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Land Transport Act 1998

Offences relating to driving (other than alcohol- and drug-related offences) and penalties - Other offences

52: Contravening notices, requirements, etc, given or imposed by enforcement officers

You could also call this:

“Ignoring or disobeying enforcement officers' instructions can get you in trouble”

You can break the law if you do certain things that enforcement officers tell you not to do. Here’s what you need to know:

If you remove or cover up a notice put on a vehicle by an officer, you’re breaking the law. This is unless you’ve gotten new proof that the vehicle has been inspected or the order not to drive the vehicle has been cancelled.

You’re also not allowed to drive a vehicle that has a notice on it from an officer. The only time you can drive it is if the officer gives you special permission or if you’ve gotten new proof that the vehicle has been inspected.

It’s against the law to ignore or refuse to do what an enforcement officer or dangerous goods officer tells you to do under this Act.

If an officer tells you not to drive a heavy vehicle on a road, and you know about this order but drive it anyway, you’re breaking the law.

If you break any of these rules, you might have to pay a fine of up to $10,000.

If an officer asks you for information, you must give it to them. If you don’t, or if you give false information, you could be fined up to $20,000.

Lastly, if you remove or cover up a warning notice on a vehicle while it’s still supposed to be there, you could be fined up to $10,000.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM434682.

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51: Contravention of section 198(4), or

"Breaking the law by not helping with a vehicle inspection"

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52A: Contravention of section 114, or

"Breaking the law by not stopping for enforcement officers"

Part 5 Offences relating to driving (other than alcohol- and drug-related offences) and penalties
Other offences

52Contravening notices, requirements, etc, given or imposed by enforcement officers

  1. A person commits an offence if the person—

    1. removes, obscures, or renders indistinguishable a notice affixed to a vehicle under section 115, unless new evidence of vehicle inspection has been obtained for the vehicle or (if the notice was given under section 96(1B)) the direction requiring the vehicle not to be driven on a road has been cancelled under section 102(3)(b) or section 110(3)(a)(ii) or, if section 115(2A) applies, the enforcement officer has been notified in writing that the vehicle complies with the regulations and the rules; or
      1. drives a vehicle to which a notice under section 115 applies (other than when driving in compliance with a condition imposed under subsection (4) or subsection (5) of that section or under section 96(1D)) before new evidence of vehicle inspection has been obtained for, and is displayed on, the vehicle; or
        1. fails or refuses to comply with any lawful requirement, direction, notice, request, or prohibition given to or imposed on him or her under this Act by an enforcement officer or a dangerous goods enforcement officer (except for any described in section 52A); or
          1. whether or not he or she is the person to whom the direction was given, knowingly drives a heavy motor vehicle on a road in breach of a direction given by an enforcement officer under section 128.

            1. The maximum penalty on conviction for an offence against subsection (1) is a fine not exceeding $10,000.

            2. Repealed

            3. Repealed

            4. Repealed

            5. A person commits an offence if the person, in response to any request for information by an enforcement officer under section 118 and without reasonable excuse,—

            6. fails or refuses to provide information; or
              1. provides false or misleading information.

                1. The maximum penalty on conviction for an offence against subsection (6) is a fine not exceeding $20,000.

                2. If a person removes, obscures, or makes indistinguishable a warning notice attached to a motor vehicle while the notice is in effect, the person commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000.

                Compare
                Notes
                • Section 52(1)(aa): repealed, on , by section 40(1) of the Land Transport Amendment Act 2017 (2017 No 34).
                • Section 52(1)(a): amended, on , by section 30(2) of the Land Transport Amendment Act 2005 (2005 No 77).
                • Section 52(1)(a): amended, on , by section 7(a) of the Land Transport (Unauthorised Street and Drag Racing) Amendment Act 2003 (2003 No 11).
                • Section 52(1)(b): amended, on , by section 7(b) of the Land Transport (Unauthorised Street and Drag Racing) Amendment Act 2003 (2003 No 11).
                • Section 52(1)(c): amended, on , by section 40(2) of the Land Transport Amendment Act 2017 (2017 No 34).
                • Section 52(3): repealed, on , by section 40(1) of the Land Transport Amendment Act 2017 (2017 No 34).
                • Section 52(4): repealed, on , by section 40(1) of the Land Transport Amendment Act 2017 (2017 No 34).
                • Section 52(5): repealed, on , by section 40(1) of the Land Transport Amendment Act 2017 (2017 No 34).
                • Section 52(6): replaced, on , by section 40(3) of the Land Transport Amendment Act 2017 (2017 No 34).
                • Section 52(7): added, on , by section 12 of the Land Transport (Enforcement Powers) Amendment Act 2009 (2009 No 36).
                • Section 52(8): added, on , by section 12 of the Land Transport (Enforcement Powers) Amendment Act 2009 (2009 No 36).