Land Transport Act 1998

Motor vehicle registration and licensing - Registration and licensing requirements

244: Application for, and issuing of, licence

You could also call this:

"How to get a licence for your vehicle"

Illustration for Land Transport Act 1998

You need to apply to the Registrar for a licence for your motor vehicle. You must do this according to any regulations made under this Part. The Registrar will issue a licence if your application is complete and you have paid the fees and levies. You can only get a licence for a vehicle that is registered. If a vehicle is treated as if it were registered, a licence issued under the Transport (Vehicle and Driver Registration and Licensing) Act 1986 will still be valid. The Registrar must issue a licence as soon as possible after getting your application. The licence will be issued for a period of time specified in the regulations. You can find more information about registration in section 242. Some vehicles are treated as if they were registered under section 242(4) and licences issued under the Transport (Vehicle and Driver Registration and Licensing) Act 1986 will still be valid.

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This page was last updated on 27 October 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM3701424.

Topics:

Transport and travel > Driving

243: Application for registration, or

"How to Register Your Vehicle"

245: Commencement of licence, or

"When your car licence starts"

Part 17Motor vehicle registration and licensing
Registration and licensing requirements

244Application for, and issuing of, licence

An application for a licence for a motor vehicle must be made to the Registrar by or on behalf of the person registered (or to be registered) in respect of the vehicle in accordance with any regulations made under this Part.
As soon as practicable after receiving a completed application under subsection (1), together with the prescribed fees and accident insurance levies, the Registrar must, if satisfied that the application is in order, issue the appropriate licence for the motor vehicle—
in accordance with any regulations made under this Part; and
for a licensing period specified in any regulations made under this Part.

A licence must not be issued for a motor vehicle that is not registered in accordance with section 242.
In relation to a vehicle treated by virtue of section 242(4) as if it were registered under this Part, a licence issued for the vehicle under the Transport (Vehicle and Driver Registration and Licensing) Act 1986 and in force immediately before the commencement of this section continues to have effect as if it had been issued for the vehicle under this Part.

Compare

1986 No 6 ss 10(1), (2), 13(1)–(3)

Notes

Section 244: inserted, on 1 May 2011, by section 32(5) of the Land Transport Amendment Act 2009 (2009 No 17).