The New Zealand driver's licence system is a graduated system, which has been in place since 1987. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island A driver's license, driver license, driver licence, or driving licence is an official document which states that a person may operate a It consists of three phases for a car licence, each with varying levels of permission in regard to driving time, and passengers.
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A New Zealand driver's licence allows the holder to drive a moped, tractor, or all-terrain vehicle as well as a car, however, motorbikes and heavy vehicles require separate licences. Mopeds are a class of low-powered (typically under 50 cc displacement) motorized vehicle generally two or three wheeled A tractor is a Vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high Tractive effort at slow speeds for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery used An all-terrain vehicle (ATV is defined by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI as a vehicle that travels on low pressure tires with a seat that is straddled by Upon passing the respective test for each stage of the system, the successful applicant is given a plastic card which contains a unique identifying number, date of birth and photograph of the holder. Apart from passports and a special-purpose 18+ card, a driver's licence is the only legal form of ID for buying alcohol or tobacco in New Zealand. A passport is a document issued by a national government which certifies for the purpose of international travel the identity and nationality of its holder Tobacco is an Agricultural product recognized as an addictive drug processed from the fresh Leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana.
New Zealand driver's licences are issued by Land Transport New Zealand, but in the earlier part of the twentieth century were issued by local bodies, specifically city, borough or county councils.
Drivers must carry their licence at all times while driving. If they fail to do so they may face a fine of NZ$55. The New Zealand dollar ( sign: $; code: NZD) is the Currency of New Zealand.
A learner licence is gained after scoring 32 out of 35 (or better) on a multiple-choice test relating to road rules. Once gained, it allows a the holder to drive provided they display black-on-yellow learner plates and are accompanied by a "supervisor" (being any person who has held a full licence for at least two years). An L-plate is a square plate bearing a sans-serif letter L for "learner" which must be affixed to the front and back of a car in many countries if its driver is a learner under The learner licence is a blue plastic card, and can be applied for any time after the age of 15.
A restricted licence is able to be obtained after having held a learner licence for at least six months and passing a twenty-minute practical driving test. This allows a driver to drive without L-plates, or a supervisor, between 5am and 10pm. If this requirement is not met, the driver may incur a $400 driving offence fee and/or demerit points. For other uses of the word point see Point A point system is one in which a driver's licensing authority issues demerits or points Drivers are only allowed to carry certain passengers with them. These passengers are limited to spouses, a person over 18 who has held a full licence for at least 2 years, and dependents. All other passengers are only allowed to be carried as long as one of the passengers has held a full licence for longer than 2 years. Failure to meet this requirement can incur a $400 fine, with liability going to the driver of the vehicle, and/or demerit points. The restricted licence is a yellow plastic card.
A full licence is able to be obtained after the driver has held a restricted licence for eighteen months, or twelve months for someone who has taken a defensive driving course. Safe driving is a form of training for motor vehicle drivers that goes beyond mastery of the rules of the road and the basic mechanics of Driving. However, if you are aged over 25, you only have to spend six months on a restricted licence or three months upon completion of a defensive driving course. The driver must pass a more thorough, hour-long driving test. It allows a driver to drive at any time with passengers and, after two years, to supervise drivers holding a learner or restricted licence. It is a green plastic card. Alternatively, people who gained a licence before 1987 can usually obtain a full licence without needing to take a driving test.
After having held a full licence for two years, New Zealanders can apply for an international driving licence, usable in most countries in the world.
Visitors to New Zealand who hold overseas drivers licences may be required to take a driving test before they qualify for a full New Zealand licence. However, those from countries with similar road rules are only required to take a theory test (similar to the learner licence test) within a year of arrival; until this time they may continue to drive on their foreign drivers licence provided it is either written in English, or they have an authorised English translation available.
Since a Learner licence can be applied for at age 15, the minimum possible age to gain a Full licence is sixteen and a half. In recent years, there have been proposals to raise the minimum driving licensing age to 17 or 18, but so far they have never come to pass, due to objections from farmers who say that their children need to learn to drive early in life because of limited public transport.