This page tells you what you can drive with each New Zealand driver licence class.
These are the classes you could have on your New Zealand driver licence.
1 |
Car licence |
2 |
Medium rigid vehicle licence |
3 |
Medium combination vehicle licence |
4 |
Heavy rigid vehicle licence |
5 |
Heavy combination vehicle licence |
6 |
Motorcycle licence |
If you have an L next to the licence number (eg 6L), this means you have a learner licence for that class.
If you have an R next to the licence number (eg 1R), this means you have a restricted licence for that class.
Keep reading for details of what you can drive with each class.
If you have a class… |
then you can drive a … |
with a weight of… |
at a speed of… |
1L or 1R |
vehicle* |
GLW or GCW 4500kg or less |
- |
Moped or all-terrain vehicle |
|
- |
|
Motorhome or tradesperson’s vehicle |
GLW 6000kg or less, but with an on-road weight 4500kg or less |
- |
|
1R |
Agricultural tractor |
GLW less than 18,000kg |
40km/h or less |
Agricultural tractor towing an agricultural trailer |
GCW 25,000kg or less |
40km/h or less |
|
Any vehicle* |
GLW or GCW 6000kg or less |
- |
|
Moped or all-terrain vehicle |
|
- |
|
Motorhome or tradesperson’s vehicle |
GLW 6000kg or less |
- |
|
Combination vehicle which is not a tractor/trailer or agricultural tractor/trailer |
GCW 6000kg or less |
- |
|
Tractor |
GLW 6001kg to 18,000kg |
30km/h or less |
|
Agricultural tractor |
GLW 6001kg to 18,000kg |
40km/h or less |
|
Agricultural tractor towing an agricultural trailer |
GCW 25,000kg or less |
40km/h or less |
|
Tractor towing a trailer, that is being used in non-agricultural land management operations |
GCW 25,000kg or less |
30km/h or less |
|
Rigid vehicle |
GLW 6001kg to 18,000kg |
- |
|
Combination vehicle (that is not a tractor/trailer combination) |
GCW 12,000kg or less |
- |
|
rigid vehicle (that is not a tractor) towing a light trailer |
CLW of rigid vehicle 18,000kg or less |
- |
|
Rigid vehicle with two axles or less |
GLW over 18,000kg |
- |
|
Tractor |
GLW 6001kg to 18,000kg |
30km/h or less |
|
Any vehicle covered in Class 1 |
|||
3 |
Combination vehicle |
GCW 12,001kg to 25,000kg |
- |
Any vehicle covered in classes 1 and 2 |
|||
4 |
Rigid vehicle (including a tractor) |
GLW over 18,000kg |
- |
rigid vehicle towing a light trailer |
GLW of rigid vehicle over 18,000kg |
|
|
Vehicles covered in classes 1 and 2 (but not class 3) |
|||
5 |
Combination vehicle |
GCW over 25,000kg |
- |
Vehicles covered in classes 1, 2, 3 and 4 |
|||
Motorcycles acceptable under the learner approved motorcycle scheme (LAMS) |
|||
Moped or all-terrain vehicle |
|||
6 |
Any motorcycle |
||
Moped or all-terrain vehicle |
*includes tractors and combination vehicles, but not a motorcycle.
You will need a current endorsement, as well as a driver licence class, to operate some kinds of vehicles and services.
Endorsement requirements to drive special type vehicles and services
All vehicles over 3500kg must have a certificate of loading, which is usually displayed on the vehicle’s front windscreen. The certificate of loading will tell you the vehicle’s gross vehicle mass (GVM) or gross combined mass (GCM).
In most cases gross vehicle mass is the same as gross laden weight (GLW), and gross combined mass is the same as gross combined weight (GCW).
Don’t use the vehicle’s unladen weight, tare weight, or the weight on the road user charges (RUC) distance licence, as these are all different.
A light trailer is a trailer with a GLW of 3500 kg or less. If you have a class 2 or 4 licence, you can tow a light trailer behind your rigid vehicle. Don’t count the weight of the light trailer in any gross combined weight calculations.
A person steering (or directing) a traction engine must hold a New Zealand class 1 full licence and one of the following:
A person driving (firing or operating) a traction engine’s pressure equipment and managing the engine’s steam pressure levels must hold a New Zealand class 1 full licence and one of the following:
If you have a valid overseas agricultural motor vehicle licence (eg a UK tractor licence) you may be able to drive some of the same agricultural vehicles as the holder of a class 1 New Zealand licence. Call our contact centre for more information.
Gross weight means the weight of a rigid or combination vehicle, together with any load it is carrying (including equipment and accessories).
Gross laden weight (GLW) is the greatest of the following:
Gross combined weight (GCW) is the sum of the gross laden weights of the vehicles that make up a combination vehicle.
Tare weight means the weight of the vehicle without any load.
On-road weight means the total weight of the vehicle and load at any particular time.
Mass means the quantity of material contained in or on that vehicle which, when subjected to acceleration due to gravity, will exert downwards on a level surface a force that can be measured as the weight of the vehicle.
Gross vehicle mass (GVM) is the greater of:
Light trailer means a trailer with a GLW which does not exceed 3500kg.