Factsheet 46 – April 2009

V endorsements for vehicle recovery services

If you want to drive a vehicle in a vehicle recovery service, you must have a current V endorsement on your driver licence.

The most common types of vehicle used in vehicle recovery services are tow trucks and car transporters.

What is a vehicle recovery service?

A vehicle recovery service is the towing or carrying, on any road, of a motor vehicle irrespective of the size or design of the towing or carrying vehicle and whether or not the towing or carrying of the vehicle is carried out by a person intending to repair the vehicle.

It does not include the following activities:

• Towing or carrying a motorcycle or moped.
• Towing or carrying your own vehicle.
• The towing or carrying of one motor vehicle by another when not directly or indirectly for reward and when the towing or carrying vehicle is not designed or adapted for towing or carrying motor vehicles.
• Towing of disabled vehicles using a rope or flat tow by:
  • a person employed or contracted by a motoring association or an insurance company where the towing or carrying is limited to the removal of a vehicle to a place of safety; or
  • the owner or employee of a garage or workshop who intends to repair the vehicle.
• Any service where NZTA has notified the operator that the nature of the service is such that the carriage of vehicles should be treated as the carriage of goods.
• The removal of vehicles by NZ Defence Force tow trucks at the request of an enforcement officer.
• Routine towing services operated by NZ Defence Force personnel in areas where there is no suitable and available commercial towing service nearby.
• Any service specified as an exempt vehicle recovery service.

Do I need a V endorsement?

If you're not sure whether you need a V endorsement, call the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) driver licensing contact centre on 0800 822 422, or contact your nearest NZTA office.

Note: If you're planning to drive a heavy vehicle in a vehicle recovery service, you must also ensure you have the right class of driver licence. See Factsheet 70 Heavy vehicle driver licences: Class 2, 3, 4 and 5 driver licences for more information.

How do I get a V endorsement?

To get a V endorsement you must hold, and have held for at least two years, a full class 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 driver licence. (Note that holding an equivalent overseas licence will not meet this requirement.)

You need to fill out application form DL20. You can get this from any NZTA office or any NZTA driver licensing agent (participating branches of the Automobile Association, Vehicle Testing NZ and Vehicle Inspection NZ).

The form will ask you to provide a unique identifier for your driver ID card. A unique identifier is a name comprising of a combination of letters that will be sufficiently memorable so as to be easily recalled by users of the service to identify the driver. Where the unique identifier chosen is already allocated to another driver, NZTA will assign numbers to the chosen name to avoid duplication.

Completing an approved course

You'll need to provide a certificate showing that you have successfully completed an approved vehicle recovery endorsement course.

To find out about courses:

• Call an approved course provider.
• Contact your any NZTA office.
• Call our driver licensing contact centre: 0800 822 422.

What else do I have to do?

You can't drive a vehicle recovery service vehicle on the road just because you've got the course certificate. You must successfully complete the application process and get the V endorsement on your driver licence.

Putting in your application

You can apply for a V endorsement at an NZTA driver licensing agent.

You'll need:

• a completed DL20 application form
• your current driver licence
• evidence of your name and address, such as your New Zealand driver licence and a bill or an account statement (see Factsheet 20, Identification for driver licensing for more information)
• a medical certificate (if applicable)
• a certificate showing you've successfully completed an approved vehicle recovery endorsement course (or you can complete the course after you put your application in) – see below
• a cheque, EFTPOS card or cash to pay the fees.

Should I do the course before or after I put in my application?

Every applicant for a V endorsement is subject to a 'fit and proper person' check. You may not want to complete the required course until you're certain that your application will be approved (ie you've passed the check). When you put your application in, you can either:

• provide a certificate showing you've successfully completed an approved course (and book your practical driving test), or
• submit your application without having completed an approved course and either
  • wait for the result of the 'fit and proper person' check before doing a course (and booking the practical driving test), or
  • complete an approved course (and book your practical driving test) while you wait for the result of the 'fit and proper person' check.

Do I need a medical certificate?

You need to present a medical certificate for a V endorsement if:

• you haven't submitted a medical certificate for classes 2 to 5 or endorsements P, V, I or O in the last five years
• you've developed a medical condition that could adversely affect your ability to drive safely, or a condition has worsened
• you’re requested to by the NZTA (regardless of when you last presented a medical certificate).

A medical certificate must be from a New Zealand-registered medical practitioner and dated no more than 60 days before the date of your application.

Eyesight requirements

You must prove that your eyesight meets the required standard each time you apply for a new licence class or endorsement or renew your licence. To do this, you can:

• present a satisfactory eyesight certificate issued by a New Zealand-registered optometrist (this certificate must be no more than 60 days old), or
• present a satisfactory medical certificate issued by a New Zealand-registered medical practitioner (this certificate must be no more than 60 days old and must specifically cover eyesight), or
• pass an eyesight screening check at a driver licensing agent.

Note: the agents' eyesight screening machines eliminate the need for many drivers to be tested by an optometrist or medical practitioner. However, if you don't pass the screening check, then you must provide one of the certificates listed before your application can proceed. Some drivers choose to supply a certificate instead of taking a screening check. If you have vision in only one eye, you must present an eye certificate from a doctor or optometrist.

Sitting the practical driving test

As part of gaining your V endorsement you must sit the Class 1 full licence test. The test is a one-hour practical driving test. See Factsheet 58, Full licence test for driving a car for more information.

You don't have to sit this test if you've passed a full licence test for Class 1 (light motor vehicles) in the five years prior to applying.

When should I do the course?

Every applicant for a V endorsement is subject to a 'fit and proper person' check. You may not want to complete the required course until you’re more certain that your application will be approved (ie you've passed the check). When you put your application in, you can either:

• provide a certificate showing you've successfully completed an approved course (and book your practical driving test), or
• submit your application without having completed an approved course and either
• wait for the result of the 'fit and proper person' check before doing a course (and booking the practical driving test), or
• complete an approved course (and book your practical driving test) while you wait for the result of the 'fit and proper person' check.

About the 'fit and proper person' check

After you put in your application, it will be sent to the nearest NZTA office for a 'fit and proper person' check to be undertaken. The person who carries out the check considers any:

• criminal convictions, including any charges or convictions relating to violent or sexual offences, drug or firearm offences, or offences involving organised criminal activity
• transport-related offences, especially relating to safety
• history of mental health or behavioural problems
• past complaints about a transport service you may have operated
• history of persistent failure to pay fines for transport-related offences.

Any other information in the interests of public safety can also be taken into account.

If you're not a New Zealand citizen or don't hold a resident's permit, you may need a work permit or some other temporary permit to show that you can work in New Zealand.

If you have any concerns about the check, contact your nearest NZTA office.

If you're not cleared by the 'fit and proper person' check, you'll be sent a letter explaining why. If you’re not satisfied with the decision, you can appeal to a district court (under section 106 of the Land Transport Act 1998).

Fee for the ‘fit and proper person’

The fee for the ‘fit and proper person’ check is called a vetting fee. If you’ve already been through the ‘fit and proper person’ check (eg, you hold a current P endorsement and ID card or hold an I or O endorsement), you won’t be charged for it again until you renew your endorsements.

What fees do I have to pay for a V endorsement?

The table below sets out the fees for a V endorsement. Course fees vary between providers and aren't included in the table.

You can get a V endorsement for one or five years. The fees only apply to new endorsements.

If you already hold a P, I or O endorsement, some of the fees may not apply to you.

 

	Application	ID card	Vetting	Full licence test*	Total
1 year	$70.10	$8.50	$28.20	$70.80	$177.60
5 years	$272.70	$8.50	$141.00	$70.80	$493.00

* The full licence test isn't required if you've passed a Class 1 full licence test in the last five years.

Where you can find out more

• Contact us: info@nzta.govt.nz
• Phone our driver licensing contact centre: 0800 822 422
• Write to us: NZ Transport Agency, Private Bag 6995, Wellington 6141