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Updates to the motorcycle road code

This page lists any updates to The official New Zealand road code for motorcycling since the last published edition. These changes will usually have been cause by a legislation change. 

The current version of The Official New Zealand road code for motorcycling is 2023.

For updates to our other road codes, see the relevant pages:

New theory test questions

We're changing the wording for some questions and adding new questions. We’ll ask these questions in theory tests from 1 December 2025.

We’re publishing them in advance to give you time to learn them.

Download new theory test questions PDF [PDF, 1.1 MB]

Core questions (C)

C1 You must turn on your vehicle's headlights when you can't clearly see a person or vehicle ____ metres away. 

Night driving

C12 Under normal driving conditions, what rule should you use to allow a safe following distance? 

Following distance

C15 When driving at night on a road with lanes you must be able to stop in half the length of clear road you can see in front of you. True or false?

Night driving

C19 The legal definition of a road includes beaches, bridges, carparks, streets and motorways. True or false?  

What is a road?

C32 How must you signal when travelling straight ahead at a roundabout? 

A blue car is intending to drive through a roundabout. A shows indicate as entering, B shows indicate after first exit.

Signal use at roundabouts

C38 When coming out of a driveway you must give way to anyone using a footpath, cycle path, shared path or the road. True or false? 

Turning from a driveway

C39 You're driving along a road with an 80km/h speed limit. There's a 100km/h speed limit sign ahead. When can you start to increase your speed? 

Safe speed guidelines

C40 You're driving along a road with an 80km/h speed limit. There's a 60km/h speed limit sign ahead. When must you be going 60km/h? 

Safe speed guidelines

C41 You're driving slower than the speed limit and notice there are vehicles following you. What should you do? 

Slow drivers

Signs and markings questions (S)

S3 This sign recommends a safe speed of 35km/h for the curve in good driving conditions. True or false? 

A yellow diamond with a black curved arrow. Below is a yellow rectangle with a black number 35

Curve warning signs

S21 What must you do at a give way sign? 

A white upside down triangle with red border and red text reading give way.

Give way sign

S26 Can you use a right-turn bay to overtake a vehicle travelling straight ahead? 

In the middle of a laned road, a white triangle is painted with diagonal lines inside it, followed by an arrow pointing right.

Making a right turn from a left-hand bay

S39 What does this sign mean? 

A white circle with red border and a red line crossing diagonally through the centre. In the background is a black curved arrow point left.

Compulsory signs

S40 What does this sign mean? 

A red circle. In the centre is a white rectangle with red text reading no entry.

Compulsory signs

S41 What does this sign mean?

A white square with red border. It has a black bus with black text underneath reading lane.

Compulsory signs

S42 What does this sign mean?

A white square with a red border. It shows a black bus with black text underneath that reads only.

Compulsory signs

S43 You're driving along a beach where this sign is displayed. There are people on the beach up ahead. What is the speed limit?

White sign with red outline showing 60 within a red circle, then 30 within a red circle surrounded by pedestrian images

Beach and river variable speed limit signs

S44 What does a solid yellow line on your side of the centre line mean? 

Road with solid yellow line down middle and dotted white lines on one side of it.

Yellow centre line

S45 What does this marking painted on the roadway mean? 

A road marking with an image of a bicycle topped with double arrows.

Passing a cyclist

S46 What does this sign mean?

White rectangle with red border. Contains the word clearway on top and under that a blue circle with a red border and a red x over it, and the time the clearway is active.

Parking signs

S47 You are coming up to some roadworks and see a roadworker holding out this sign. What must you do?

A red sign on a white stick, with the word stop in large white letters.

Roadworks

Road position questions (RP)

RP2 You are turning right. Which lane must you turn into? 

Blue car indicating to turn right into a 2 laned one-way street. The right lane is marked with an A the left, a B. lane is marked with

Using lanes correctly

RP7 You are turning left. Which lane must you turn into? 

 

Blue car indicating to turn left into a 2 laned one-way street. The right lane is marked with a B the left, an A. lane is marked with

Using lanes correctly

RP8 You are driving the blue car and want to turn right. Can you use the flush median and wait for a safe gap in the traffic? 

Blue car at bottom of intersection indicates turning right. Arrow shows car can turn into flush median and indicate left while waiting for gap in traffic.

Turning on or off a road with a flush median

RP9 There's a row of cars waiting to turn left. Can car A stop on the cycle lane while waiting to turn left? 

Multilaned road with a cycle lane. The red car A is stopped on the cycle lane, waiting for room to move into the next lane over..

Cycle only lanes

Behaviour questions (B)

B6 When passing a cyclist, how much room should you allow? 

Sharing the road with cyclists

B15 Can you use a hand-held cellphone for calls while driving? 

Responsible driving – cellphones

B17 Alcohol can seriously affect your driving. It can slow your reaction times and affect your senses. True or false? 

 Alcohol and drug limits

B38 Drugs, including drugs prescribed by your doctor, may affect your driving. They can slow your reaction times and affect your senses. True or false?

 Alcohol and drug limits

B39 Are you allowed to make a U-turn on a motorway? 

Making a U-turn

B40 Can you use a hand-held cellphone when driving to create, send or read a message? 

Responsible driving – cellphones

B41 What is the best way to merge when 2 lanes are merging into one lane? 

A 2 laned road merging into one. The red car marked A merges between front car and the car marked B.

Merging

B42 How must you signal when turning right at a roundabout? 

 

A blue car approaches the roundabout indicating they're turning right, marked with an A. Once the car has passed the 2nd exit they switch to indicate left to exit the roundabout. This is marked with a B.

Signal use at roundabouts

Intersection questions (I) 

I30 You are the driver of the blue car. Who must you give way to? 

A blue car is approaching a Y intersection. The centre line curves left but the blue car is travelling straight through to the road on the right. A red car marked B is travelling in the opposite direction. The green car marked A is wating at the give way

The give way rules

I35 Does the blue car have to give way? 

 

Blue car at traffic lights indication to turn left. It has a green light to turn. Pedestrians are crossing the road at the walk signal.

Traffic signals

I36 You are the driver of the blue car. Who must you give way to? 

Blue car indicating to turn right at the top of the T. A Green car marked C is driving strait through. A Red B car and purple A car waiting at bottom of T to turn right and left.

The give way rules

I37 You are the driver of the blue car. Who must you give way to?

A blue car and red car (car A) are waiting on the bottom of the T to turn left and right respectively. Along the top of the T a green car (B) is travelling right to left and a purple car is travelling left to right.

The give way rules

I38 You are the driver of the blue car. Who must you give way to?

A blue car and a green car (car C) are waiting at the bottom of the intersection to turn right and left respectively. Along the middle of the intersection a motorcycle (A) is traveling right to left, a purple car (D) is travelling left to right and indic

The give way rules

I39 You are the driver of the blue car. Who must you give way to?

A bue car is indicating to turn right at an intersection. A purple car (car A) is traveling straight through. A green car (C) is on the right hand road give way sign indicating to turn left. A cyclist (B) is waiting to travel straight through. A truck (E)

The give way rules

I40 You are the driver of the blue car. Who must you give way to?

The blue car is indicating to turn left at a roundabout. The red car (car B) is waiting to turn right, The green car is waiting to turn left, the purple car (D) is going straight through and the orange car (E) is turning left.

Giving way at roundabouts

I41 You are the driver of the blue car. Who must you give way to?

The blue car is waiting to travel straight though the roundabout. The red car (car A) is waiting at the next entry to turn left. The green car (C) is at the next entry waiting to turn left. At the last entry the red car (E) is turning left and a motorcycl

Giving way at roundabouts

I42 You are the driver of the blue car. Who must you give way to?

The blue car is waitng in a turng bay to turn right from the top of the T. The red car (car A) is waiting to turn left into the same road. The green car (C) is at the bottom of the T give way sign waiting to turn right

The give way rules

I43 You are the driver of the blue car. Do you have to give way to car B?

The blue car is turning left onto side road. The red car (car B) is waiting in a turning bay to turn right onto same road. the green car (C) is waiting at the give way sign on side road to turn left.

The give way rules

I44 You are the driver of the blue car. Who must you give way to?

The blue car is waiting at a stop sign to go straight through from the bottom of the intersection. The truck (A) is going straight through left to right. The green car (C) is at the top indicating to turn right from a give way sign.

The give way rules

I45 You are the driver of the blue car. Who must you give way to?

the blue car is travelling in the right lane of a multilaned road. The green car (car C) is in the left lane indicating to turn left. The red cat (B) is on the side road stop sgn waiting to turn left. The purplr car in in a tuning bay on the multilaned ro

The give way rules

I46 You are the driver of the blue car. Who must you give way to?

The blue car is waiting in the turn bay from a multilaned road to turn right into side road. the red car (car B) is waitnig at stop sign on side road to turn left. the purple car (D) is in the opposite right lane of the multilane going straight through, t

The give way rules

I47 You are the driver of the blue car. Who must you give way to?

A blue care is at a 4-way intersection stop sign waiting to turn right. A cyclist (A) is on the right give way sign travelling straight through. A motorcycle (C) is on the left give way sign turn in right. A purple car (D) is at the top stop sign waiting

The give way rules

I48 You are the driver of the blue car. Do you need to give way?

A blue car is at a 4-way intersection give way sign turning left. A green car is at the opposite give way sign. A red car is waiting at a stop sign to turn right and purple is at a stop sign waiting to tun left.

The give way rules

I49 You are the driver of the blue car. Who must you give way to? 

A blue cat is at a stop sign waiting to turn right. A red car (car B) is waiting at the opposite stop sign waiting to turn left. a green car (C) is travelling straight through the intersecting road.

The give way rules

Updates to road code content

Page 6

Updated the text to refer to the Government’s New Zealand Road Safety Objectives.

Page 12-13

Changed the How much does it cost to get your class 1 driver licence? section:

How much does it cost to get your class 6 motorcycle licence?

Application fee

Amount

Basic handling skills test

Varies 1

Learner licence

$90.60

Restricted licence

$54.20

Full licence

$47.40

1 This fee varies between motorcycle riding instructors.

The application fee is the same whether you sit the practical tests or present a CBTA certificate. It’s free to change, cancel or rebook your test if you need to.

All fees include GST and are non-refundable.

Deleted this text:

Note: this amount doesn’t include fees for re-sitting tests if you fail the first time. If you need to re-sit a test you’ll need to pay another test fee, but you won’t be charged another application fee.

Changing or cancelling your test

You’ll have to pay a further fee if you want to change or cancel your test.

Where there are 2 or more completely working days between the day you change or cancel your test and the date of your appointment, you’ll need to pay a rescheduling fee of $16.40.

This covers the time and costs included when a test is cancelled or rescheduled.

Where there are less than 2 complete working days between the day you change or cancel your test and the date of your appointment, you won’t pay a rescheduling fee but you’ll need to pay another test fee.

You can apply for a refund of the first test fee paid. If the test time is filled by another person. Then the test fee may be partly refunded – a processing fee of $16.40 will be deducted.

How to get your motorcycle licence - update road code content

Page 13

In the How do I apply for a learner licence section, deleted reference to test fees.

Page 14

Added this text:

If you fail the test twice on the same day, you’ll need to wait 10 working days before you can sit the test again. This is to give you more time to learn the road rules, and to make sure other people also have a chance to take their test. 

Page 15

Added Thai language to the theory test options.

Stage 1 learner licence - updated road code content

Page 18

In the How do I apply for a restricted licence section, deleted reference to test fees.

Stage 2 restricted licence - updated road code content

Page 20

In the How do I apply for a full licence section, deleted reference to test fees.

Stage 3 full licence - updated road code content

Page 170

Added new beach and river variable speed limit signs. 

Beach and river variable speed limit signs

These speed limit signs can be used at beaches or rivers. If pedestrians are present, the speed limit is 30km/h. If there are no pedestrians, the speed limit is 60km/h.

White sign with red outline showing 60 within a red circle, then 30 within a red circle surrounded by pedestrian images

Beach and river variable speed limit signs - updated road code content

Page 192

Removed the following text:

Carrying a load on your motorcycle

  • Your load must not extend more than one metre in front of the front wheel or more than one metre behind the rear wheel.
  • Your load must not extend more than 55 centimetres on either side from the centre of the motorcycle.
  • Your load must not be loose and must not touch the ground.

See pages 58 for more information about carrying loads on a motorcycle.

 

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