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Land Transport Act 1998

Disqualification, demerit points, licence suspension, and vehicle impoundment - Disqualification

83: Holder to undergo approved tests or courses if disqualified for more than 1 year

You could also call this:

“You must take tests or courses to get your licence back after losing it for over a year”

If you lose your driver’s licence for more than 12 months, or for multiple times that add up to more than 12 months, you need to do some things before you can get your licence back.

Your licence won’t work after the disqualification period ends until you apply for the same type of licence again. To get your licence back, you might need to do some or all of these things:

  1. Complete courses that the Director has approved.
  2. Pass tests and exams that the Director has approved.

After you do these things, the Director can give you a new licence.

If you’ve passed the right theory test, the Director can do one of two things:

  1. Give you a new licence that says you need supervision (if that’s what the rules say for learner drivers with that type of vehicle).
  2. Add a note to your old licence that says you need supervision (if that’s what the rules say for learner drivers with that type of vehicle).

These rules also apply if a court has said you can get a limited licence, but only if that happened at least 12 months after you lost your licence.

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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=DLM434889.

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"How to get your driver licence back after an alcohol-related licence expires"

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84: New licence to be issued if disqualified driver qualifies for specified vehicle classes, or

"You can get a new licence for some vehicles if you were banned from driving"

Part 7 Disqualification, demerit points, licence suspension, and vehicle impoundment
Disqualification

83Holder to undergo approved tests or courses if disqualified for more than 1 year

  1. If a person is disqualified from holding or obtaining a driver licence for a period of more than 12 months or for 2 or more cumulative periods totalling more than 12 months,—

  2. the licence continues to be of no effect after the disqualification ends until the person applies for the same class of licence and the person qualifies for the licence by any or all (as the case may be) of the following:
    1. completing any courses approved by the Director for that purpose:
      1. passing the tests and examinations approved by the Director for that purpose; and
      2. the Director may issue a new licence.

        1. If a person to whom subsection (1) applies has passed the appropriate theory test, the Director may—

        2. issue a new licence to that person with the supervisory condition (if any) applicable to a learner licence for that class of vehicle as specified in the rules; or
          1. endorse that person's existing licence with the supervisory condition (if any) applicable to a learner licence for that class of vehicle as specified in the rules.

            1. Subsection (1) applies to a person who has been authorised to obtain a limited licence by an order of a court made under section 105 only if the order was made not less than 12 months after the date the disqualification started or (in the case of a person disqualified for 2 or more cumulative periods) not less than 12 months after the date the first period of disqualification started.

            Compare
            Notes
            • Section 83 heading: amended, on , by section 43(1) of the Land Transport Amendment Act 2005 (2005 No 77).
            • Section 83(1)(a): substituted, on , by section 43(2) of the Land Transport Amendment Act 2005 (2005 No 77).
            • Section 83(1)(a)(i): amended, on , by section 70(1) of the Land Transport (NZTA) Legislation Amendment Act 2020 (2020 No 48).
            • Section 83(1)(a)(ii): amended, on , by section 70(1) of the Land Transport (NZTA) Legislation Amendment Act 2020 (2020 No 48).
            • Section 83(1)(b): amended, on , by section 70(1) of the Land Transport (NZTA) Legislation Amendment Act 2020 (2020 No 48).
            • Section 83(1)(b): amended, on , by section 19 of the Land Transport (Enforcement Powers) Amendment Act 2009 (2009 No 36).
            • Section 83(1A): inserted, on , by section 43(3) of the Land Transport Amendment Act 2005 (2005 No 77).
            • Section 83(1A): amended, on , by section 70(2) of the Land Transport (NZTA) Legislation Amendment Act 2020 (2020 No 48).