Stages to getting your driver licence

The Government is making changes to the car driving licence system which will come into effect on 25 January 2027. These changes can be found here: Changes to getting a car licence | NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi 

The roadmap to your car licence

(source: NZTA)

A New Zealand photo driver licence card indicates the vehicles you are qualified to drive and any conditions you are required to meet when driving. It can also be used to verify who you are when identification is needed.

There are three stages to getting your driver licence:

• learner licence –you can learn to drive a car with supervision
• restricted licence –you can drive without supervision between 5am and 10pm
• full licence – you can drive without the conditions of the restricted licence

The NZTA getting a licence page outlines in detail the requirements for each stage which we have summarised below.

Learner licence

You must be at least 16 years old before you can apply for a learner licence. You’ll need to learn the road rules and pass a computer-based multi-choice theory test to prove that you understand the rules for driving safely in Aotearoa. To prepare for the test you can read the New Zealand road code or Ngā tikanga hautū waka o Aotearoa: te puka ōkawa. A hard copy of the road code can be purchased from most bookstores and found in your local library.

Drive’s interactive road code and Pathways Awarua's road code module are free online resources with fun interactive activities and opportunities to test your learning – including practice tests.

When you pass the test, you’ll get a learner licence, and you can start your practical learning with a caregiver or instructor. To keep you safe when you are learning there are some conditions you must follow. These include:

• You can only drive a car when you have a supervisor sitting beside you. The supervisor must have a full New Zealand driver licence. This must be at least two years old, or if their NZ full licence is less than two years old, then they must have had an equivalent overseas full driver licence for at least two years.
• Your car must display learner (L) plates front and rear:

• You can carry passengers, but your supervisor must agree. Your supervisor will be responsible for the passengers.

Restricted licence

Once you’ve held your learner licence for at least 6 months you can apply for your restricted licence. You must be at least 16 ½ years old before you can apply and will need to pass a practical driving test to show that you can drive safely. You can book your test on the New Zealand Transport Agency website. The test will take about an hour and will include a pre-drive safety check of the car, a 45-minute drive with a testing officer and getting your results with feedback. You can take a support person with you on the test. To prepare for the restricted licence you can download the Drive Go app to practice the skills needed to drive safely and pass your restricted licence test.

Some people choose to take some professional driving lessons to get ready for your restricted license test. Driving instructors and different groups offer lessons, and prices can vary depending on where you live. There are also organisations that offer free or subsidised driving training in some parts of the country. You can find some of these on the Family Services Directory.

When you pass the test, you’ll get a restricted licence. There are conditions you’ll need to follow which can be found on the Restricted licence conditions page on the NZTA website. These include:

• Between 10pm and 5am you can only drive if you have a supervisor in the front passenger seat
• If you’re driving without a supervisor, you can only take a passenger if they meet certain conditions – for example, if they are your spouse or partner, or a child who normally lives with you, or your parent or guardian.

Full licence

Once you’ve held your restricted licence for at least 18 months, or 12 months if you’ve completed an approved advance driving course , you can apply for your full licence. You must be at least 18 years old, or 17 ½ if you’ve completed an approved course, before you can apply. You’ll need to pass the full licence practical test.

The full licence practical test is a 30-minute test with a testing officer, who’ll determine whether your driving is good enough to progress to the next level of driver licence. Once you’ve passed you don’t need to follow any of the restricted licence conditions anymore and can drive any vehicles listed for a class 1 licence .

Driver licences for other vehicles

See Licences by vehicle type for the steps involved in getting a licence for other vehicles including trucks, motorcycles and buses. If you want to ride a moped (or motor scooter) then you need to have any class of New Zealand driver licence. This means you can ride a moped with only a learner licence.

Where to go for a Driver licence

To get or renew a driver licence you’ll need to apply in person at a driver licensing agent. See Find a driver licensing agent in your area for more information.