Restricted Driver Rules: Who Can Supervise and Who You Can Carry
A restricted licence gives you freedom, but not total freedom. Two rules trip people up more than any other: who can sit beside you as a supervisor, and who you can carry as a passenger. Get either wrong and you are breaking your licence conditions.
Here is what the law and the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) actually say.
The restricted licence conditions
On a car (Class 1) restricted licence, NZTA lists these conditions [1]:
- Between 5am and 10pm you can drive on your own.
- Between 10pm and 5am you can only drive with a supervisor in the front passenger seat.
- Without a supervisor, you can only carry certain passengers (more on that below).
- If you passed your test in an automatic, you can only drive automatics unless a supervisor is with you.
The legal source is clause 18 of the Land Transport (Driver Licensing) Rule 1999 [2].
Who can be your supervisor?
NZTA says a supervisor must [3]:
- hold a current full New Zealand licence for the class of vehicle you are driving
- have held a full New Zealand licence for at least 2 years, or an equivalent overseas licence for at least 2 years
- not have a supervisor condition on their own licence
The Rule adds that the supervisor must be in charge of the vehicle and sit in the front passenger seat, or as close to you as practicable if there is no front seat [2]. NZTA also says they must carry their driver licence with them [4].
Can a suspended or disqualified driver supervise you?
No. The test is about the licence the supervisor holds right now, and a suspended or disqualified driver does not hold a current licence.
NZTA's own Driver Check guide is clear on this. A Suspended driver "has been suspended from driving and is unlicensed", whether that is a 3 month demerit suspension, a 28 day roadside suspension or a medical suspension. A Disqualified driver "has been disqualified from driving by the courts and is unlicensed" [5].
The same applies once the suspension or disqualification ends but the person has not yet sorted their licence out. NZTA lists "Reinstate" and "Requalify" as statuses where the person is still unlicensed [5].
There is one more catch. After a disqualification of more than 12 months, NZTA can add a supervisor condition to a licence while the person works through requalifying [5]. Someone with that condition cannot supervise you either [3].
What about someone with convictions?
We could not find any rule that stops a person supervising simply because they have criminal or driving convictions. The real tests are the ones above: a current full licence for the right class, held for 2 years or more, no supervisor condition, in charge of the car and sitting beside you [2][3]. If a conviction led to a disqualification or suspension, that is what rules them out, because they are unlicensed for that time [5].
Who can you carry without a supervisor?
Without a supervisor, NZTA says the only passengers you can carry are [1]:
- your spouse or partner, meaning someone you live with as if married or in a civil union
- a child who is financially dependent on you or your spouse and normally lives with you
- your parent or guardian
- relatives who live with you and are on a social security benefit
- someone you look after as their primary caregiver
Be ready to show evidence to a police officer if asked [1].
Anyone else, including friends and workmates, needs a supervisor in the front seat with you. If you have a genuine need to carry other people, NZTA has an application for an exemption to carry passengers on a restricted licence. For passengers under 18 it asks for a letter of authority from their parent or guardian, and for medical reasons a letter from a doctor [6].
What happens if you break the conditions?
NZTA says breaking your restricted licence conditions could mean 35 demerit points and a $100 fine [4]. At 100 demerit points in 2 years your licence is suspended for 3 months [7], so a couple of these can add up fast. See how demerit points add up.
Driving while suspended or disqualified is far worse
If your licence is already suspended or disqualified and you drive anyway, it is a criminal matter, not a fine. Under section 32 of the Land Transport Act 1998, a first or second conviction can mean up to 3 months' imprisonment or a fine up to $4,500, plus a mandatory disqualification of at least 6 months. The vehicle is also impounded for 28 days under section 96 [7].
Driving outside the conditions of a Limited Licence is treated the same way [7]. We cover all of this in driving while suspended: how 3 months turns into much more. Police have more ways to spot it than most people think, too. Read how number plate cameras flag disqualified drivers.
If you drive for work, your employer may also see your licence status if they check licences through TORO or Driver Check.
The rules are changing
NZTA has announced changes to the car graduated driver licensing system from 25 January 2027 [8]. Until then the current rules above apply. Check NZTA's site before you rely on anything after that date.
Lost your licence and need to keep driving for work or family? We prepare Limited Licence documents for any NZ District Court. Call 0800 437 005 or start at nzlimitedlicence.co.nz/apply.
Sources
- Restricted licence conditions, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, https://www.nzta.govt.nz/driver-licences/getting-a-licence/licences-by-vehicle-type/cars/restricted-licence/restricted-licence-conditions (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Land Transport (Driver Licensing) Rule 1999, clause 18, New Zealand Legislation, https://www.legislation.govt.nz/regulation/public/1999/0100/latest/DLM281577.html (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Who can be a supervisor, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, https://www.nzta.govt.nz/driver-licences/getting-a-licence/licences-by-vehicle-type/cars/supervisor/ (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Stage 2: restricted licence, Road Code, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, https://www.nzta.govt.nz/roadcode/general-road-code/about-driver-licences/stage-2-restricted-licence (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Driver Check help (licence statuses and conditions), NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, https://www.nzta.govt.nz/driver-licences/driver-check/help/ (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Application for an exemption to carry passengers on a restricted licence, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, https://www.nzta.govt.nz/driver-licences/exemptions/exemption-from-driver-licensing-requirements/application-for-an-exemption-to-carry-passengers-on-a-restricted-licence/ (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Land Transport Act 1998, sections 32, 90 and 96, New Zealand Legislation, https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1998/110/en/latest/ (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Driver licences, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, https://www.nzta.govt.nz/driver-licences/ (accessed 19 October 2026)
Checked by Guy Hollister, Director, NZ Limited Licence, on 19 October 2026