Limited licence

If you’re suspended or disqualified from driving you may be able to apply for a limited licence.

Step 1: Apply to the court

A lawyer can help you apply for a court order authorising you to get a limited licence. They’ll get documents ready and present them to the court.

Applications are considered by the courts on a case-by-base basis, using the criteria in sections 103 to 105 of the Land Transport Act 1998.

If the court order is granted, you must get a limited licence from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency before you drive.

Step 2: Apply to Waka Kotahi

You can apply at any driver licensing agent. 

Find a driver licensing agent in your area

You'll need to:

• complete an application form [PDF, 135 KB]
• pay the application fee of $48.70
• present evidence of your identity
• present your court order

Step 3: Your application is assessed

Your application will be automatically filtered to establish if the agent can issue a limited licence immediately or if your application needs to be reviewed by Waka Kotahi.

The filter will consider things like:

• the licence classes and endorsements you held before your disqualification or suspension
• whether the Act permits you to hold a limited licence. 

Reasons your limited licence might be declined or delayed

If your application meets the criteria

If your application meets all the criteria, your application maybe immediately approved. The agent will give you a temporary licence.

If your application doesn't meet the criteria

If your application can’t be immediately approved, the driver licensing agent won’t give you a temporary licence. The agent can’t discuss the reasons why your application can’t be immediately approved, or discuss the possible outcomes of your application.

The agent will forward your application to Waka Kotahi for further assessment. Waka Kotahi will assess your application within 4 working days of receiving it. If you haven’t heard back within 4 working days, please contact us.

Application approved by Waka Kotahi

If your application is approved, we’ll give you a reference number to take back to an agent to get a temporary driver licence while your photo driver licence is manufactured and sent to you.

Application declined by Waka Kotahi

If your application is declined, we’ll send you a letter telling you the reasons why and about your right of appeal to the district court.

Step 4: Driving with the limited licence

You’ll receive a pink photo driver limited licence in the mail. You must always carry this licence AND your court order when driving. You must always follow any conditions listed on the court order.

Further disqualifications

If you get another disqualification while holding a limited licence, then your limited licence is automatically revoked and you’re not entitled to drive anymore. You must surrender your revoked limited licence to the court, the police, Waka Kotahi or an agent.

If you’re suspended under a driver licence stop order (DLSO) while holding a limited licence, your limited licence is automatically revoked and you’re no longer entitled to drive. You must surrender your revoked limited licence to the Ministry of Justice.

Getting your licence back

After your limited licence has expired, and your disqualification or suspension has ended, you’ll be unlicensed. You can’t drive again until you’ve got a new driver licence.

Any licence card you had before your disqualification or suspension was permanently cancelled.

To get your licence back:

• complete an application form  [PDF, 203 KB]
• present evidence of your identity
• have your image and signature captured
• prove your eyesight meets the required standard
• provide a medical certificate if required.

If you were disqualified or suspended for 12 months or less you’ll need to pay the application fee of $48.00.

If you were disqualified for more than 12 months before the courts authorised your limited licence, you’ll need to pay the application fee of $100.10. You’ll need to resit the appropriate tests or courses, but you won’t need to pay any extra test fees. There are no fees to change, cancel or rebook your test.

More information about getting your licence back

If you only have an overseas driver licence, you won’t be allowed to drive again in New Zealand until you get a New Zealand driver licence.

If you drive after your disqualification or suspension has ended, but before you get your licence back, you could be fined and forbidden to drive. If you continue to drive without reinstating your licence, you could be charged with driving while forbidden and have the vehicle you’re driving impounded.

More information about roadside vehicle impoundment

Reasons your limited licence might be declined or delayed

Examples of where Waka Kotahi must decline issuing you a limited licence include when:

• your licence is suspended under a driver licence stop order (DLSO)
• your licence is suspended or revoked on medical grounds
• you’re serving a 28-day licence suspension for excess speed or alcohol
• you’re indefinitely disqualified for repeat alcohol and/or drug driving offences
• your court order indicates you may drive vehicles for which you didn’t hold a current licence at the time your suspension or disqualification started
• your court order indicates you may conduct driving tests or act as a driving instructor
• your court order indicates you may drive in a passenger service (except where demerit points were the only reason for the licence suspension and where you can prove that no more than 20 of these points were accumulated while driving in a passenger service)
• your court order indicates you may drive in a transport service, if you were disqualified for excess alcohol while operating a transport service vehicle
• you’re disqualified for driving while already disqualified or suspended
• you’re disqualified for certain offences causing death or injury
• you’re disqualified from driving for an offence described in section 103(2)(d) of the Act, and have previously been disqualified for one or more of these offences in the last 5 years
• you received another disqualification after the court order was granted
• you’ve been given an alcohol interlock sentence by the court and haven’t yet been issued an alcohol interlock licence
• you have an alcohol interlock licence and haven’t been approved to exit the alcohol interlock programme.

Examples of where Waka Kotahi may decline issuing you a limited licence include when:

• section 104(1) of the act requires you to serve a 28-day stand-down period*.

 *If a 28-day stand-down period applies, you can still apply to the court within that 28-day period. However, any court order issued within the 28-day stand-down period should clearly state that no limited licence can be issued within that 28-day period.

Waka Kotahi will apply the 28-day period even if it’s not stated on the court order.

 Overview of limited licence process

Download Factsheet 50: Limited licences [PDF, 236 KB]