Buenos Aires Deregulates Vehicle Inspections, Opens Service to Workshops

The city government of Buenos Aires has officially ended the VTV monopoly, allowing mechanical workshops and dealerships to register and offer the vehicle technical inspection service. This move makes the capital the first district in Argentina to deregulate this service.

"Officially, the VTV monopoly is over. Starting today, any workshop or dealership can register," stated the head of government for Buenos Aires, Jorge Macri. This deregulation follows a legislative reform that modified the VTV system and aligned it with national changes. The new law, N.º 6963, was promoted by La Libertad Avanza (LLA) with support from the ruling party and the UCR, while the Peronist bloc voted against it.

Previously, VTV inspections were exclusively conducted at seven authorized official centers. The new regulations permit inspections at private mechanical workshops and authorized dealerships. Interested providers must register in the Unique Registry of Authorized Workshops and meet specific technical and control requirements. The government has provided an email address, vtv@buenosaires.gob.ar, for inquiries and documentation submission, with a dedicated platform to be launched on September 1st.

In addition to opening up service provision, the deregulation also impacts pricing and inspection schedules. The VTV fee, previously regulated by the city, will now be set by each authorized provider, with the expectation that increased competition will lower costs. Furthermore, the national reform mandates that new private vehicles will undergo their first technical inspection after five years, instead of the current four. The inspection validity period remains two years until the vehicle reaches ten years of age, after which the period was previously reduced at eight years.

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Officially, the VTV monopoly is over. Starting today, any workshop or dealership can register.