With more of our young people getting their licences, here is some information from Waka Kotahi. Please keep our community safe. Call*555 from a mobile phone to report unsafe driving.

Learner Licence

To keep you safe while you are first learning to drive, there are some conditions you must follow while on your learner licence:

• You can only drive a car when you have a supervisor sitting beside you. 

• Your car must display learner (L) plates (external link) front and rear.

• You may carry passengers but your supervisor has to agree as they will be responsible for them.

• You face severe penalties if you drive outside your licence conditions. 

Restricted Licence

To keep you safe while you’re still learning, there are some conditions you must follow while on your restricted licence:

• Between 5am and 10pm you can drive on your own.

• Between 10pm and 5am you can only drive if you have a supervisor in the front passenger seat.

• You must not carry any passengers on your motorcycle or moped or in any sidecar.

• If you’re driving without a supervisor, you can only take a passenger if they are:

  • your spouse or partner (for example the person you live with as if you’re married or in a civil union)

  • a child who is financially dependent on you or your spouse (for example you’re their parent or guardian) and who normally resides with you or your spouse

  • your parent or guardian

  • relatives that live with you and are on a social security benefit

  • someone you look after as their primary caregiver.

Be prepared to show evidence to a police officer if requested.

• If you sit your restricted practical test in an automatic vehicle, you’ll have a condition on your licence that means you can only drive automatic vehicles. This condition doesn’t apply if you have a supervisor with you.