About driver licences

Driver licensing application requirements

Identification for driver licensing

When you apply for each stage of your licence, licence class, licence endorsement, or when you renew your licence, you will need to present evidence of your identity and evidence of your address.

The reason you need to present identification is so the NZTA can prevent people from getting a driver licence fraudulently.

Only certain kinds of identification and evidence of address can be used for driver licensing purposes. These are detailed below.

Evidence of your identity

You'll need to present the original of one of the following kinds of identification, confirming your full name and date of birth:

• a New Zealand driver licence that is current or has expired within the last two years
• a New Zealand or overseas passport that is current or has expired within the last two years
• a full birth certificate issued in New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Niue or Tokelau.
  Note: older-style birth certificates that do not include your parents' details are no longer accepted by the NZTA as evidence of identity
• a New Zealand photo firearms licence that is current or has expired within the last two years
• one of the following certificates issued under the Citizenship Act 1977:
  • a certificate of New Zealand citizenship
  • a certificate confirming New Zealand citizenship
  • a certificate confirming registration of New Zealand citizenship by descent
• a current certificate of identity issued under the Passports Act 1992
• a current refugee travel document issued by or on behalf of the government of New Zealand
• a current certificate of identity as defined by the Immigration Act 1987
• a New Zealand Police or New Zealand Defence Force photo identity card issued to non-civilian staff that is current or has expired within the last two years.

Evidence of your address

You'll also need to show evidence of your address. Suitable documents include:

• an account statement issued within the last 12 months by your bank, building society, credit union or credit card company that has your name and address on it
• a telephone, gas or electricity account issued within the last six months that has your name and address on it
• other acceptable evidence of your address issued within the last 12 months that has your name and address on it – check with the NZTA's contact centre on 0800 822 422.

Confirmation of name change

If you want to change the name on your photo driver licence (or if the name on your identification documents does not match the name currently on your photo driver licence), you must provide documentation confirming your change of name. This could be one of the following:

• your marriage or civil union certificate
• a dissolution of marriage or civil union order
• a change of name by statutory declaration (issued by Births, Deaths and Marriages)
• a deed poll of change of name (issued by Births, Deaths and Marriages)
• other suitable evidence of name change (such as adoption papers).

Eyesight requirements

You need to prove that your eyesight meets the required standard each time you apply:

• for a new licence class or endorsement
• to renew existing licence classes or endorsements.

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)
• 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)
• pass an eyesight screening check at a driver licensing agent.

Note: eyesight screening machines at driver licensing agents eliminate the need for many drivers to be tested by an optometrist or medical practitioner. However, if you don't pass this screening check, then you must provide one of the above certificates before your application can proceed. This means you will not be able to sit any practical tests until you have returned to the agent with your certificate. Some drivers choose to provide a certificate instead of undertaking a screening check.

Medical certificates

You need to present a medical certificate if you:

• are applying for or renewing a P, V, I or O endorsement or licence classes 2-5, and have not provided a medical certificate for those classes or endorsements in the last five years
• have a medical condition that affects your ability to drive and your medical condition has worsened (or a new condition has been diagnosed) since your last medical certificate was presented
• are 75 years of age or over and are renewing your licence (see below for more information)
• are requested to by the NZTA (regardless of when you last presented a medical certificate).

A medical certificate for driver licensing purposes must:

• be the original
• be issued by a New Zealand-registered medical practitioner
• be no more than 60 days old
• state that you are safe to drive, or set out the conditions under which you can drive.

The cost of a medical certificate will vary from doctor to doctor. (You are responsible for meeting these costs.)

Ask for an NZTA Medical certificate for driver licence (your doctor will have copies).

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Last updated: 8 October 2009