Identification

You must provide identification (ID)

For a driver licence application, you can present:

your New Zealand driver licence (which can be current or expired up to two years), or
your current New Zealand passport.

If you don't have either of these, you'll need to provide:

one document from table 1, and
one document from table 2.

One of these documents should have your photo on it, otherwise you'll need to get a declaration from an identity referee.

All documents must be originals. Photocopied or scanned certified documents aren't acceptable.

Table 1: Primary ID

Document type
New Zealand full birth certificate issued on or after 1 January 1998, carrying a unique identification number
New Zealand passport*
New Zealand firearms licence*
Overseas passport (may include New Zealand visa/permit)*
New Zealand citizenship certificate
New Zealand emergency travel document
New Zealand refugee travel document
New Zealand certificate of identity (issued under the Passports Act 1992)
New Zealand certificate of identity (issued under the Immigration Act 2009)
*These documents can be current or expired up to two years. All other documents in this table must be current.

The primary ID must be issued by the relevant authority listed in the Land Transport (Driver Licensing) Rule 1999.

Primary ID documents and who they can be issued by(external link)

Table 2: Supporting ID

Document type
Kiwi Access card or 18+ card
Community services card
SuperGold card
Veteran SuperGold card
New Zealand student photo ID card ^{1 3}
New Zealand employee photo ID card ¹
New Zealand electoral roll record ³
Inland Revenue number ³
New Zealand-issued utility bill or bank statement^2 3
Overseas driver licence
Steps to freedom form
All documents in this table must be current, except for a utility bill or bank statement (see below)
¹ To be acceptable for driver licensing purposes, your student ID or employee ID card should have your: surname first name or initials date of birth, and photo. It must have your educational institution or employer’s logo or banner on it, or be on the institution’s or employer's letterhead. If it doesn’t meet all of these requirements, you won’t be able to use it as identification for a driver licence.
² This must show your first name (or initials) and last name, and the issuer (utility company or bank). It doesn’t need to show any transaction details. It can't be a mobile phone bill. It must have been issued within the last six months.
³ You can show these documents to the agent in electronic format on your phone or mobile device.

The supporting ID must be issued by the relevant authority listed in the Land Transport (Driver Licensing) Rule 1999.

Supporting ID documents and who they can be issued by(external link)

Photo required

If neither document has a photo, you must also provide a passport-style photo and an identity declaration signed by an identity referee. The photo must be less than six months old.

Who can be an identity referee

Your referee must:

have a valid New Zealand passport or New Zealand driver licence, and
have known you for one year or more, and
be at least 16 years of age, and
not be related to you or part of your extended family group, and
not be your spouse or partner, and
not live at the same address as you.

Your referee must provide their:

passport or driver licence number
name
date of birth
contact details, including a daytime telephone number.

Your referee must write your full name on the back of the photo and sign and date it. The image must be a good likeness and of equal standard to the one required for a driver licence or passport application.

Note: a business that takes passport photos may supply a photo with a pre-printed label on the back.

Identity referee declaration form (DL26) [PDF, 61 KB]

Evidence of name change

If your name has changed from the one on your driver licence (eg due to marriage or civil union, or you’ve changed your name) you’ll need to provide evidence of the name change.

You’ll also need to provide linking name change documents if the names on either of your forms of identification aren’t the same.

You’ll need to provide one of the following documents as proof of your name change. The documents must be originals, and issued in New Zealand.

Document type
New Zealand birth certificate showing both names
Marriage or civil union certificate
Copy of particulars of marriage or civil union
Dissolution of marriage or civil union order¹
Certificate of annulment
Deed poll certificate, change of name certificate
Statutory declaration confirming change of name has been registered with the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages
¹ Your dissolution document will only have your married name on it. To change your name with this you’ll also need to provide linking documents that show your previous name as well, eg birth certificate, passport or marriage certificate.

The name change documents must be issued by the relevant authority listed in the Land Transport (Driver Licensing) Rule 1999.

Name change documents and who they can be issued by(external link)

If you’ve changed your name because your gender has changed, you can also update your gender recorded on the Driver Licence Register.

Changing the gender details on your driver licence record

ID for sitting a test

When you're sitting a test, you'll also need to prove your identity.

Theory tests

If you’re sitting your theory test at the same time you make your application, you’ll already have your evidence of identity from making your application. This is all you need.

If you’re coming back at a later date to sit or re-sit your theory test, you’ll need to provide valid photo ID so the agent can be sure the right person is sitting the test. This could be:

your New Zealand passport (current or expired up to two years)
a current Kiwi Access/18+ card
current photographic student ID
your New Zealand driver licence (current or expired up to two years
any photographic document from Table 1: Primary documents

Practical tests

If you’re sitting a practical driving test, you must have a valid driver licence.

If you have a current New Zealand photo driver licence, then this is all you need.

If you’re using a temporary driver licence, you’ll also need to provide photo ID to the testing officer so they can be sure the right person is sitting the test. This could be:

an expired New Zealand photo driver licence
an overseas photo driver licence
a passport
a Kiwi Access or 18+ card
a photographic student ID
any other photographic document from Table 1: Primary documents or Table 2: Supporting documents
any other form of photo ID where the testing officer can clearly see that the person recorded on the temporary licence is the same person on the photo ID.

This is the only time where the photo ID doesn’t have to be valid or approved, as it is accompanying the temporary driver licence. In all other cases the ID must be valid for driver licensing purposes.

If you don’t have the right ID

If you don’t have any of the ID listed on this page, you’ll need to get some approved ID before you can make a driver licence application.

You can apply to government agencies for most forms of ID:

If you can’t get legislated ID

If you can't get any forms of legislated ID, NZTA may be able to accept alternative documents, or a combination of documents, that aren't listed in legislation.

Alternative ID for driver licensing applications

ID is required to prevent fraud

We need to have steps in place to prevent people from getting a driver licence fraudulently.

Requiring particular forms of identification, every time you get or renew your driver licence, improves the integrity of the licence system and protects law-abiding drivers.

Identification for driver licensing (Factsheet 20) [PDF, 236 KB]

Download the identity referee form (DL26)

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