Can You Still Drive for Work? Limited Licences in NZ

For most people, the real fear after a driving charge is not the fine. It is losing the ability to drive to work, run the business, or get the kids to school. A limited licence (often called a work licence) is the legal mechanism that can keep you driving through a disqualification, and it is widely misunderstood.

What a limited licence is

A limited licence is a court order that lets you drive under specified conditions during a period when you would otherwise be disqualified. The conditions can cover the purpose (for example, work), the hours, and the vehicle. It is not a free pass to drive normally, but for many people it is the difference between keeping their job and losing it.

The 28-day stand-down

If you have been disqualified by the court for an offence such as drink driving, there is generally a 28-day stand-down before a limited licence can take effect. You can file the application during that period, but it cannot start until the stand-down has passed. Where your licence has instead been suspended for accumulating demerit points, there is usually no stand-down at all.

Who cannot apply

The law sets out situations where you are not eligible: for example if you are subject to an alcohol interlock sentence, if you are charged with driving while disqualified, if you have two qualifying offences within five years, or if you are indefinitely disqualified. Whether one of these applies to you is exactly the kind of thing to check before you spend money on an application.

You have to prove hardship

A limited licence is not granted just because it would be convenient. You have to satisfy the court that being unable to drive would cause extreme hardship to you, or undue hardship to someone else such as an employer or a dependant. That means real evidence, properly presented: how the job works, why no one else can do the driving, what happens if the licence is refused. A well-prepared application is far more persuasive than a form filled in at the last minute.

If you are facing disqualification, it is worth finding out early whether a limited licence is open to you. See our limited licence page for detail, or call to talk it through.