Your 3-month demerit suspension is over. Can you drive?
Not automatically. This one catches a lot of people out.
Your licence doesn't switch back on
When a demerit suspension ends, the law says your licence stays of no effect until you apply to have it reinstated and NZTA reinstates it [1]. NZTA puts it simply: when your suspension ends, you are without a licence, and you cannot drive until you have applied at a driver licence agent and your new licence has been issued [2]. Any licence card you held when you were suspended is permanently cancelled [2].
How the suspension works
If you reach 100 or more demerit points within 2 years, your licence is suspended for 3 months [1]. The suspension starts on the date in the notice, and that date cannot be earlier than the day the notice was served on you [1]. When the suspension is imposed, NZTA cancels all the demerit points recorded against you at that time [1]. So you start again from zero, but only once you hold a licence again.
How to get your licence back
You apply at a driver licence agent. NZTA says you will need to [2]:
- fill out the DL1 application form
- prove your identity
- pass an eyesight check
- show a medical certificate, if needed
- have your photo taken and give your signature
- pay the fee, which NZTA lists as $48.00 if you were disqualified or suspended for 12 months or less [3]
A 3-month demerit suspension falls in that group, so you do not need to resit your tests [2][3].
What happens if you drive first
If you drive after your suspension ends but before you have your licence back, NZTA says you could be fined and forbidden to drive. Keep driving after that and you could be charged with driving while forbidden and have your vehicle taken by Police [2]. Driving during the suspension itself is far more serious: a first or second offence carries a mandatory disqualification of 6 months or more [1].
What about a Limited Licence?
A Limited Licence covers you during the suspension, within the terms of the court order. It does not cover you after it. NZTA says that when your Limited Licence expires and your suspension ends, you will not have a licence, and you cannot drive until you get a new one [3]. Your previous licence is permanently cancelled [3].
Check before you drive
- Mark the end date from your notice in your calendar.
- Book a visit to a driver licence agent for that date or straight after.
- Take your identity documents with you.
- Do not drive to the agent yourself unless you hold a licence.
Sources
- Land Transport Act 1998, sections 32, 82A, 90, 91, 103, 104 and 105, New Zealand Legislation, https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1998/0110/latest/whole.html (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Getting your licence back, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, https://www.nzta.govt.nz/driver-licences/driving-offences-and-penalties/getting-your-licence-back (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Limited Licence, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, https://www.nzta.govt.nz/driver-licences/driving-offences-and-penalties/driving-offences/limited-licence (accessed 21 October 2026)
Frequently asked questions
Do my demerit points come back?
No. When a suspension is imposed, the points recorded at that time are cancelled.
I had a Limited Licence. Can I keep using it after the suspension ends?
No. NZTA says you need a new driver licence before you drive again.
Not sure what you need to do? Call us on 0800 437 005.
Still early in your suspension? Read what to do when the notice first arrives and how demerit points add up and expire. If you need to drive before then, see whether a Limited Licence is available for demerits.
Checked by Guy Hollister, Director, NZ Limited Licence, on 15 Aug 26