About driver licences

New Zealand's driver licensing system

Why have driver licences?

New Zealand has a driver licensing system to make sure that everyone who drives on our roads has the skills and knowledge necessary to be a safe driver. The safer drivers are, the safer our roads will be.

A licence to drive a motor vehicle is a privilege that is only given to people who pass the driver licence tests and demonstrate respect for the rights and safety of others.

Photo driver licences help identify drivers. They are one of the best ways to catch unlicensed and disqualified drivers.

What does a New Zealand driver licence look like?

Photo side

• 1    Licence holder's family name.
• 2    Licence holder's other names.
• 3    Licence holder's date of birth.
• 4a  Licence issue date.
        Note: licence cards issued before 16 January 2006 will show the issue date of that card. Licence cards issued
        from 16 January 2006 will show the date the driver first obtained their full, restricted or learner licence.
• 4b  Licence card expiry date.
• 4c  Organ donor status.
• 5a  Licence number.
• 5b  Card version number
        (Space for signature.)
• 6    Licence holder's address (optional).
• 7    Licence classes and endorsements held.

Reverse side

• 8    Issue and expiry dates for any learner and restricted licence classes held. Expiry dates for any endorsements
        held. Any licence conditions (for example, must wear corrective lenses, automatic vehicles only, specially
        adapted vehicles). These conditions will apply to all classes and endorsements held, unless specifically stated.
        See below for more information about licence conditions.
• 9    Classes or endorsements the conditions apply to. If the condition does not apply to all classes and
        endorsements held, then this section will specify what classes and/or endorsements the condition does apply
        to. If this section is blank, the condition applies to all classes and endorsements held.

Licence conditions

If your licence is issued with conditions on it, this means that you must follow them when you drive. The reason some people have conditions on their licence is because they may not be a safe driver unless they follow the conditions.

A common example of a licence condition is that the driver must wear corrective lenses when they drive.

Other conditions include driving only automatic vehicles or driving only specially adapted vehicles.

Licence conditions are printed on the reverse side of your photo driver licence.

Note: additional conditions that must be followed by drivers on a learner or restricted licence are not recorded on the reverse side of your licence. See Stage 1 - Learner licence for details of learner licence conditions.

Classes of driver licence

To drive a car you will need to get a Class 1 licence, but there are actually six classes of licence in New Zealand. Each class covers different types and weights of vehicle. That's because the skills you need to drive a truck are different from the skills you need to drive a car or motorcycle.

Before applying for a Class 2 licence, you will need a full Class 1 licence. The classes relevant for heavy vehicles are covered below.

Class 1 – Car

A holder of a Class 1 learner, restricted or full licence can drive:

• a vehicle that has a gross laden weight (GLW) or gross combined weight (GCW) of 4500kg or less (this includes tractors and combination vehicles, but does not include motorcycles)
• a moped or all-terrain vehicle
• a campervan or tradesperson's vehicle with a GLW of 6000kg or less and an on-road weight not exceeding 4500kg.
  Note: a tradeperson's vehicle means a motor vehicle that has a body designed or adapted for use principally by tradepersons to carry special-purpose trade equipment or trade goods, excluding general freight.

In addition, a holder of a full Class 1 licence can drive:

• a forklift* with a GLW of 18,000kg or less
• a special-type vehicle* that runs on rollers or self-laying tracks and has a GLW of 18,000kg or less
• a special-type vehicle that runs on wheels and has a GLW of 4500kg or less
• a special-type vehicle that runs on wheels and has a GLW of more than 4500kg but less than 18,001kg, if driven at a speed not exceeding 30km/h (if you want to drive at more than 30km/h you'll need a Class 2 licence)
• a tractor with a GLW of more than 4500kg but less than 18,001kg if driven at a speed not exceeding 30km/h
• a tractor/trailer combination of more than 4500kg but not more than 25,000kg, if being used in agricultural or land management operations and driven at a speed not exceeding 30km/h.

Class 2 – Medium rigid vehicle

A holder of a Class 2 learner or full licence can drive:

• a rigid vehicle (including any tractor) with a GLW of more than 4500kg but less than 18,001kg
• a combination vehicle (that is not a tractor/trailer combination) with a GCW of 12,000kg or less
• a combination vehicle (that is not a tractor) consisting of a rigid vehicle with a GLW of 18,000kg or less towing a light trailer (GLW of 3500kg or less)
• a rigid vehicle with a GLW of more than 18,000kg that has no more than two axles
• a tractor with a GLW of more than 4500kg but less than 18,001kg, if driven at a speed over 30km/h
• a vehicle covered in Class 1.

In addition, a holder of a full Class 2 licence can drive:

• a forklift* with a GLW of more than 18,000kg
• a special-type vehicle* that runs on rollers or self-laying tracks and has a GLW of more than 18,000kg
• a special-type vehicle* that runs on wheels and has a GLW of more than 4500kg but less than 18,001kg (if you're always going to be operating this type of vehicle at a speed not exceeding 30km/h, you can use a full Class 1 licence)
• a special-type vehicle* that runs on wheels and has a GLW of more than 18,000kg, if driven at a speed not exceeding 30km/h (if you want to drive at more than 30km/h, you'll need a Class 4 licence).

Class 3 – Medium combination vehicle

A holder of a Class 3 learner or full licence can drive:

• a combination vehicle (other than the tractor/trailer combination mentioned in Class 1) with a GCW of more than 12,000kg but less than 25,001kg
• a vehicle covered in classes 1 and 2.

Class 4 – Heavy rigid vehicle

A holder of a Class 4 learner or full licence can drive:

• a rigid vehicle (including any tractor) with a GLW of more than 18,000kg
• a combination vehicle consisting of a rigid vehicle with a GLW of more than 18,000kg towing a light trailer (GLW of 3500kg or less) and driven at a speed not exceeding 30km/h
• vehicles covered in classes 1 and 2, but not Class 3.

In addition, a holder of a full Class 4 licence can drive:

• a special-type* vehicle that runs on wheels and has a GLW of more than 18,000kg (if you're always going to be operating this type of vehicle at a speed not exceeding 30km/h, you can use a Class 2 licence).

Class 5 – Heavy combination vehicle

A holder of a Class 5 learner or full licence can drive:

• a combination vehicle with a GCW of more than 25,000kg
• vehicles covered in classes 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Notes

* Certain kinds of vehicles require you to have a licence endorsement, as well as having the correct class of licence, before you can drive them. Some examples are special-type vehicles, passenger service vehicles and tow trucks. See the definitions below for more information.

Holders of Class 2 and Class 4 licences are allowed to tow light trailers (GLW of 3500kg or less) behind rigid vehicles of those classes. Don't count the weight of the trailer in any GCW calculations.

An articulated special-type vehicle can be driven on a Class 2 or Class 4 licence, depending on its weight. This is because its handling characteristics are determined by it being a special-type vehicle, not because it's articulated.

If you're a tractor driver, you simply need to hold the right class of licence for the weight of the tractor. You don't need a W or any other special-type endorsement.

Definitions

Gross laden weight (GLW) is the greatest of the following:

• any weight specified (following the latest modification, if applicable) as a vehicle's GLW by the vehicle's manufacturer
• any weight specified as the GLW of a particular vehicle (or a vehicle of its kind) by the NZTA
• the weight of a vehicle together with any load it is carrying, including any equipment and accessories.

Gross combined weight (GCW) is the sum of the GLW of the vehicles that make up a combination vehicle.

On-road weight means the total weight of the vehicle and load at any particular time.

Special-type vehicles are motor vehicles that are forklifts or vehicles that run on rollers or self-laying tracks. It also includes motor vehicles that run on wheels but that aren't passenger vehicles, trade vehicles, tractors, fire engines or vehicle recovery vehicles.

Licence endorsements

To safely drive some kinds of vehicles, or to provide certain kinds of services, you need to have special knowledge or training. A licence endorsement on your driver licence shows that you have completed whatever courses or qualifications you need for that endorsement.

The types of endorsement you can get on your New Zealand driver licence, and what they allow you to do, are shown in the table below.

Endorsement	Allows you to
F	Drive a forklift
P	Drive a passenger service vehicle, eg a bus or taxi
V	Drive a tow truck
D	Drive a vehicle that is carrying dangerous goods*
T	Drive a special-type vehicle that runs on tracks
R	Drive a special-type vehicle that runs on rollers
W	Drive a special-type vehicle that runs on wheels
I	Be a driving instructor
O	Be a driver testing officer

* Retested every five years.

To get a licence endorsement, you must pass an appropriate course run by an approved course provider, which may be a driving school, polytechnic or private provider. To find out about courses in your area, look in the Yellow pages, visit the Licence endorsements section of our website or call the NZTA's driver licensing contact centre on 0800 822 422.

When you pass a course, you will be given a certificate to take to a driver licensing agent. There, your licence will be updated to show the appropriate endorsement.

To find out how to apply for endorsements, phone the NZTA's driver licensing contact centre on 0800 822 422 or visit the Licence endorsements section of our website.

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Last updated: 29 September 2010