FAQS

Taken from the NZ Transport Agency website:

The vehicle you're driving will be impounded if you're caught driving when:

• you've been disqualified from holding or getting a driver licence
• your driver licence has been suspended or revoked
• you don't hold (or have never held) a driver licence or your licence has expired, and you have been forbidden to drive by a police officer until you have a new or renewed licence
• you have to reinstate your licence and have been forbidden to drive by a police officer until you do
• you commit a drink-drive offence and have two previous drink-drive convictions in the last four years
• if the vehicle is used by a transport service operator:
  • who has been disqualified from holding or getting a transport service licence
  • whose transport service licence has been suspended or revoked
  • who does not (or has never) held a transport service licence and has previously been forbidden to operate the service.

Your vehicle can also be impounded if:

• you're caught racing (eg drag racing)
• you're caught performing street car stunts (eg wheel spins)
• you've broken a bylaw that prohibits cruising
• you've failed to stop when requested by the police (eg you've sped off and weren't immediately apprehended)
• you have an alcohol interlock licence and the vehicle doesn't have an alcohol interlock device fitted.

Taken from the NZ Transport website:

The person registered in respect of the vehicle has an obligation to make sure that only licensed drivers use their vehicles, and that drivers use their vehicles responsibly. However, there are some circumstances where the registered person can appeal against a roadside vehicle impoundment.

aken from the NZ Transport website:

As the registered person, you can make an appeal only on the grounds that:

• the impounded vehicle was stolen or converted at the time it was impounded (converted means the vehicle was taken or used dishonestly and without claim of right)
• the police officer didn't have reasonable grounds or didn't follow proper procedures to impound the vehicle
• you didn't know, and couldn't reasonably have been expected to know, that the driver was unlicensed or disqualified
• you took all reasonable steps to prevent the unlicensed driver from driving
• you didn't know, and couldn't reasonably have been expected to know, that the driver would race the vehicle or perform street car stunts
• you took all reasonable steps to prevent the driver from racing or performing street car stunts
• the driver drove in a serious medical emergency (which includes carrying a person about to give birth)
• you didn't know, and couldn't reasonably be expected to know, that the operator of the transport service was disqualified
• you didn't know, and couldn't reasonably be expected to know, that the relevant transport service licence was suspended or revoked
• you didn't know, and couldn't reasonably be expected to know, that the operator didn't hold a transport service licence and had previously been forbidden to operate.

Taken from the NZ Transport website:

As the registered person for the vehicle, you may appeal to the Commissioner of Police within 14 days. If that appeal is unsuccessful, you can appeal to a district court.

If your appeal is successful, the vehicle will be returned. You don't have to pay the costs of the impoundment IF it's shown that the police didn't have reasonable grounds to impound the vehicle or didn't follow the correct procedure.

If the vehicle was stolen or converted, you don't have to pay the storage fee, but you must pay the towing fee.