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Land Transport Act 1998

Motor vehicle registration and licensing - Registration and licensing requirements

242: Motor vehicles must be registered and licensed

You could also call this:

“Cars need to be properly signed up and allowed before you can drive them on the road”

You can’t use a motor vehicle on the road unless it’s properly registered and licensed. This means you need to:

  1. Make sure your vehicle is registered and licensed as the law says.
  2. Put the right registration plates on your vehicle where everyone can see them.
  3. Show a current licence on your vehicle that matches how you’re using it.

If you’re the person registered as owning the vehicle, you have to:

  1. Keep the vehicle licensed all the time.
  2. Pay all the fees and insurance money required, even if you’re not using the vehicle.

Sometimes, there might be special rules that let you use a vehicle on the road without following these exact steps. But usually, you need to do all these things.

If your vehicle was already registered before this new law started, it’s still counted as registered under the new law.

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This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM3701427.

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Part 17 Motor vehicle registration and licensing
Registration and licensing requirements

242Motor vehicles must be registered and licensed

  1. A motor vehicle must not be operated on a road unless the motor vehicle—

  2. is registered and licensed in accordance with this Part; and
    1. has affixed to it and displayed in the manner prescribed by regulations made under this Part the registration plates issued for it; and
      1. has displayed in the manner prescribed by regulations made under this Part a current licence issued for it and appropriate for its use under section 244.

        1. The person registered in respect of a motor vehicle in accordance with this Part must—

        2. keep the motor vehicle licensed at all times in accordance with this Part; and
          1. ensure that the prescribed fees and accident insurance levies are paid for the time that the motor vehicle is required to be licensed (whether or not it is actually licensed).

            1. Subsections (1) and (2) do not override any provisions of this Part or of regulations made under this Part that provide expressly for a motor vehicle to be operated on a road otherwise than in accordance with subsections (1) and (2).

            2. A motor vehicle that is a registered motor vehicle under the Transport (Vehicle and Driver Registration and Licensing) Act 1986 or any corresponding former Act immediately before the commencement of this Part is to be treated as if it were registered under this Part.

            Compare
            Notes
            • Section 242: inserted, on , by section 32(5) of the Land Transport Amendment Act 2009 (2009 No 17).
            • Section 242(1)(b): replaced, on , by section 100 of the Land Transport Amendment Act 2017 (2017 No 34).
            • Section 242(1)(c): inserted, on , by section 100 of the Land Transport Amendment Act 2017 (2017 No 34).