Land Transport Act 1998

Driving offences involving drink or drugs, and penalties and procedures - Enforcement procedures for offences involving intoxication - Enforcement procedures for offences involving intoxication

68: Who must undergo breath screening test

You could also call this:

"Who has to take a breath test when driving?"

Illustration for Land Transport Act 1998

You may be asked to take a breath screening test by an enforcement officer. This can happen if you are driving or trying to drive a vehicle on a road. You might also be asked if the officer thinks you have recently broken a driving law. You could be asked to take the test if you were involved in an accident with a vehicle. This includes if you were driving the vehicle or if the officer thinks you were in the vehicle at the time of the accident. You do not have to take the test if you are in a hospital or medical centre because of the accident. If you take the breath screening test, you must stay where you are until the results are known. The officer can arrest you if you do not stay. The officer can also use a passive breath-testing device to check for alcohol in your breath. You can be asked to take the breath screening test even if you have already taken an oral fluid screening test under sections 71A to 71C.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM434827.

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69: Who must undergo evidential breath test, or

"People who need to take a breath test when asked by police"

Part 6Driving offences involving drink or drugs, and penalties and procedures
Enforcement procedures for offences involving intoxication: Enforcement procedures for offences involving intoxication

68Who must undergo breath screening test

  1. An enforcement officer may require any of the following persons to undergo a breath screening test without delay:

  2. a driver of, or a person attempting to drive, a motor vehicle on a road:
    1. a person whom the officer has good cause to suspect has recently committed an offence against this Act that involves the driving of a motor vehicle:
      1. if an accident has occurred involving a motor vehicle,—
        1. the driver of the vehicle at the time of the accident; or
          1. if the enforcement officer is unable to ascertain who the driver of the motor vehicle was at the time of the accident, a person whom the officer has good cause to suspect was in the motor vehicle at the time of the accident.
          2. An enforcement officer may not require a person who is in a hospital or medical centre as a result of an accident involving a motor vehicle to undergo a breath screening test.

          3. A person who has undergone a breath screening test under this section must remain at the place where the person underwent the test until after the result of the test is ascertained, and an enforcement officer may arrest the person without warrant if the person refuses or fails to remain at that place.

          4. If an enforcement officer is entitled to require a person to undergo a breath screening test, the officer may also require that person to undergo a test using a passive breath-testing device, which test is one where the officer holds a passive breath-testing device near the person's mouth for the purpose of ascertaining whether or not there is any alcohol in the person's breath.

          5. The use or non-use of a passive breath-testing device does not of itself affect the validity of a breath screening test.

          6. An enforcement officer may require a person to undergo a breath screening test whether or not a person has already undergone an oral fluid screening test under any of sections 71A to 71C and regardless of the result (or failure to produce a result) of any such oral fluid screening test or tests.

          Compare
          Notes
          • Section 68(2): amended, on , by section 9 of the Land Transport Amendment Act 2016 (2016 No 77).
          • Section 68(6): inserted, on , by section 19 of the Land Transport (Drug Driving) Amendment Act 2022 (2022 No 5).
          • Section 68(6): amended, on , by section 17 of the Land Transport (Drug Driving) Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 12).