Maintain your registration

Motor vehicle traders must keep their registration information up-to-date. This doesn't cost anything, and it's a requirement under the Motor Vehicle Sales Act.

You can maintain your registration details by logging into our Motor Vehicle Traders Register (MVTR) online services and making the corresponding applications. Your login profile must have access to the registration you wish to revise.

Set up a login profile with us

Keep your details up-to-date in the Register

Contact details

Make sure your email address, postal address, address for service and phone numbers are kept up to date in the Register. You should check the contact details of both your login profile and your registration to make sure these are correct.

Contact details are very important because we use these to send you information – such as letting you know when it's time to renew your registration. Make sure you add our email addresses (registrar@motortraders.govt.nz and registrar@mvtr.govt.nz) to your contacts so our emails don't end up in your spam folder.

If you are a registered company, we recommend that you add a backup email address to make sure you receive our emails. Your backup can be a personal email address.

Company details

You must let us know if there's any change to your company’s registration on the New Zealand Companies Register. This includes situations where a company director resigns or a new director is appointed, or if your company's name is changed.

For new company directors or management (Chief Executive or equivalent), you must let us know within 30 working days of the person starting with your company.

Your company directors or management can be based overseas. Some options apply in situations where overseas directors or management need to complete a statutory declaration.

Making declarations outside New Zealand

Update your details in the Register

Information we need from you

We’ll ask you to confirm your details as part of your request for update. If you have a company registration, these will include your company’s trading name and New Zealand Business Number (NZBN) details, as well as its addresses and contact information. If you have an individual registration, these will include your name, addresses and contact information.

If your details use data from the NZBN Register, you must make sure that your information on the NZBN Register is correct. If not, you will need to update this information on the NZBN Register before starting your request.

  • If you have a company registration, you can update your information via the Companies Register. This will automatically update your details in the NZBN Register.
  • If you are an individual trader, you can update your information directly via the NZBN Register.

Keeping company details up to date(external link) — Companies Register

Updating your NZBN details(external link) — NZBN Register

If any of your updates involve changes to an individual’s name or date of birth, we’ll provide you with a statutory declaration form that you must complete. We’ll also provide you with a statutory declaration form if you’re adding a new role holder for a company.

If you’re required to submit any statutory declarations, these must be downloaded and signed by the appropriate people before an authorised witness. You can save your request and return to it later to upload the completed forms.

Save and resume your request

You can save your request at any time by clicking the Save and Exit button. Our online services will keep a record of your saved application for a maximum of 90 days, or until you resume and submit your application – whichever comes first.

To resume a saved request:

  1. Log into the MVTR online services portal. This will bring you to your Dashboard.
  2. Select the Things in Progress tab.
  3. Select the saved request you would like to continue.

Update your company registration online

To change your company registration details in the Motor Vehicle Traders Register:

  1. Log into the MVTR online services portal. This will bring you to your Dashboard.
  2. Under the My portfolio tab on the right of the screen, select the entity whose details you would like to change.
  3. In your registration details page, click the I want to… drop-down box and select the Maintain registration details option. This will bring you to a Maintain Motor Vehicle Trader (Company) form.
  4. In the Entity Details page, confirm that your company’s details are correct. When you have finished, click the Continue button.
    1. You can click the Retrieve NZBN Details button to update your company’s details from the New Zealand Business Number (NZBN) Register.
    2. If your company’s trading name(s) or NZTA customer number(s) have changed, you can remove your old designations and add the new ones.
  5. In the Addresses page, confirm that your company’s address and contact information are correct. When you have finished, click the Continue button.
    1. You can edit any address or contact details that have changed. Note that you cannot change the registered address on this page, as this is based on your company’s information in the NZBN Register.
  6. In the Role Holder(s) Details page, confirm that your company’s role holders are correct. When you have finished, click the Continue button.
    1. The directors listed on this page are based on your company’s information in the NZBN Register. Under the Actions option, you can click Edit Role Holder to review or add more detailed information for these directors.
    2. You cannot change your company directors’ names and residential addresses. If these are incorrect, you will need to change these in the Companies Register first.
  7. In the Statutory Declaration Form(s) page, download and complete any required statutory declaration forms. Once you have uploaded all completed and signed forms, click the Continue button.
    1. If you have made no changes to your company’s details, or if none of your changes require a statutory declaration, this page will advise that you are not required to complete any statutory declarations.
    2. We recommend that you download copies of all statutory declaration forms, then save and exit your request. You can resume your request when you have completed and signed your copies.
    3. For each role holder, you can download a copy of the statutory declaration form by clicking the Edit option in that role holder’s entry, then clicking the Download Statutory Declaration Form button.
    4. You can upload completed statutory declarations by clicking the Edit option in that role holder’s entry, then using the Upload signed declaration area.
  8. In the Review and Submit page, confirm that all of your company details are correct, and tick the declaration boxes. When you have finished, click the Submit button. This will display a message indicating that your request has been successfully filed.
    1. If you need to change any details, click the Edit button next to the information you need to revise.

Completing the statutory declaration form(s)

As part of your request, you may need to download statutory declaration forms for your company’s role holders to complete.

Each statutory declaration form will include the full legal name of the role holder, and must be signed in front of an authorised witness (a solicitor, Justice of the Peace or other person authorised to take a statutory declaration under the Oaths and Declarations Act 1957).

Section 9 of the Oaths and Declarations Act 1957(external link) — New Zealand Legislation

Other options may be possible for role holders who are making declarations from outside New Zealand. If you're a director of a New Zealand company and spend most of your time outside New Zealand, you can provide an overseas director certificate instead of a statutory declaration if:

  • your company is already a registered motor vehicle trader
  • you spend less than 300 days each calendar year in New Zealand
  • you were not concerned in the management of the company at the time the company last applied for registration or renewal of registration under the MVSA, and
  • no more than three directors have provided overseas director certificates instead of statutory declarations.

Form MVTR 9 - Overseas Director Certificate [PDF, 226 KB] [PDF, 226 KB]

If you don't meet these criteria, you'll need to complete a statutory declaration.

Making declarations outside New Zealand

Update your individual registration online

To change your individual registration details in the Motor Vehicle Traders Register:

  1. Log into the MVTR online services portal. This will bring you to your Dashboard.
  2. Under the My portfolio tab on the right of the screen, select the entity whose details you would like to change.
  3. In your registration details page, click the I want to… drop-down box and select the Maintain registration details option. This will bring you to a Maintain Motor Vehicle Trader (Individual) form.
  4. In the Individual Details page, confirm that your details are correct. When you have finished, click the Continue button.
    1. If you have a New Zealand Business Number (NZBN), you can click the Retrieve NZBN Details button to update your details from the NZBN Register.
    2. If the address in the NZBN Register is incorrect, you will need to change this in the NZBN Register before submitting your request.
  5. In the Addresses page, confirm that your address and contact information are correct. When you have finished, click the Continue button.
    1. You can edit any address or contact details that have changed.
  6. In the Statutory Declaration Form page, download and complete any required statutory declaration forms. Once you have uploaded all completed and signed forms, click the Continue button.
    1. If you have made no changes to your details, or if none of your changes require a statutory declaration, this page will advise that you are not required to complete any statutory declarations.
    2. We recommend that you download a copy of your statutory declaration forms, then save and exit your request. You can resume your request when you have completed and signed your copy.
    3. You can upload your completed statutory declaration under the Upload signed declaration area.
  7. In the Review and Submit page, confirm that all of your details are correct, and tick the declaration boxes. When you have finished, click the Submit button. This will display a message indicating that your request has been successfully filed.
    1. If you need to change any details, click the Edit button next to the information you need to change.

Completing the statutory declaration form(s)

As part of your request, you may need to download a statutory declaration form to complete.

The statutory declaration form will include your full legal name, and must be signed in front of an authorised witness (a solicitor, Justice of the Peace or other person authorised to take a statutory declaration under the Oaths and Declarations Act 1957).

Section 9 of the Oaths and Declarations Act 1957(external link) — New Zealand Legislation

Other options may be possible if you are making declarations from outside New Zealand.

Making declarations outside New Zealand

Get a copy of your Certificate of Registration

You can use our online services to get a copy of your Certificate of Registration, at no cost.

To get a copy of your Certificate of Registration:

  1. Log into the MVTR online services portal. This will bring you to your Dashboard.
  2. Under the My portfolio tab on the right of the screen, select the entity for whom you would like to download a Certificate of Registration.
  3. In your registration details page, click the Certificates and Extracts drop-down box, then select the Download certificate option. This will download a copy of the registration certificate to your computer.

Surrender your registration

Voluntary surrender

If you are a registered motor vehicle trader, you may surrender your registration at any time by giving notice to the Registrar through the online portal (see instructions below). There is no refund of your registration or renewal fees if you surrender your registration.

Mandatory surrender

If you are a registered motor vehicle trader and have stopped trading in motor vehicles, you must notify the Registrar of this within 20 working days through the online portal (see instructions below) and surrender your registration.

If your company is in liquidation or has been removed from the Companies Office register, you are disqualified from trading in motor vehicles and must surrender your registration.

Submitting an application to surrender your registration will cause this surrender to take effect immediately. There is no refund of your registration or renewal fees if you surrender your registration.

Surrender your registration online

To notify us online that you've stopped trading in motor vehicles:

  1. Log into the MVTR online services portal. This will bring you to your Dashboard.
  2. Under the My portfolio tab on the right of the screen, select the entity whose registration you would like to surrender.
  3. In your registration details page, click the I want to… drop-down box and select the Surrender registration option. This will bring you to a Surrender Registration form.
  4. Confirm your intent to surrender your registration, and select your reason for surrender. When you have finished, click the Continue button.
  5. In the Review and Submit page, confirm that your details are correct. When you have finished, click the Submit button to surrender your registration. This will display a message indicating that your surrender has been approved.

Reinstate a surrendered registration

If you have surrendered your registration and wish to resume trading under it, you will need to reapply for registration. This will require you to pay a new application fee.

Reapply for registration

Transferring your registration

If you have an individual registration, you can't transfer your motor vehicle trader registration to another trader. That trader must file an application to register, if they have not done this already.

If you have a company registration and are selling or have sold your business:

  • You must notify the Registrar of the sale of your business.
  • The new person(s) concerned with the management of the company must update the registration details within 30 working days of that change.
  • Any past directors must be removed from the registration within 10 working days of leaving their role.

Notify us about the sale of your business

If the new owner is using a new or different company to trade in motor vehicles, they cannot use the original company’s registration to trade. If the new company is not already registered to trade in motor vehicles, they will need to file an application to register the new company as a motor vehicle trader.