Passenger Service Drivers and the Limited Licence
If you drive taxis, rideshare, shuttles or buses, losing your licence hits twice. Your commute goes, and so does your work. A Limited Licence can sometimes help with the first. It usually cannot help with the second.
What counts as a passenger service
The law defines a passenger service widely. It includes carrying passengers on a road for hire or reward, and carrying passengers in a large passenger service vehicle whether paid or not [1]. It also covers trips arranged through an app or other facilitator, and trips where passengers chip in for fuel as a condition of the ride [1].
So it is not just taxis. Rideshare, shuttles, tour vans and buses can all be caught.
The rule
The court cannot make an order letting you drive in a passenger service unless demerit points are the only reason your licence was suspended [1].
That means:
- Disqualified for drink driving, drug driving or another offence? Passenger work is off the table [1].
- Suspended for demerit points only? Passenger work may be possible [1].
The demerit exception has a catch
NZTA can decline to issue the licence if the order lets you drive in a passenger service, unless demerits were the only reason for your suspension and you can prove no more than 20 of those points came from driving in a passenger service [3].
Get your demerit record and work out where each point came from before you apply. File a copy of your suspension notice with the application, ideally annexed to your affidavit [2]. For how points add up, see demerit points explained and Limited Licence for demerit points.
Transport service disqualifications
There is a second bar. If you were disqualified from driving in a transport service under section 63, you cannot apply for a Limited Licence that would let you drive in a transport service, other than a rental service [1]. NZTA describes this as being disqualified for excess alcohol while operating a transport service vehicle [3].
What you can still ask for
Passenger work being ruled out does not mean every Limited Licence is. You may still be able to apply for other driving, such as:
- getting to a job that does not involve carrying passengers
- driving a family member to medical appointments
The usual tests still apply: extreme hardship to you, or undue hardship to someone else, and no risk to public safety [1]. Keep the request clear of passenger work. An employer affidavit asking for you back on the taxi roster will not fit an order that cannot allow it.
Licence classes and endorsements
An order can only let you drive a class of vehicle you held a licence or endorsement for immediately before you lost your licence [1]. NZTA checks the classes and endorsements you held when it processes the licence [3]. If you drive heavy vehicles too, read Limited Licence for truck drivers.
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 2, 103, 104 and 105, New Zealand Legislation, https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1998/0110/latest/DLM434582.html (accessed 26 October 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 26 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 26 October 2026)
Frequently asked questions
Can I drive Uber on a Limited Licence after drink driving?
No. Passenger work is only possible where demerit points are the only reason for the suspension.
I was suspended for demerits. Can I keep driving my taxi?
Possibly. Demerits must be the only reason, and no more than 20 of the points can come from passenger service driving.
Can a Limited Licence cover driving instruction?
No. The court cannot authorise driving tests or driving instruction.
Need a Limited Licence for other work driving? See our Limited Licence for work page.
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 2 Nov 26