Check Your NZTA Record Before You Apply
A Limited Licence application is built on facts about your licence: when the suspension started, why, and what is on your record. If those facts are wrong, the application can stall. Checking your NZTA record first is a simple step that saves trouble later.
Checking it is your job
Checking your demerit points and suspension status with NZTA is your job alone, not ours. We prepare documents from the information you give us. If you have not been served in hand with an NZTA letter or a Police suspension notice, check with NZTA yourself.
What to check
- Demerit points: your current total and when each offence happened [5].
- Suspension or disqualification: the type, the start date and the length.
- Your address: what NZTA holds for you.
- Licence classes: the classes you held before the suspension, since a Limited Licence can only cover those [1][4].
How to get it
NZTA offers a demerit points and suspension history report, free, covering seven years, sent by email [5]. With RealMe you can also see your current demerit total online [5]. If you cannot use the online route, NZTA can help by phone [5].
For past traffic convictions, you can ask the Ministry of Justice [3]. Read your driving history and Police for why the full record matters.
Why it matters
The start date
A demerit suspension starts when the notice is served on you, not when it was posted [6]. For a demerit suspension there is no stand down period, but the application is filed after the notice has been served, with a copy annexed [2]. See got a demerit suspension notice? What now.
Your address
If your licence address has changed and you have not told NZTA, getting that fixed comes first. Letters may have gone to the old address.
Honesty
The court expects you to disclose all previous driving related convictions [2]. Your record and your affidavit need to match.
If something looks wrong
Contact NZTA before applying. Do not build an application on dates you are unsure about.
Every affidavit is signed only in front of the person who witnesses it, and the easiest place to do that is at the court when you file. Never sign one in advance.
Sources
- Land Transport Act 1998, sections 103, 104 and 105, New Zealand Legislation, https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1998/0110/latest/DLM434582.html (accessed 2 November 2026)
- Practice Note: Applications for a Limited Licence (24 May 2024), District Court of New Zealand, https://www.districtcourts.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/Publications/2024/Limited-Licence-Practice-Note-FINAL.pdf (accessed 2 November 2026)
- Get a Limited Licence, New Zealand Ministry of Justice, https://www.justice.govt.nz/courts/criminal/get-a-limited-licence/ (accessed 2 November 2026)
- Limited Licence, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, https://www.nzta.govt.nz/driver-licences/driving-offences-and-penalties/driving-offences/limited-licence (accessed 2 November 2026)
- Demerit points and suspension history, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, https://www.nzta.govt.nz/driver-licences/confirming-your-licence-details/demerit-points-and-suspension-history (accessed 2 November 2026)
- Demerit points, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, https://www.nzta.govt.nz/driver-licences/driving-offences-and-penalties/demerit-points (accessed 2 November 2026)
Frequently asked questions
Can I get my record myself?
No. You can request it yourself from NZTA.
Does NZTA tell me my points automatically?
Do not rely on that. Check for yourself.
How do demerit points work?
Read [demerit points explained](/blog/demerit-points-explained).
For the next step, see getting your licence back after a suspension and check who is eligible.
We prepare Limited Licence documents. From $645 + GST. Call 0800 437 005 or start at nzlimitedlicence.co.nz/apply.
Checked by Guy Hollister, Director, NZ Limited Licence, on 12 Nov 26