Vehicle approval
Accessibility certificate test
Some buses and coaches must have accessibility features for wheelchair users, like boarding lifts and ramps, wheelchair spaces and wheelchair restraints.
This affects buses and coaches, which:
- are authorised to carry more than 22 passengers
- carry passengers at separate fares on local or scheduled services
Manufacturers of buses and coaches usually apply for these Accessibility Certificates at the same time as the Certificate of Initial Fitness (COIF) when the vehicles are first built.
How to apply for an Accessibility Certificate
If you already have a COIF you can apply for an Accessibility Certificate separately.
You can also apply for an Accessibility Certificate yourself if you convert a vehicle to be used as a bus or coach.
Accessibility Certificates last the lifetime of the vehicle as long as you do not make any further alterations to it. Once you have an Accessibility Certificate, accessibility is then checked as part of the vehicle’s annual test.
Fill in the PSV accessibility certificate application form.
Follow the instructions on the form to submit it to DVSA.
Fees for the Accessibility Certificate test
You’ll need to check both wheelchair accessibility and general accessibility. Each of these sets of regulations is called a schedule.
| Test type | Fee |
|---|---|
| 1 schedule | £51 |
| Retest for 1 schedule | £17 |
| 2 schedules | £104 |
| Retest for 2 schedules | £36 |
| Duplicate certificate | £13 |
Type approval
Alternatively, vehicle manufacturers can apply for type approval, which means an Accessibility Certificate is not needed.
Print off and fill in form PSVA6 to apply for type approval.
When an operator gets a vehicle that’s been type approved they’ll get a Declaration of Conformity from the manufacturer.
Operators then need to send this to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to get a Certification of Conformity.
Approvals Section
DVSA
Ellipse
Padley Road
Swansea
SA1 8AN
Fees for type approval are included on the IVA inspection fees document.