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Land Transport Act 1998

Enforcement of responsibilities - General enforcement powers

114: Power to require driver to stop and give name and address, etc

You could also call this:

“Police can stop drivers and ask for their details”

If you are driving a vehicle, an enforcement officer can ask you to stop. The officer must be wearing a uniform or a special hat with a badge. They might also use flashing blue or red lights and a siren if they are in a vehicle behind you.

When you stop, you need to stay stopped for as long as the officer needs to do their job. The officer might ask you for some information. They can ask for your full name, address, email, date of birth, job, and phone number. They might also want to know if you own the vehicle. If you don’t own it, they might ask you for information about who does.

You don’t have to stay stopped if the officer’s vehicle with flashing lights doesn’t stop near you. The officer can only make you stay stopped for 15 minutes if they just want to check who you are.

If you don’t do what the officer asks or if you give false information, the officer can arrest you without needing a warrant first.

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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=DLM435105.

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"Officers can check your papers to make sure you're following the rules"

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115: Enforcement officers may give directions prohibiting driving of vehicles, or

"Police can stop you from driving an unsafe car until it's fixed"

Part 9 Enforcement of responsibilities
General enforcement powers

114Power to require driver to stop and give name and address, etc

  1. An enforcement officer who is in uniform, or wearing a distinctive cap, hat, or helmet, with a badge of authority affixed to it, may signal or request the driver of a vehicle to stop the vehicle as soon as is practicable.

  2. An enforcement officer in a vehicle following another vehicle may, by displaying flashing blue, or blue and red, lights or sounding a siren, require the driver of the other vehicle to stop.

  3. Subject to subsections (4) and (5), the driver of a vehicle that is stopped by an enforcement officer under this Act must remain stopped for as long as is reasonably necessary for the enforcement officer to complete the exercise of any powers conferred, or duties imposed, on an enforcement officer by this Act.

  4. An enforcement officer may require the driver of a vehicle that is stopped under this Act to—

  5. remain stopped for as long as is reasonably necessary for an enforcement officer to obtain the particulars referred to in paragraph (b), or to complete the exercise of any other power conferred on an enforcement officer by this Act; and
    1. on demand by an enforcement officer,—
      1. give their full name, full address, electronic address (if they have an electronic address), date of birth, occupation, and telephone number, or such of those particulars as the enforcement officer may specify; and
        1. state whether or not he or she is the registered person for the vehicle; and
          1. if the driver is not the registered person for the vehicle, give the name and address of the registered person or such particulars within the driver’s knowledge as may lead to the identification of the registered person.

          2. The driver of a vehicle that is stopped under subsection (2) is not obliged to remain stopped if the vehicle with flashing lights and siren does not itself stop in the near vicinity of the place where the driver has stopped.

          3. An enforcement officer may require a driver to remain stopped on a road for as long as is reasonably necessary to enable the officer to establish the identity of the driver, but not for longer than 15 minutes if the requirement to remain stopped is made under this subsection only.

          4. An enforcement officer may arrest a person without warrant if the officer has good cause to suspect the person of having—

          5. failed to comply with this section or a signal or request or requirement under this section; or
            1. given false or misleading information under this section.

              Compare
              Notes
              • Section 114(2A): inserted, on , by section 64 of the Land Transport Amendment Act 2005 (2005 No 77).
              • Section 114(3)(b)(i): amended, on , by section 20(1) of the Land Transport (Road Safety) Amendment Act 2023 (2023 No 62).
              • Section 114(3)(b)(i): amended, on , by section 30 of the Land Transport (Enforcement Powers) Amendment Act 2009 (2009 No 36).
              • Section 114(3)(b)(ii): amended, on , by section 20(2) of the Land Transport (Road Safety) Amendment Act 2023 (2023 No 62).
              • Section 114(3)(b)(iii): replaced, on , by section 20(3) of the Land Transport (Road Safety) Amendment Act 2023 (2023 No 62).