Driver Licences What test do I need to pass to drive? How can I get a Learner Licence? What are the restrictions on a Learner Licence? How can I get a Restricted Licence? What are the restrictions on a Restricted Licence? How can I get a Full Licence? What is in the Full License Test? Can I drive a manual car if I passed my driving test in an automatic car? How much is it to get a driver’s licence? What will my driver’s licence look like? What do I do if I lose my driver’s licence or it gets stolen? Do I need to have my licence with me when I am driving? What happens if I break the rules of my Learner or Restricted Licence? What happens if I drive without a current licence? At what age can I drive large vehicles? Where can I find more information on licences? Can I drive overseas with my New Zealand Driver’s Licence? How can I get an International Drivers Permit? How long will the International Drivers Permit last? I’m suspended from driving, what does that mean? I’m disqualified from driving, what does that mean? Can I get a Limited Licence? How do I apply for a Limited Licence? What does the Limited Licence say? When am I not allowed to apply for a Limited Licence?
Driving is an important part of a young person’s life. Before you can drive, you must have a licence to make sure you and others are safe on the road.
This section contains information about driver licences in New Zealand, driving overseas, and what happens if your licence is taken off you.
There are 3 stages to getting your licence in New Zealand:
Stage 1 – Learner Licence
Stage 2 – Restricted Licence
Stage 3 – Full Licence
You must pass tests and fulfil requirements to get to the next stage, starting from stage 1. You’ll get more driving rights as you pass each stage.
If you’re 16 or older, you can get a Learner Licence by taking a written theory test based on “The Road Code“. There is no practical part to the learner test. Studying the Road Code is the most important aspect of learning to drive, this ensures that you’re a safe driver by knowing all the rules to driving in NZ. You can find useful online tests for practice after you have learnt the road rules.
Once you’re confident in the rules, you can pay a fee at a driver licensing agent to take the test. To pass and get a learner licence, you’ll have to get at least 32 out of the 35 questions right. This will qualify you to learn to drive.
On a learner licence, you are practising your driving, so there are a number of restrictions. The restrictions on a Learner Licence are:
For more information, see here.
You’re allowed to apply for a Restricted Licence when you have held your Learner Licence for at least 6 months. The Restricted Licence test is a practical assessment, which takes approximately one hour.
You will need to book your test at a driver licensing agent and pay a fee. A restricted licence allows you to get the practical experience to become a safe driver with fewer restrictions.
For more information about getting a restricted licence, see here.
The restrictions of a Restricted Licence are:
You should be prepared to show evidence if required by a police officer. For more details about restricted licence conditions, please refer to NZTA.
You may apply for a Full Licence after you have had your Restricted Licence for 18 months if you’re under 25 years of age, or in 6 months if you’re 25 and over. This period can be reduced if you successfully complete an approved advanced driver course, like the Defensive Driving course (reduced to 12 months if you are under 25 and 3 months if you are 25 and over).
To qualify for a full driver licence, you must pass a practical test approximately 30 minutes long, called a Full Licence Test. For more information about full licence, please refer to NZTA.
Full Licence Test is designed to see if you can handle those driving situations that present the greatest risk in your first five years of driving. You must demonstrate safe driving practices in a wide range of driving situations as well as clearly being able to identify hazards and responses as a part of driving on the road. If you cannot show the testing officer that you can handle these situations safely, you will not pass the test. You will remain on a Restricted Licence until you can pass it.
For more information about the practical driving tests, please refer to NZTA.
If you sat and passed your restricted test in a car with an automatic transmission, you must have a supervisor if you drive a manual car. If you have no supervisor, then you must drive an automatic car. If you sat your restricted test in a manual car, you may drive either a manual or an automatic car. It will be indicated on your licence whether you have passed your restricted test on an automatic or a manual car. If you have passed your full licence test, you’re allowed to drive both automatic and manual cars.
For car licence (class 1):
Please note, you will need to pay different test fees for each test from the 3rd attempt regardless of which licence you are getting.
For motorcycle licence (class 6):
Please note, there is no extra test fees for getting motorcycle licence.
(Cost for car licence updated by NZTA on 08/07/24 – for the latest cost and other licence related information, please check on NZTA)
Your driver’s licence will show:
will need to replace it promptly to avoid driving without a licence and possibly being fined for it. You will need to fill out a form and pay a fee of $26.30 to have it replaced at your local driver licensing agent. You must also provide evidence of your identity. Or you may be able to apply online if you have a verified RealMe identity. For more information about replacing your licence, please visit here.
you have to carry your licence with you whenever you drive. If you don’t, you could be fined up to $1,000 if you are summoned to court. Usually, though, you will have to pay an infringement fine of $400. And your licence may be suspended for 28 days, and your vehicle may be seized on the roadside and impounded for 28 days. Also, you may be declined for vehicle insurance and insurance claims. For more information regarding driving without a licence, please visit here.
time you are caught doing this, the police can extend the time you must wait to get to the next stage of your licence by up to 6 months. If you’re insured and have an accident while breaking the rules of your licence, your insurance company may not pay for any damage. It depends on the circumstances and on your insurance policy. You could also be fined up to $7,000. Usually, though, you will have to pay an infringement fee of $100-200 and receive demerit points. For more information, please visit NZTA’s Learner licence and restricted licence pages.
If you drive on public roads without any licence because you had never passed any driving tests, you can be fined up to $1,000. Usually, though, you will have to pay an infringement fee of $400. Your car will also be impounded for 28 days. The consequences are more serious if you don’t have a licence because your licence has been disqualified, and are caught driving.
For heavy trade or special type vehicles weighing more than 3500 kg, you must be at least 18 years old and have your full licence for at least 6 months to apply. You have to be at least 20 years to apply to drive small or large passenger service vehicles and ambulances.
You can get more information from the Road Code or from the NZTA website. Your nearest driver-licensing outlet (e.g. AA/VTNZ) also has copies of factsheets on specific subjects. The NZTA driver licensing helpdesk can be contacted toll-free on 0800 822 422.
For information on applying for motorbike licences and licences for other types of vehicles contact the Driver Licensing Agent in your area.
Yes, in certain countries. New Zealand driver’s licences are accepted in many countries including Australia, Fiji, the UK, and the Republic of Ireland. However, it is strongly recommended that you apply for an International Drivers Permit (IDP) to be able to drive in most countries while on holiday.
You can apply for an International Drivers Permit (IDP) with AA online.
To apply for an IDP you must:
An IDP will only be valid for up to 12 months from the date of issue. If you’re driving in NZ on an IDP with an overseas licence, you can use it up until its expiry (12 months from issue). When your IDP expires, you’ll have to apply for a local licence. If you get residency or start working, you should contact the local licensing authority as an IDP is only for touring and holiday purposes.
Being suspended means you’re not allowed to drive for a certain period of time – this is usually either through getting too many demerit points or being caught by the police for committing a serious driving offence.
If you’ve been suspended, you may during your suspension, in certain limited circumstances, apply for a Limited Licence that allows you to drive in specific situations.
Contact your local community law centre or YouthLaw to find out more.
If you’re convicted in Court for a matter relating to driving, the Judge may or must disqualify you from driving for a period of time, depending on the crime. If you’re disqualified, your licence will be taken from you and you’re not allowed to drive or attempt to drive during your disqualification.
If you have been disqualified, you may during your disqualification, in certain limited circumstances, apply for a Limited Licence that allows you to drive in specific situations.
Contact your local community law centre or YouthLaw to find out more.
Everyone experiences hardship if they’re unable to drive. To get a limited licence, you have to prove either extreme hardship to yourself or undue hardship to another person if you’re unable to drive:
You need to be able to provide evidence of the hardship before the court will consider giving you a Limited Licence.
A limited licence will only allow you to drive in specific conditions to overcome those hardships.
You will be required to go to Court to give your reasons for applying for a Limited Licence. Your written statement about this is called an affidavit. People supporting your application, e.g. your employer, will also need to do an affidavit. Generally, you should seek the approval of the police officer that had dealt with your case before making the application.
The process of applying to the court for a limited licence can be complex. Your application needs to be in a certain format with specific information. But there is no application form to use.
If you have been disqualified from driving, there is a 28 days stand-down period. But you can still apply for a limited licence during this time. It will cost $165 to apply to the court for a limited licence and you should file your application at the court you were disqualified in. however, there are certain situations that you will not be able to apply for a limited licence if you have been disqualified. Please refer to MoJ for more details.
If you have been suspended from driving, there is no stand-down period. It will cost $260 to apply for a limited licence and you can file your application at your local District Court. And if your application was successful, you will need to pay an additional $65 sealing fee to the court before you can approach the Transport Agency. For more details, please refer to MoJ.
The Limited Licence outlines the conditions under which you’re allowed to drive. It is an offence to break any of the conditions on the Limited Licence.
The Limited Licence will state the purpose of the Licence (for example, to get to work) and what vehicle or kind of vehicle you’re allowed to drive (for example a tractor, if you work on a farm). It will also say the specific times that you are allowed to drive, and might specify where (for example, a defined route to and from work).
Some of the reasons you would not allowed to apply for a Limited Licence are if you:
The Court must also be satisfied that it is not contrary to the interests of public safety for you to be granted a limited licence.