The steps to register or change ownership and keep your new car lawfully and safely up to standard with a warrant of fitness and license.
Once you buy a car, you will want to get it legally and safely on the road as soon as possible. This means:
- registering or changing ownership over from the previous seller
- keeping legal requirements up to date
Register your car after purchase
You must notify Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency of your purchase as soon as possible. Do this within seven days to avoid fines or infringements.
If you have bought a used car, both you and the seller must notify Waka Kotahi of the change of ownership. The easiest way to do this is online and on the spot. Both buyers and sellers can use online services on the Waka Kotahi website to notify a change of registered person.
Online services(external link) — Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency
Bring your mobile phone and call Waka Kotahi change of registered person on the spot.
If you have bought a new car or a vehicle imported to New Zealand for the first time, you must register the vehicle. NZ Transport Agency will then issue the vehicle number plates and add it to the Motor Vehicle database.
See the Waka Kotahi website for more information on how to register a new car.
Vehicle licensing (rego)(external link) — NZ Transport Agency
Once you have changed ownership or registered the vehicle, you will receive a Certificate of Registration in your name. Keep this document in a safe place.
Keeping your car legal
Owning a car requires ongoing updates and maintenance to keep it legally on the road.
When you own and drive your car, you must always have a valid:
Warrant of Fitness (WoF)
A regular inspection to make sure the vehicle meets all safety requirements.
How often you will need to get a WoF inspection depends on how old the vehicle is. You can get a WoF check done by mechanics or auto repair shops who are authorised warrant of fitness inspectors. Display your WoF sticker inside the windscreen on the driver’s side.
See the Waka Kotahi website for more information on keeping your WoF up-to-date.
Warrant of Fitness(external link) — Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency
Licence, or ‘rego’
Also known as your ‘rego’, your licence is the ongoing fee you must pay to use your car on public roads.
Your vehicle must be licensed at all times. Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency will send you a renewal notice before your current licence expires. Display your licence sticker inside the windscreen on the passenger’s side. See the Waka Kotahi website for more details.
Vehicle Licensing(external link) — Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency
Distance licence for diesel vehicles
You must pay road user charges (RUC) if your vehicle uses diesel.
Any diesel vehicle must have a current distance licence with paid RUC mileage at all times. You can purchase a licence in 1,000km units. Display your distance licence inside the windscreen next to your licence. See the Waka Kotahi website for more details.
About Road User Charges(external link) — Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency