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Land Transport Act 1998

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

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

You could also call this:

“Getting new car papers or plates if yours are lost or damaged”

If you lose, have stolen, damage, or destroy your certificate of registration, licence, or registration plates for your motor vehicle, you can ask for a replacement. You need to follow the rules when you ask for a new one.

The person in charge of registrations can give you a new or duplicate certificate, licence, or plates if they believe you really need it and you’ve filled out all the right forms.

For registration plates, the new ones will have the same letters, numbers, and special marks as your old ones. But they don’t have to look exactly the same. They might be a different colour, size, or style.

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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=DLM3705513.

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263: Transitional provision for existing registration plates, or

"You can keep using your old car number plates"

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"Giving back or losing your car's number plates"

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

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

  1. If the certificate of registration, licence, or registration plates for a motor vehicle have been lost, stolen, damaged, or destroyed, the registered person may, in accordance with any regulations made under this Part, apply for a replacement or duplicate of the certificate of registration, licence, or registration plates.

  2. The Registrar may, if satisfied that subsection (1) applies and that the application is complete, issue (in accordance with any regulations made under this Part) a replacement or duplicate of the certificate of registration, licence, or registration plates.

  3. In the case of registration plates,—

  4. the replacement or duplicate must have the same letters, numbers, distinguishing marks or combination of letters, numbers or distinguishing marks as were assigned to the plates that were lost, stolen, damaged, or destroyed; but
    1. nothing in this section requires the Registrar to issue an exact replica of those plates (for example, in terms of colour, format, font, or size).

      Notes
      • Section 264: inserted, on , by section 32(13) of the Land Transport Amendment Act 2009 (2009 No 17).