Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Land Transport Act 1998

Driver licensing

29: Certain driver licences have no effect

You could also call this:

“Some driver licences are not valid in certain situations”

Your driver licence might not work in some situations. Here’s when that can happen:

Your whole driver licence doesn’t work if:

  • You’re not allowed to have a licence or you’re not ready to have one yet.
  • There’s something wrong with your licence or it wasn’t given to you properly.
  • Your licence has been taken away, cancelled, replaced by a new one, or isn’t used anymore.
  • Your licence is stopped for a while because of a law.

Sometimes, you might only be allowed to drive certain types of vehicles. This part of your licence doesn’t work if:

  • You’re not ready to drive those types of vehicles or you’re not allowed to drive them.
  • That part of your licence is stopped for a while or has been taken away because of a law.

Remember, if your licence doesn’t work, you’re not allowed to drive. It’s important to make sure your licence is always okay to use.

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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=DLM434565.

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"People who committed serious crimes can't drive passengers"

Part 4 Driver licensing

29Certain driver licences have no effect

  1. A driver licence has no effect if—

  2. a person is disqualified from holding, or unqualified to hold, a driver licence:
    1. the licence is invalid or is issued invalidly:
      1. the licence is revoked, cancelled, superseded, or replaced:
        1. the licence is for the time being suspended under any Act.

          1. An authority to drive vehicles of a specified class that is conferred by part of a driver licence or an endorsement on a driver licence has no effect if—

          2. the person who obtained the authority is not qualified to drive, or is disqualified from driving, vehicles of that class; or
            1. the relevant part of the licence or the endorsement is for the time being suspended, or has been revoked, under any Act.

              Notes
              • Section 29(1): substituted, on , by section 13 of the Land Transport (Road Safety and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2011 (2011 No 13).