Limited Licence FAQs

A limited licence is a special kind of licence issued to disqualified or suspended drivers by the NZTA. It sometimes called a work licence or a pink licence. An application first has to be made to the District Court. It permits drivers to drive under certain restrictions. Typically this is work related, but there are other reasons.

This will depend on your reasons for applying for a limited licence. For example, if your application is to enable you to work then you will need to provide evidence to the court about the locations you need to drive for your work.

So say you are a sales rep and your territory covers the whole of the South Island, then you would ask the court to allow your licence to cover this entire geographical area. You can only drive in the area confirmed in the court order.

You will need to confirm the vehicles you need to drive in your application i.e. registration details, owner, year, make and model.

For many court ordered disqualification offences there is a 28 day stand down period. This means you can’t obtain a limited licence until 28 days have elapsed since the date of the disqualification order. However, you can still get your paperwork organised, it just means the court can’t make any order until day 29.

If you are intending to rely on loss of your job as evidence of extreme hardship, the short answer is yes. This is because you will need evidence from your employer to support your application.

No.

Anyone can make an application and appear at the hearing in the District Court. You do need to make sure you understand the process and the evidence you need to include with your application.

In more complex cases, for example where there are previous convictions for similar offences, it would be advisable to seek independent legal advice.

You’ll remain unlicensed and are not entitled to drive until you’ve applied at a driver licensing agent to have your licence reinstated and a new licence has been issued. Any licence card held by you at the time of your suspension or disqualification will have been permanently cancelled.

You need to ensure you drive strictly within the terms of the limited licence. Always carry your limited licence when driving together with a copy of the court order. If the court ordered you to complete a logbook of your journeys make sure that is kept updated.

Yes.

If you were disqualified you should file the application in the same court that disqualified you. If you were suspended you should file the application in your local court.

If you reach agreement with the Police before the hearing it is possible that your witnesses could be excused from attending the hearing. You must notify the court if such agreement is reached.

No.

The court order is NOT your limited licence. You must apply to NZTA for your limited licence by sending a completed application form together with a copy of the court order and the fee of $39.30.

Yes.

The decision ultimately rests with the court. This means even if the Police oppose your application, it is open to the court to grant the order. However, it is essential to engage with the Police as the court is more likely to view your application favourably if the Police do not oppose.

Your limited licence is revoked and the original order of disqualification is brought back into force for the rest of its term.

Court application fee for disqualified driver: $150
Court application fee for suspended driver: $250
NZTA application fee for limited licence: $39.30