Driver licensing/driving

My driver licence has expired, when do I have to renew it by?

The deadline for renewing temporarily extended documents was 11.59pm on 10 October 2020. All temporary extensions have now ended.

More information about the temporary extensions

My driver licence has expired, can I still drive?

No, you cannot legally drive until you have renewed your licence. If you have an expired driving endorsement, you cannot drive for the purpose of that endorsement until it is renewed.

Will I receive a fine if my driver licence has expired?

NZ Police are reinstating standard enforcement procedures from 11 October 2020. This means they have the discretion to issue fines or take further action when they find someone driving with an expired driver licence or driving endorsement.

How do I renew my driver licence or my P, V, I, O or D endorsement, if it has expired?

To have your driver licence or P, V, I, O or D endorsement renewed, you can visit a licensing agent (such as AA, VTNZ, and others). Please be aware that there may be wait times due to current demand and we recommend you plan your visit with plenty of extra time, so you are not under any pressure if you do need to wait. Please check our website or the agents website to ensure you take everything you need in with you.

Please note that photo driver licences and unique ID cards for small Passenger endorsements and Vehicle Recovery endorsements are posted separately.

My learner/restricted licence has expired and I couldn’t renew it before I sit my practical test for my car or motorcycle. What do I do?

Prior to your test you will need to renew your licence at a licensing agent (such as AA, VTNZ, and others). Please be aware that there may be wait times due to current demand and we recommend you plan your visit with plenty of extra time, so you are not under any pressure if you do need to wait. Please check our website or the agents website to ensure you take everything you need in with you.

I completed a course before Alert Level 4. Can I get this credited to my licence now?

As long as the course certificate remains valid, you can visit a licensing agent (such as AA, VTNZ, and others)) to have the course credited.

Please note that D endorsements have a validity period of 60 days. These certificates were exempted for a further 60 days once agents opened under Alert Level 2 and this exemption is now expired and a new certificate needs to be issued if your certificate was issued more than 60 days ago.

I have an expired medical certificate, eyesight certificate or dangerous goods endorsement course certificate as I was unable to submit it as part of a driver licence application prior to Alert Level 4. Can I still submit the expired certificate?

An exemption process was in place immediately following agents opening under Alert Level 2 allowing these certificates to be considered on a case by case basis. This exemption is now expired and a new certificate needs to be issued if  your certificate was issued more than 60 days ago.

I’m living overseas and my licence is expiring. What do I do?

You may apply for a 12 month extension to your driver licence from its current expiry date. This is an extension that we can legally issue once to you.

If you have already had the extension applied and it is due to expire or has expired, we recommend you convert your licence to the driver licence of the country where you are residing. You may be able to do this without sitting tests, but we suggest you check with the local authorities to find out what you need to do.

Obtaining an overseas licence also means that once you return to New Zealand, if your New Zealand licence has expired by more than 5 years, you can renew your licence without have to requalify. Your overseas licence will serve as proof that you have had continuous driving experience.