New Zealand law requires vehicles to be inspected every six months for a Certificate of Fitness (CoF). Vehicles requiring this type of certification, rather than the more common "Warrant of Fitness" or WoF inspections, are:
- heavy vehicles - trucks, larger trailers, motor homes
- all passenger service vehicles - taxis, shuttles and buses
- rental vehicles.
To find your nearest LIGHT VEHICLE CoF testing station (eg, taxis, rentals), click here.
To find your nearest HEAVY VEHICLE CoF testing station, click here.
All motor vehicles must be continuously licensed while using the road, except for the following:
- vehicles that are not required by law to be registered or licensed
- vehicles that are more than 40 years old
- agricultural machinery, tractors and mobile machines
- exempt class EA and EB vehicles
- trailers and trailer-type caravans having a gross laden weight not exceeding 3,500 kilograms
- all-terrain vehicles (ATVs).
These motor vehicles can be unlicensed while they're off the road (eg, for repairs or restoration). They don't require exemptions to remain unlicensed.
However, if these vehicles remain unlicensed for two years, their registrations are cancelled. If you have one of these vehicles and you won't be using it for more than two years, make sure you request an exemption before the two years is up, to prevent the registration being cancelled. You can do this at any VTNZ station.
