Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Land Transport Act 1998

Disqualification, demerit points, licence suspension, and vehicle impoundment - Driver licence stop orders

91D: Warning notice to be served on defendant

You could also call this:

“The government must warn you before stopping your driver licence for unpaid traffic fines”

If you owe money for a traffic fine, the government might stop you from using your driver licence. Before this happens, the head of the Ministry of Justice will make sure you get a warning notice.

The warning notice will tell you why you might lose your driver licence and give you information about the traffic fine you haven’t paid. If you had a plan to pay the fine but it was cancelled, the notice will explain why.

The notice will also tell you that you can stop this from happening. If you pay all of the fine, get it cancelled, or sort out your payment within 14 days after you get the notice, they won’t stop your licence.

Even if you don’t get this warning notice, or if you get it after they’ve already stopped your licence, the stop order is still valid. This means the government can still stop you from using your licence even if you didn’t get the warning.

This text is automatically generated. It might be out of date or be missing some parts. Find out more about how we do this.

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=DLM5706324.

Previous

91C: Liability to driver licence stop order, or

"What happens if you don't pay your traffic fine on time"

Next

91E: Imposition of driver licence stop order, or

"Stopping your driver's licence if you don't pay your traffic fines"

Part 7 Disqualification, demerit points, licence suspension, and vehicle impoundment
Driver licence stop orders

91DWarning notice to be served on defendant

  1. If a defendant is liable to the imposition of a driver licence stop order, the chief executive of the Ministry of Justice must arrange for a warning notice to be served on the defendant.

  2. The notice must—

  3. explain why the defendant is liable to the imposition of a driver licence stop order and provide details of the unpaid traffic fine to which the liability relates; and
    1. if the defendant’s liability is related to the cancellation or revocation of a payment arrangement, deduction notice, or an attachment order, give the reason for the cancellation or revocation; and
      1. state that a driver licence stop order will not be imposed if, before the close of the 14th day after service of the notice, the unpaid traffic fine is paid in full, or remitted in full, or the defendant's obligation to pay the fine is resolved.

        1. No driver licence stop order imposed on a person is invalid merely because a notice under subsection (1) was not received by that person or was received by that person after the driver licence stop order was imposed on the person.

        Notes
        • Section 91D: inserted, on , by section 7 of the Land Transport Amendment Act 2011 (2011 No 31).