Aliyah Blog
Moving UP in the World

Bilingual Toddler »
« Transforming Unbridled Desire

Test Line

If you own a car in Israel (or any type of moving vehicle), than once a year you need to visit a place called Test Line (in hebrew, that would be טסט ליין - no joke, that is really what it is called and how it is spelled) to get your annual inspection. It can be a little bit intimidating for first timers, so let me tell you what you can expect:

Before you show up, you should have received your new registration in the mail from the misrad rishuy (the national DMV) for the coming year. You have to pay an exorbitant fee (it was around 1300 NIS this year) at the Post Office or local bank for the privilege of driving for another year. When you show up at Test Line, bring this (it should be stamped to show that you paid) along with your drivers license and proof that your car is insured (if your name is not the one on the registration, you have to bring along a letter from the person whose name does appear saying that you have permission to take the test for them. I bet there are a few people here that make their living taking cars for tests when the real owners are too busy).

When you drive into the parking lot you will be directed to one of the lines, depending on traffic and what type of car you have. The guy will take your registry form and come back in a few minutes with your test sheet attached (at this point he will yell at you and look at you like you are an idiot if you didn’t follow his unclear instructions about which line to get into, as I did).

When it is your turn, here is what is going to happen (it is good to be familiar with it in advance because it is noisy there, they don’t speak so clearly, and if you don’t follow their instructions right away they will stop and stare at you like you are an idiot):

  1. You will drive your front wheels into some device stuck in the ground that is designed to test your brakes. Put the car in neutral with the emergency brake off. At a certain point, the guy at this station will tell you to hit the brakes. Hit those brakes hard! If your brakes are good enough and you hit them hard enough, then you will pass the test (your car may move back a couple feet off the device. This is normal). I have heard stories of people who didn’t hit the brakes hard enough and ended up failing the test and had to go through it again (even though they had good brakes).
  2. Next, you will drive forward a few feet so that your rear wheels are in the device. It is now time to check your emergency brake. You put the car in neutral, the guy will activate the device and at a certain point tell you to activate the emergency brake. Once again, yank it hard to make sure that you pass.
  3. While the guy is doing this, he will also check your lights.  He will have you turn on your headlights, right and left signals (while he is standing in front), right and left signals (while he is standing in back) and brake lights. If you know that one of your lights is not workin, get it fixed before you show up for the test (this is a pretty easy way to fail, and chaval on the time and money if you have to take the test twice).
  4. Next you move up to the second station. There is an opening underneath you with people beneath. I do not know if they do anything. If they do, you don’t have to assist them in any way. At this station, first he (there were no women testers that I saw) will test your emissions. They hook up a hose to your exhaust pipe and have you drive in neutral for a minute at 2500 RPM (if you can’t do this, they will look at you like you are an idiot, tell you to get out, sit in the driver’s seat and do it themselves)
  5. Last, they check your head lights and bright lights to make sure that they are strong enough. They put a device in front of your headlights, tell you to turn them on, repeat with bright lights on.

That’s it, you are done. Whether or not you passed, you have to go into the office and pay (86 NIS for a regular car registration). Be sure to bring the test form, your Teudat Zehut and your insurance (if you forget your insurance like I did, the girl behind the counter will look at you like you are an idiot and tell you to go back to your car and get it). After you have paid, they give you a new sticker that is good for another twelve months, and you are good to go. B’hatzlacha!

This entry was posted on May 30th, 2007 at 7:18 by Yaakov and is filed under Experiences. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

2 Responses to “Test Line”

tnspr569 Says:
May 30th, 2007 at 13:37

Ooh, bureacracy- fun!

Rafi G Says:
June 6th, 2007 at 9:33

I always make sure to mess up. He gets frustrated and says get out of the car. Then he does it all himself. I can never understand what he wants from his screaming with the motor running inside the garage. blinkers this way or that way or lights or brights! Forget about it. I just let him do it.

Leave a Reply

XHTML: You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>

Your email address will not be shared with anyone nor will it be displayed on screen.


  • Subscribe

    • Posts
    • Comments
    • Newsvine
    • Israel Photos
  • Currently on Israel Photos


    • Contact
  • Popular Posts (Last 7 Days)

    1. Yad Binyamin
    2. In-Flight Zmanim
    3. Learning Hebrew Slang
    4. Receiving a US-based Salary in Israel, Part II: Salaried Employee
    5. Rising Shekel, Falling Dollar
    6. Aliyah Dreams vs. Reality
    7. Receiving a US-based Salary in Israel the Right Way
  • Popular Posts (All Time)

    1. Learning Hebrew Slang
    2. Receiving a US-based Salary in Israel the Right Way
    3. Yad Binyamin
    4. Aliyah & Life in Israel Blogs
    5. Kochav Yaakov vs. Neve Daniel
    6. Rising Shekel, Falling Dollar
    7. Our Visit to Neve Daniel
  • Recent Posts

    • RabbiMichaelGreen.com
    • Buckle Up: Irresponsible and Negligent Parenting
    • Israel Supreme Court Power is Limited Even Further
    • NBN to Officially Take over Aliyah from North America
    • Anything Else, Please
    • Aliyah Dreams vs. Reality
    • The Summer is Almost Over. You Know What that Means?
    • Jerusalem Railcars on the Move
    • A Little Attitude Goes a Long Way
    • Supreme Court Approval Process to Change
  • Recent Comments

    • Yaakov: Andrew - I don’t think he was talking about tax avoidance. We have two types of taxes, US and Israel....
    • Andrew: I think he was partially talking about tax avoidance. Even though U.S. citizens living in Israel are required...
    • Debbie Priest: That was a funny and precious blog! What a cute little boy, too!
    • Jonathan: Occasionally I pick up a tremper with a small child (I have three car seats in the back seat), and on one...
    • Yaakov: @Netanya - I have no idea the percentage of North American non-NBN olim that make yeridah. I would assume...
  • Archives

    • September 2008
    • August 2008
    • July 2008
    • June 2008
    • May 2008
    • April 2008
    • December 2007
    • November 2007
    • October 2007
    • September 2007
    • July 2007
    • June 2007
    • May 2007
    • March 2007
    • February 2007
    • January 2007
    • December 2006
    • November 2006
    • October 2006
    • September 2006
    • August 2006
    • July 2006
    • June 2006
    • May 2006
    • April 2006
    • March 2006
    • February 2006
    • January 2006
    • December 2005
    • November 2005
    • October 2005
    • September 2005
    • August 2005
    • July 2005
    • June 2005
    • May 2005
    • April 2005
    • March 2005
    • February 2005
    • January 2005
    • December 2004
    • November 2004
    • October 2004
  • Categories

    • Commentary (238)
      • Aliyah (67)
      • History (19)
      • Israel (65)
      • Misc (39)
      • News (23)
      • Op-Ed (47)
      • Political (46)
      • Stories (7)
      • Torah (29)
    • Log (148)
      • Advice (10)
      • Communities (12)
      • Experiences (66)
      • Jobs (11)
      • Misc (26)
      • Observations (16)
      • Only in EY (40)
  • Links

    • Advice/Support

      • Israel Easy
      • Kehillot Tehilla
      • Kumah
      • Nefesh B’Nefesh
      • Tehilla
      • The Jewish Agency
      • The Real Aliyah Information Page
    • Blogs

      • EllisWeb
      • Hirhurim - Musings
      • House of Joy
      • Israel Matzav
      • Jerusalemite
      • JoeSettler
      • Life in Israel
      • Moving On Up
      • OlehGirl
      • Parsha Blog
      • Point of Pinchas
      • Rabbi Michael Green
      • The Kosher Blog
      • The Muqata
      • Thoughts From a Rabbi
      • Treppenwitz
      • Tzipiyah
      • WestBankBlog
      • yaakov.newsvine.com
    • Employment

      • Aliyah Job Center
      • Computer Jobs in Israel
    • General

      • Aishdas
      • Interactive Map of Israel
      • Israel Photos
      • Jacob Richman’s Aliyah Pages
      • JRants
      • Map of Yerushalayim
      • Megavolt Electrical Services
      • Tanach Yomi
    • News/Politics

      • Arutz-Sheva
      • IMRA - Middle East News and Analysis
      • Jewish World Review
      • Steven Plaut
  • New from the Vine


RSS: Entries | Comments