Licensing – your ongoing responsibility
Most motor vehicles must be licensed continuously. If you license your vehicle after the current licence has expired, you’ll have to pay any backdated licence fees as well as the new licence fee. The backdated fees apply from the date the licence expires to the date you relicense. Some vehicles are exempt from the requirement to be continuously licensed.
The vehicle licensing process
We’ll send you a renewal notice in the mail two to four weeks before your licensing fee is due. It will set out the fees and your options.
Even if you don’t receive a reminder from us, the licence label clearly shows the expiry date. If you forget for any reason, you’re still legally required to pay any backdated fees as well as paying for a new licence.
You can quickly and easily relicense your vehicle online here. We'll send the label to you in the post.
Otherwise you can pay for your motor vehicle licence at any of our licensing agents, and at other independent agents. Look for the NZ Transport Agency logo. Either use the renewal notice you got in the mail, or fill out a licensing form at the agent.
There are some cases where you may not have to license your vehicle or where you may be exempt from having to keep your vehicle licensed continuously. Find our more on licence exemptions.
Before you relicense your vehicle
Make sure your vehicle has a current warrant of fitness or certificate of fitness. You are allowed to drive your vehicle on a road without a current licence if, and only if, you are taking it to get a current warrant of fitness or certificate of fitness.
Didn’t receive a relicensing notice?
You still need to relicense your vehicle. If your licence has expired, your fastest option to obtain a licence label is to go in person to one of our licensing agents. They can process your licence on the spot.
See more detailed information on vehicle licensing requirements.
The licensing label
When you pay the vehicle licensing fee you’ll receive a licence label that shows when your licence next expires.
Vehicle licence label.
You must display this label on the inside left-hand side of your vehicle's windscreen, or for trailers and motorcycles, on or near your number plate.
You’ve not relicensed your vehicle?
We’ll send you an overdue notice six weeks after your licence expires.
We’ll then send you a warning notice six months later if you’ve not taken steps to relicense your vehicle.
If your vehicle is still unlicensed after 11 months we’ll send you a final warning before cancelling your registration four weeks later.
You didn’t receive an overdue notice?
Again, as you’re legally responsible for ensuring your vehicle is licensed at all times, we will still require you to pay backdated fees even after cancelling your registration.
