Application for RUC exemption under Section 40 of the RUC Act 2012 (RUCEX)

Use this form to apply for an exemption if your light diesel vehicle is used exclusively or almost exclusively off-road, and does not travel more than 10 kilometres from the boundary of the nominated address. 

There is a fee of $39.08 (incl GST) for this application. This fee is non-refundable, regardless of whether your application is approved or declined.

If you already have an exemption and just want to update your details, you should submit an Application to change details of RUC exemption instead.

Conditions of the exemption

An exemption for a light diesel vehicle* granted under section 40 of the Road User Charges Act 2012 (the Act) is subject to these terms and conditions:

1. the vehicle must be operated exclusively or almost exclusively off-road:
2. the vehicle must not be operated on-road any further than 10 kilometres, by a straight line, from the nearest point on the legal boundary of the physical address where the vehicle is normally kept when not being operated:
3. the condition in paragraph (2) is subject to the following exceptions:
   1. travel by the most direct and practical route to a place for the purpose of—
      1. vehicle inspection or certification under the Land Transport Act 1988; or
      2. vehicle repair:
   2. travel to comply with the directions of a constable:
   3. travel to comply with any directions given under section 91 of the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002:
   4. if the vehicle is sold, travel to the address of the new owner:
4. the vehicle must display an exemption label issued by the RUC collector showing—
   1. that the vehicle is exempt from the requirement to pay road user charges:
   2. the vehicle’s registration number:
   3. the locality of where the vehicle is normally kept:
5. the exemption label must be displayed on the vehicle in the same manner as a distance licence is required to be displayed:
6. if any information provided under regulation 5 subsequently becomes out of date, the holder of the exemption must provide to the RUC collector, as soon as practicable, the up-to-date information:
7. the holder of the exemption must, if requested by the RUC collector, provide to the RUC collector (as soon as practicable after receiving the request) the distance, in kilometres, that the vehicle has travelled as at the date on which the holder of the exemption receives the RUC collector’s request:
8. the holder of the exemption must provide to the RUC collector the distance recorded as at the time when the vehicle’s exemption under section 40 of the Act is revoked or expires.

*A light diesel vehicle has a gross vehicle mass of 3500kg or less.

Penalties

If conditions are breached, your exemption may be revoked, and

• you may be issued with an Assessment for any unpaid road user charges, and 
• you may be issued with an infringement notice.

RUC licence

The vehicle must have a current road user charges (RUC) licence, or be currently exempt from RUC.

More information

For more information call us on 0800 655 644.

Application form

The particulars you provide will become part of the Motor Vehicle Register. Collection and dissemination of this information is authorised by the Road User Charges Act 2012. Corresponding information held on other parts of the Land Transport Register may be amended.

Under the Electoral Act 1993, s 263B, Waka Kotahi is authorised to release information for data matching purposes to the Electoral Enrolment Centre.

The Privacy Act 2020 provides rights of access to, and correction of, any readily retrievable personal information held about you by Waka Kotahi. Should you wish to exercise these rights please contact the Waka Kotahi, Private Bag 11777, Palmerston North 4442 or email: info@nzta.govt.nz.