Routes and Maps on a Limited Licence Application
The "where" is often the hardest part of a Limited Licence order to get right. Too vague and the court will not sign it. Too tight and ordinary life puts you outside it.
What the court needs
The order must set out the purpose, the vehicle, the days and times, and anything else needed to keep it to the hardship you proved [1]. Where you can drive falls into that last part. The District Court practice note is specific: define it by a route, or by an area with clear boundary points, and never by a radius from a central point [2].
A fixed workplace: describe the route
If you make the same trip each day, name both ends and the roads in between. Home address, the main roads you use, the work address, and back again. Community Law's guide explains that you are expected to keep to the most direct, practical route [3].
Changing sites: describe an area
Tradies, couriers and reps rarely go to the same place twice. Instead of listing every address, describe an area with clear edges, such as named roads or town boundaries [2]. Then explain in your affidavit why the work moves around, and back it with job sheets, run sheets or an affidavit from your employer [2].
The depot, the yard and the second leg
Plenty of people need more than one leg: home to the yard in their own car, then a work vehicle out to jobs, then back. Set out each leg and the vehicle used for it [1]. A trip you forget to include is a trip you cannot make.
The map
If a map is attached to the order, it should be at a sensible scale with the routes or limits clearly marked [2]. If the order also describes the area in words, the two must match exactly [2]. A mismatch is one of the easiest ways to have an order questioned.
Common mistakes
- a radius, such as "within 20 km of home", instead of a route or boundary [2]
- an area far bigger than the work needs [1]
- leaving out the depot run, or a school drop off on the way to work
- a map that shows something different from the written order [2]
- wrong road names or suburbs
Detours count
Once the order is made, the area and the purpose are your limits. A stop that is not part of the purpose, or a short cut outside the area, is driving contrary to the order, which is an offence [1]. Community Law's guide says not to stop on the way except for traffic, emergencies or servicing the vehicle [3].
Your affidavit, including the description of your routes, 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 it in advance.
Sources
- Land Transport Act 1998, sections 32 and 105, New Zealand Legislation, https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1998/0110/latest/DLM434582.html (accessed 19 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 19 October 2026)
- Applying for a Limited Licence (2024 guide), Community Law, https://www.justice.govt.nz/assets/Documents/Publications/Applying-for-a-Limited-Licence-Guide-CL-2024.pdf (accessed 19 October 2026)
Frequently asked questions
Can I ask for a second route for road closures?
If closures are a real problem on your route, explain that in your affidavit and mark the alternative clearly. The judge decides what to allow.
Who draws the map?
We prepare a boundary map as part of your documents, matched to the wording of your draft order.
What if my work sites change after the order is made?
You must stay inside the order you have. A change means going back to the court.
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 28 Oct 26