorization.
If the vehicle passes the inspection outright, then SGI will approve it for insurability and any motor license issuing office can provide Saskatchewan plates. However, if the vehicle requires any repairs as a result of the inspection, we will provide you with a quote of the necessary work for your approval or denial. SGI provides customers with 30 days to complete the repairs wherever they please as long as the vehicle returns to the original inspecting shop to check that the repairs are properly performed before certifying the vehicle condition. If the repairs are not completed within that timeframe, the entire inspection must be performed again, which means the entire cost will be incurred twice, and the vehicle is not insurable until the repairs are complete and certified.
Please note that this inspection is only concerned with safety systems, so the engine, transmission, AC, and other systems not integral to the safe operation of the vehicle are not evaluated, but they may become a concern if they are leaking or physically damaged.
SGI also stipulates that vehicles must be clean prior to inspection so that any bodily defects are apparent.
Cost Breakdown
The cost of an SGI inspection that passes without any required repairs is $270+tax/shop supplies. The cost is divided as follows:
One hour @ $159.12/hr to work through the inspection checklist and note any issues, followed by generating a quote for any required work.
A half hour @ $159.12/hr to perform the alignment inspection, the results of which must be recorded and sent to SGI.
The SGI Inspection decal @$31.99 that denotes the year and month of inspection, usually placed inside the driver’s side door well.
Inspection Failures
SGI imposes some of the strictest regulations of any provincial insurer, so some things that might fail a vehicle seem somewhat odd or particular. Any of the items in the following list constitute a failed inspection, but this list is not all-inclusive: partially cut or fraying seatbelts, exhaust system leaks, exterior rust holes capable of catching clothing or large enough to catch a child’s finger, balding tires, worn out door seals, missing or broken sun visors, windshield cracks larger than one inch and/or within the driver’s eye-line, or streaky wiper blades and inactive washer nozzles.
Some items on the inspection may be in such bad shape that they represent a critical safety hazard. Such items will be marked as a double X on the inspection sheet, which designates them as “Out of Service Condition.” Items designated as such must be repaired before the vehicle is allowed to be driven away from the shop, though it can be towed away if the customer chooses to do the work elsewhere. Examples of out-of-service items would be things like 0mm remaining brake pads, cut brake hoses, missing airbags, etc.
