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Land Transport Act 1998

Motor vehicle registration and licensing - General provisions relating to registration and licensing

265: Surrender and seizure of registration plates and facsimile plates

You could also call this:

“Giving back or losing your car's number plates”

The Registrar can tell you to give back your registration plates if:

  1. They are on the wrong vehicle
  2. They are not on any vehicle when they should be
  3. They were given out by mistake or are being used in a way that’s not allowed
  4. They are personalised plates that might upset people or be confusing
  5. They are fake plates that look like real ones

A police officer can take away your registration plates for the same reasons as the Registrar. They can also take them if the Registrar has already told you to give them back.

Police officers can take and destroy any fake plates that look like real ones.

Fake plates are anything that is made to look like a real registration plate but isn’t one.

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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=DLM3701906.

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264: Replacement of certificate of registration, licence, or registration plates, or

"Getting new car papers or plates if yours are lost or damaged"

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266: Registrar may prohibit or decline to issue plates, or

"Registrar can say no to certain vehicle plates"

Part 17 Motor vehicle registration and licensing
General provisions relating to registration and licensing

265Surrender and seizure of registration plates and facsimile plates

  1. The Registrar may order the surrender of—

  2. any registration plates if the Registrar is satisfied that the plates—
    1. are affixed to a motor vehicle other than the motor vehicle to which they may be lawfully affixed; or
      1. being ordinary plates, are not affixed to a motor vehicle; or
        1. have been issued in error or are being used (or are likely to be used) unlawfully; or
        2. personalised plates if the Registrar has received a complaint about the plates and considers they are likely to cause offence or confusion; or
          1. facsimile plates.

            1. An enforcement officer may seize any registration plates if the enforcement officer is satisfied that the plates—

            2. are affixed to a motor vehicle other than the motor vehicle to which they may be lawfully affixed; or
              1. being ordinary plates, are not affixed to a motor vehicle; or
                1. have been issued in error or are being used (or are likely to be used) unlawfully; or
                  1. have been ordered by the Registrar to be surrendered under subsection (1) or in accordance with any regulations.

                    1. An enforcement officer may seize and destroy any facsimile plates.

                    2. For the purposes of subsections (1)(c) and (3), facsimile plate means any thing that is not a registration plate but is made to appear as if it is a registration plate.

                    Compare
                    Notes
                    • Section 265: inserted, on , by section 32(13) of the Land Transport Amendment Act 2009 (2009 No 17).