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New Zealand law explained for everyone

Land Transport Act 1998

Motor vehicle registration and licensing - Change of registered person on sale or other disposition

252: Release of motor vehicle

You could also call this:

“Getting your car back after the police take it away”

If your car has been taken away and stored by the police, you or someone you allow can get it back. To do this, you need to show a police officer who you are and prove you own the car. You can do this by showing the car’s registration certificate in your name or proving you’ve given the right information to the Registrar. You also need to show you’ve paid all your fines for the car. Then, you have to pay for the towing and storage of your car.

Once you’ve done all this, the people storing your car must give it back to you as soon as they can.

If the police find out that you owned the car and they knew your address when they took it, they must tell the storage people to give it back to you or someone you choose. This should happen as quickly as possible.

If the police tell the storage people to give your car back because of this reason, you don’t have to pay for the towing or storage.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM3705385.

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251: Storage of impounded motor vehicles, or

"Rules for storing cars taken away by the police"

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Part 17 Motor vehicle registration and licensing
Change of registered person on sale or other disposition

252Release of motor vehicle

  1. The owner of a motor vehicle that has been seized and impounded under section 249, or a person authorised for the purpose by the owner, is entitled to recover the motor vehicle from storage by—

  2. showing to an enforcement officer—
    1. proof of the owner’s identity and either—
      1. the certificate of registration of the motor vehicle in the name of that owner; or
        1. proof that the owner has supplied to the Registrar the details required under section 247(1); and
        2. proof that no fines for which an owner is liable, and that were incurred while the owner owned the motor vehicle, are in default; and
        3. paying the towage and storage fees and charges.

          1. The storage provider must release the motor vehicle as soon as practicable after the requirements of subsection (1) have been satisfied.

          2. An enforcement officer must order the release of an impounded motor vehicle to the owner of the motor vehicle, or a person authorised for the purpose by the owner, as soon as practicable after receiving evidence that the motor vehicle was registered in the name of that owner and with the current address of that owner, at the time of its impoundment.

          3. The owner of a motor vehicle released under subsection (3) is not liable to pay the fees and charges for towing and storing the motor vehicle.

          Notes
          • Section 252: inserted, on , by section 32(7) of the Land Transport Amendment Act 2009 (2009 No 17).