Is your car road worthy?
Before you drive your car in New Zealand you need to make sure it is registered and has a current vehicle licence and a Warrant of Fitness.
Warrant of Fitness inspections
A Warrant of Fitness (WoF) is a compulsory safety inspection carried out by approved testing stations every six months, or every 12 months if the vehicle tested was registered less than six years ago.
If it passes, a WoF sticker including expiration date is attached to the inside of the vehicle’s front windscreen. Your car must be inspected again before the expiration date.
It is illegal to drive a vehicle in New Zealand if it does not pass the WoF or does not have a valid WoF sticker. A WoF will cost around $45 for the mechanic’s time, plus any repairs needed for the warrant.
Vehicle licensing
In New Zealand you need to pay a motor vehicle licensing fee (often incorrectly called registration) to use your car on public roads. The fee is compulsory and helps pay for roading projects and road safety programmes.
You can licence your vehicle for three months, six months or 12 months. You need a current Warrant of Fitness to get a licence label.
Private petrol passenger car licensing fees (as at May 1 2009)
| 3 months | 6 months | 12 months |
| $58.66 | $109.70 | $211.84 |
You can purchase a licence label (that shows the date your licence expires and must be displayed on the left-hand side of your windscreen) from the Land Transport NZ or your local NZ PostShop.
If a vehicle remains unlicensed for 12 months, its registration will be cancelled.
Registration
New vehicles must be added to the Motor Vehicle Register and issued registration plates. This is only done once, the initial recording of a vehicle, unless it has been significantly modified.
Road user charges
If you drive a diesel or electric car, you will need to pay road user charges (petrol road users pay levies in the price of their fuel) and obtain a distance licence – purchased in 1000km units.
Your vehicle must be continuously licensed. The amount you pay will depend on the vehicle’s type and weight. See the LTNZ fact sheet on road user charges for more information.
More information
To find out more, contact a vehicle registration and licensing centre.
Land Transport NZ agents include:
The LTNZ Transaction Centre
The Automobile Association
NZ PostShops
Vehicle Inspection New Zealand (VINZ)
Vehicle Testing New Zealand (VTNZ)