Under section 241 of the Land Transport Act 1998 (LTA), specified persons or classes of persons may be authorised to have access to the names and addresses of persons currently registered to motor vehicles, and information on those vehicles (authorised access).
Authorised access is granted for specified purposes and on certain conditions. These authorisations are granted via notices that are published in the New Zealand Gazette.
Authorisations are only granted after Waka Kotahi has made an assessment as to whether the authorisation is appropriate, and has consulted with the Privacy Commissioner, the Chief Ombudsman, and the Commissioner of Police.
Our list of authorised users is available, where you can check if someone has an authorisation. This will provide you with a link to the relevant notice, where you can view the specified purpose for which that user has access, and the conditions that apply to that access.
Companies and individuals who have been granted authorised access to the Motor Vehicle Register
Authorised access enables the authorised user to obtain the names and addresses of persons currently registered to motor vehicles, directly from the Motor Vehicle Register for specific purposes, without having to request this information from Waka Kotahi each time they need it.
No.
Authorised access only gives you access to the names and addresses of individuals currently registered in respect of a vehicle. If you want to access the names and addresses of individuals previously registered in respect of a vehicle, you must apply to Waka Kotahi for this information outside of your authorised access. However, you should be aware that Waka Kotahi doesn’t update details of individuals previously registered. The people listed may have moved or be deceased.
No.
Individuals who don’t want their details to be released to a person holding a section 241 authorisation can instruct Waka Kotahi not to release their details. This is known as ‘opting out’. Any person can opt out and no reason is required.
Online services 'opt out' page(external link)
If someone ‘opts out’, it means that their name and address will not be obtainable via an online search by authorised users who have standard access under section 241 of the LTA.
Yes.
Standard authorised access does not generally provide access to the names and addresses of persons who were previously registered to motor vehicles, or who have ‘opted out’ of having their names and addresses released to authorised users.
However, Waka Kotahi has approved a limited number of authorised users to have additional access to names and addresses of previous registered persons and and/or people who have opted out. This additional access is granted in limited circumstances for a specific purpose, and on specific conditions, under section 237(2)(d) of the LTA where Waka Kotahi has determined that the information may always be disclosed under the Official Information Act 1998, in those specific circumstances.
These users can directly access this additional information from the Motor Vehicle Register, without having to request it from Waka Kotahi each time.
In addition to the above, there are other legal avenues for requesting and obtaining this information. For example, a specific request under the Official Information Act, the Privacy Act 2020, or section 237(2) of the LTA.
Access to information about persons with ‘confidential status’ is not permitted under either level of access.
Opting out is a very limited form of restricting access to personal information on the Motor Vehicle Register. Opting out only prevents authorised users from accessing name and address information on the Motor Vehicle Register under section 241 of the LTA. Even if someone has opted out, some authorised users will still have access to that person’s name and address, where Waka Kotahi has determined that access is permitted in specific circumstances under the Official Information Act, as per s237(2)(d) of the LTA. As explained above, authorised users with this additional access are able to obtain names and addresses of opted out individuals directly from the Motor Vehicle Register via an online search.
In addition to the exception mentioned above, opting-out does not prevent personal information from being released through other lawful means, for example:
Confidential status provides a higher level of protection than opting out, however it is also much harder to obtain, as there are specific requirements that must be satisfied. Unlike opting out, if someone is granted confidential status, their information can only be accessed in very limited circumstances as provided for under section 239 of the LTA. Confidential status information will not be provided to users under their section 241 access or if they have additional access to opted out or historic information.
If you access, or need, current name and address information on the Motor Vehicle Register on a frequent and ongoing basis, you can apply for authorised access.
You don’t need an authorisation to access vehicle information, nor to confirm known name details.
Don't apply for authorised access if you only want vehicle information (like the odometer history). Instead, you can obtain vehicle information by:
MR32 Request for motor vehicle details form(external link)
If you only want to confirm if someone is the current registered person, try the Check registered person query online form – it’s free and returns an instant result that you can have emailed to yourself.
Check registered person query online form(external link)
If you want to make a one off or small volume of enquiries for registered person name and address details, you can use the MR31 application process to request this information. You will receive a response within 10 working days of submitting the application. Information about the criteria for approval and a link to the online transaction can be found here:
Requesting register information
MR31 Apply for registered person name and address(external link)
If you’re a member of an industry body that has made a successful application on behalf of their members (eg the Insurance Council of New Zealand (ICNZ), the Motor Trade Association (MTA), or the Financial Services Federation (FSF)) you don’t need to make your own application unless you want access for reasons outside of the application made by the industry body.
If you wish to join a representative body, you can contact the representative body directly or check their website for details of the membership requirements, terms and conditions, and the timeframes for membership approval. Once your membership has been confirmed, the representative body will contact us to have your details added to the authorisation list.
Industry body membership(external link)
You can check who already has authorised access to the Motor Vehicle Register by looking at the list on the Waka Kotahi website.
Companies and individuals with authorised access to the register(external link)
The full list of approved industry bodies who have authorised access on behalf of their members are:
If you are a member of one of the above listed industry bodies, but your organisation's name doesn't appear on the current list on this website, please get in touch with your industry body as Waka Kotahi can only update the list based on information from the industry body.
Companies and individuals with authorised access to the register
Yes. Waka Kotahi uses standard terms for Vehicle Traders, Finance companies and Insurers, and Fuel Stations.
Standard terms were developed to provide consistent terms and conditions for the three most common applicant types: Vehicle Traders, Finance companies and Insurers, and Fuel Stations. They are valid from 1 November 2022 to 31 October 2027, and approval for these terms and conditions means that they have been applied for individually and granted, or via membership of a representative body which has applied for access on behalf of its members and been granted. Standard terms applications can often be completed more quickly due to the existing sets of terms and conditions that have already been published on the Gazette.
Non-standard terms refer to any application made for purposes other than those contained in the standard terms for Vehicle Traders, Finance companies and Insurers, and Fuel Stations. Examples include private parking companies, towing and storage businesses or any other novel business model. These applications do require some additional time to process, as a set of appropriate purposes, terms and conditions for authorisation must be created that are specific to the applicant. If your application is non-standard, we will need as much detail as possible on the application about why you wish to obtain information from the register, and how that information will be used. The start and end date of the authorisation will be included in the Gazette notice.
Waka Kotahi generally allows up to eight weeks from the time of receiving a complete application to provide you with a draft decision. Application processing times may take longer in certain circumstances, for example, where further information has been requested, your application is particularly complicated, or there are differing views as to the appropriate outcome of your application.
Once a draft decision is made and forwarded to you, you have 14 days to respond to that decision. If you agree with the draft decision, or if you have not responded within the 14 days, Waka Kotahi will then finalise its decision. If you disagree with the draft decision, we will consider your feedback before making a final decision.
For an application under standard terms, the draft decision stage is not required, as the terms and conditions are already confirmed, and we will move directly to the final decision stage. This can mean that these applications can often proceed more quickly.
Applications will first be reviewed and considered by Waka Kotahi regulatory operational staff and then will be passed to the Ombudsman, the Privacy Commissioner and the Commissioner of Police for consultation. The final decision on an application will usually be made by the Waka Kotahi Senior Manager Vehicle and Driver Licensing or Manager Exemptions and Registers Integrity.
If you’re dissatisfied with a final decision made by Waka Kotahi not to issue an authorisation under section 241, you can ask the Ombudsman to investigate that decision. You also have the option of seeking a judicial review of the decision.
It’s your decision which portal you want to access the data through, either via Motochek which is a Waka Kotahi internal portal or a third party portal.
The third-party portals are as follows:
You may want to consider finding the best fit for your business, as each portal has their own pricing and options on how to display the information to you. For information about what each portal can offer, you will need to contact them directly, or you may also find the details are available on their website.
An example of non-compliance with conditions is where an authorisation is granted for a specified purpose, but the information is accessed for a different purpose.
Waka Kotahi investigates allegations of breaches of a user’s authorisation, and if necessary, will take actions to ensure future compliance. Actions could include imposing additional conditions on an authorisation, withholding access to names and addresses until it is satisfied that they will be kept secure and used only for the specified purpose, or even cancelling the authorisation.
If the non-compliance also breaches one or more of the information privacy principles in the Privacy Act 2020, then the breach may also be reported to and dealt with by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner.
Where a safety recall involves a serious or imminent threat to public safety or the life or health of an individual, the information may be released under the Official Information Act without an authorisation.
When an Authorisation is granted, it will expire on the date specified in the terms and conditions, and you will no longer be able to use your access from that point on. It will be your responsibility to be aware of when the Authorisation expires, and to apply for a new Authorisation (if needed) plenty of time in advance of the Authorisation expiring.
Applications and direct debit forms should be completed and sent via email to S241@nzta.govt.nz
If you do not have access to email this can be posted to:
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency
Exemption Assessments
Private Bag 11777
Palmerston North 4442
If you have any questions, please email s241@nzta.govt.nz
