Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Land Transport Act 1998

Primary responsibilities of participants in land transport system - Responsibilities concerning use of alcohol or drugs

11A: Persons not to drive or attempt to drive while blood contains evidence of use of qualifying drug or concentration level of qualifying drug in oral fluid equals or exceeds specified concentration level

You could also call this:

"Don't drive if you've taken a drug that can affect your driving."

Illustration for Land Transport Act 1998

You must not drive a car if you have taken a qualifying drug. This is a drug that can affect your driving. You can check what a qualifying drug is in sections 57A(1) and (2), 57B(1) and (2), and 57C(1) and (2). You have evidence of using a qualifying drug in your blood if the level of the drug is too high. This also applies if you have any amount of a drug that is not on the list. You must not drive if the amount of a qualifying drug in your mouth equals or exceeds a certain level. This level is set out in a notice made under section 71GA. You can find more information about this in sections 57A(3), 57B(3), and 57C(3) and (4).

This text is automatically generated. It might be out of date or be missing some parts. Find out more about how we do this.

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM2507338.

This page was last updated on — View changes

Topics:
Transport and travel > DrivingHealth and wellbeing > Public health
Previous

11: Drivers not to exceed specified alcohol limits, or

"Don't drive if you've had too much alcohol"

Next

12: Persons not to drive while under influence of alcohol or drugs, or

"Don't drive if you've had alcohol or drugs"

Part 2Primary responsibilities of participants in land transport system
Responsibilities concerning use of alcohol or drugs

11APersons not to drive or attempt to drive while blood contains evidence of use of qualifying drug or concentration level of qualifying drug in oral fluid equals or exceeds specified concentration level

  1. A person may not drive or attempt to drive a motor vehicle while the person’s blood contains evidence of use of a qualifying drug (see sections 57A(1) and (2), 57B(1) and (2), and 57C(1) and (2)).

  2. A person’s blood contains evidence of use of a qualifying drug if—

  3. the blood concentration level of a listed qualifying drug exceeds the tolerance level for the drug; or
    1. the blood contains any level of an unlisted qualifying drug.

      1. A person may not drive or attempt to drive a motor vehicle if the concentration level of a listed qualifying drug in the person’s oral fluid equals or exceeds the concentration level specified for that listed qualifying drug in a notice made under section 71GA (see sections 57A(3), 57B(3), and 57C(3) and (4)).

      Notes
      • Section 11A: replaced, on , by section 5 of the Land Transport (Drug Driving) Amendment Act 2022 (2022 No 5).
      • Section 11A heading: replaced, on , by section 5(1) of the Land Transport (Drug Driving) Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 12).
      • Section 11A(1): replaced, on , by section 5(2) of the Land Transport (Drug Driving) Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 12).
      • Section 11A(3): replaced, on , by section 5(3) of the Land Transport (Drug Driving) Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 12).