Renew your registration

Registered motor vehicle traders must renew their registration every year. We'll send you a reminder 20 working days before your current registration expires. The cost to renew your registration is $702.65 for an individual trader, and $1,163.80 for a company. These fees include GST and the Motor Vehicle Disputes Tribunal levy.

The renewal process

We send a renewal reminder to the email address listed against your registration. You'll receive this 20 working days before the expiry date on your registration certificate.

Make sure you allow plenty of time to get your renewal started, especially if your company has had any changes in its directors or management (see 'Who completes the renewal application' below).

Tip Icon Violet2 Note

The most important step in the renewal application is to check your details. This includes checking that all contact details are up to date. We need your current email address so we can send you important messages about your registration. You should also update the directors listed on your application if there has been any changes. If this information is not up to date, your renewal application will be incomplete and we won't be able to process it.

Renewal fee

The cost to renew your registration is $702.65 for an individual trader, and $1,163.80 for a company. These fees include GST and the Motor Vehicle Disputes Tribunal levy. Make sure you have your credit card on hand, as you'll need to pay the renewal fee during this process. We accept Visa, MasterCard, Diners or American Express cards.

The renewal fee including levy is not refundable and can't be transferred.

Early renewal

We can place your current registration into early renewal if you ask us to. For example, you might want to do this if you're going to be away at the time your registration is due to expire.

Who completes the renewal application

It is important to ensure that any applications submitted for registration or renewal are completed by the appropriate person.   

If you have a company registration, any applications for registration/renewal must be completed in full by a person concerned in the management of the company (Director, CEO). Details in the application form must be accurate and include details of all persons involved in management of the company. The application form also includes a statutory declaration, confirming details submitted are accurate. It is an offence to provide a false certificate or statutory declaration with an application. Applications must not be completed by administration staff.   

If you hold an individual registration, you must complete any registration or renewal application in full.   

Any applications submitted that are not completed by the appropriate person may be refused by the Registrar. This could mean that your current registration expires, or there is a delay in registration being granted. If you do not have a current registration, or your registration expires, you must cease trading.

Renew your registration now

Renew your registration as a company or individual by choosing the applicable option below. You need to allow at least 5 working days prior to expiry date for processing and approval. For example, if your expiry date is 1 July 2023, your completed application including any documentation is required to be submitted by 24 June 2024.

Renew your company registration

To renew your company motor vehicle trader registration follow these steps:

  1. Select the Motor Vehicle Traders Register link below. This takes you to the Register.
  2. From the Online services menu, select Renew registration.
  3. Enter your MVT File Number and MVT Key to log in. These will be in your renewal reminder letter.
  4. Use the links at the bottom of the screen to check that all the information listed in your application is correct and up to date. If anything has changed, update it before you continue. This includes:
    1. your company's contact details, such as email and address for service
    2. details of the company's directors and management (Chief Executive or equivalent). This must show their full legal names as shown on their passport or birth certificate, including any middle names and their residential address. Make sure these details match exactly what's listed on the Companies Register.
  5. Select Renew Registration. The 'Registration renewal certificate' screen displays:
    1. Select your name from the drop-down list. If your name doesn't show in the list, this could be because you've just been added to the registration, or because your name has changed. See 'Changes to company directors/management personnel' below.
    2. Use the tick-boxes on this screen to complete the declarations and 'sign' the certificate.
    3. Select Submit. The 'Pay now' screen displays.
  6. Choose how you want to pay your renewal fee and enter your payment details, including entering your email address in the bottom field to receive a Tax Invoice/Receipt.
  7. If you pay by credit card the 'Payment Checkout' screen will display and show a green tick if your payment has been approved.
  8. Select Next then Continue. The 'Submission confirmation' screen displays.
  9. Select OK to confirm you want to submit your application to renew your registration.
  10. If your renewal application:
    1. meets all our requirements, we'll renew your registration and email you a new certificate of registration
    2. can't be approved, we'll email you to explain the problem and let you know what to do.

Motor Vehicle Traders Register(external link)

Changes to company directors/management personnel

If you added a new person as a director/manager at Step 3 above, or updated an existing person's name or date of birth, there are some extra steps:

  • We'll email you statutory declarations for those people to complete. This includes having the form witnessed by a JP or other authorised person.
  • You must return these completed forms to us within 15 working days. Make sure you get them back to us on time, so your renewal doesn't expire. If your renewal expires, you'll have to re-register under a new trader number and pay another full application fee.

Note: If you changed all the directors/management personnel listed on the renewal application, you'll be taken straight to the payment screen – instead of the Registration Renewal Certificate screen. We need completed statutory declarations from all these people before your renewal application can proceed any further.

Overseas director/management

If your company has an overseas director or management (Chief Executive or equivalent), that person may not need to complete a statutory declaration. See overseas director certificate information below for more details.

Making declarations outside New Zealand

Renew your individual registration

To renew your individual motor vehicle trader registration follow these steps:

  1. Select the Motor Vehicle Traders Register link below. This takes you to the Register.
  2. From the Online services menu, select Renew registration.
  3. Enter your MVT File Number and MVT Key to log in. These will be in your renewal reminder letter.
  4. Use the links at the bottom of the screen to check that all the information listed in your application is correct and up to date. If anything has changed – such as your contact details – update this before you continue.
  5. Select Renew Registration. The 'Registration Renewal Certificate' screen displays.
  6. Use the tick-boxes on this screen to complete the declarations and 'sign' the certificate, then select Submit. The 'Pay now' screen displays.
  7. Choose how you want to pay your renewal fee and enter your payment details, including entering your email address in the bottom field to receive a Tax Invoice/Receipt.
  8. If you pay by credit card the 'Payment Checkout' screen will display and show a green tick if your payment has been approved.
  9. Select Next then Continue. The 'Submission confirmation' screen displays.
  10. Select OK to confirm you want to submit your application to renew your registration.
  11. If your renewal application:
    1. meets all our requirements, we'll renew your registration and email you a new certificate of registration
    2. can't be approved, we'll email you to explain the problem and let you know what to do.

Motor Vehicle Traders Register(external link)

Changes to your name or date of birth

If you made any changes to your name or date of birth in Step 4, we'll send you a statutory declaration form to complete and return to us within 15 working days. Make sure you get this back to us on time, so your renewal doesn't expire. If your renewal expires you'll have to re-register under a new trader number and pay another full application fee.

Registration Renewal Certificate

When you renew your registration, you're asked to complete the 'Registration Renewal Certificate'. This certificate confirms that you're not disqualified from registration as a motor vehicle trader in your own right in terms of sections 24 or 25 of the MVSA.

Motor Vehicle Sales Act 2003 — Section 24(external link)

Motor Vehicle Sales Act 2003 — Section 25(external link)

For company traders, only one director or the Chief Executive (or equivalent) is required to digitally 'sign' this certificate. By doing so they confirm that every person listed on the company's registration is not disqualified from registration as a motor vehicle trader. The Registration Renewal Certificate doesn't need to be witnessed, but it does need to be completed by a director or the Chief Executive (or equivalent).

Overseas director certificate

If you're a director of a New Zealand company and spend most of your time out of New Zealand, you might be able to provide an overseas director certificate instead of a statutory declaration.

You can provide an overseas director certificate 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]

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

Making declarations outside New Zealand

Notice Icon Violet2 NOTE

If three people in your company have already provided an Overseas Director Certificate, and those people have not since provided a statutory declaration, the new director must complete a statutory declaration. We'll let you know which form is needed.

What happens if you don't renew on time

If you don't apply to renew your registration before the expiry date of your current registration, your registration will automatically expire.

Your registration will also expire if you begin the renewal process, but it can't be completed because:

  • you haven’t completed required updates or corrections, and confirmed that these have been done before your expiry date
  • you haven't returned the statutory declarations/certificates before your expiry date
  • there's a problem with the statutory declarations/certificates, and you haven't re-submitted them before your expiry date, or you haven't paid your renewal fee.

If your application expires you will need to request your previous renewal application be reinstated within 5 working days of the date your current registration expired. You can do this by emailing the Registrar at registrar@mvtr.govt.nz. Only requests to reinstate received within this time frame will be considered.

Once you receive notice that your application is reinstated, you must complete and submit the application within one working day. The application must be fully completed and include any documents or corrections that may be required.

If you do not submit a request to reinstate you application within 5 working days, you will not be able to keep your current trading number. If you still wish to continue trading, you will need to complete a new application to register. You will also be required to pay a new application fee.

If you believe you've submitted all the documents necessary to renew your registration as a motor vehicle trader, but you haven't received a new Certificate of Registration within the timeframes above, get in touch with us.

Contact us

Tip Icon Violet2 Note

If you continue to operate as a motor vehicle trader after your registration has expired, you'll be in breach of the Motor Vehicle Sales Act 2003 and will be liable for prosecution.

Enforcement

Common problems with renewals - and how to avoid them

Problem Solution
The applicant hasn't entered their name correctly.

Make sure you enter your full legal name (including any middle names) as it is shown on your birth certificate or passport – and with the names in the same order.

If you need help with this, call our service centre.

Contact us

Your 'address for service' is a rural delivery address.

Section 32 of the Motor Vehicle Sales Act doesn't allow us to accept a rural delivery address as an applicant's address for service.

Provide an 'address for service' that isn't a rural delivery address. You can check this on the NZ Post website.

New Zealand Post Address & Postcode Finder(external link)

You've applied to renew your registration as an individual, but the trading name you've given is a registered company. You'll need to make a new application to register your company and pay the company application fee.
The company director details you've given don't match those on the NZ Companies Register. The names you give us as company directors must exactly match the names on the NZ Companies Register.
  • If there are two or more directors on the Companies Register, you must provide details of all the directors listed.
  • Their full legal names must be entered in exactly the same way as they appear on the Companies Register. This must also match the person's passport or birth certificate.
The SUBMIT application button hasn't been selected (for online renewals). Make sure you select the SUBMIT button once you've finished filling out your online renewal application.
Statutory declarations haven't been witnessed by an authorised person.

Make sure you sign your statutory declaration in front of an authorised person. There's a list of suitable people in the Oaths and Declarations Act.

Oaths and Declarations Act 1957 — Section 9 Declarations made in New Zealand(external link)

A statutory declaration form has been changed after it was signed and witnessed. You can only change a statutory declaration form at the time that it is being signed and witnessed. Both parties must initial all changes.
The information in your statutory declaration doesn't match the information in your renewal application. For example, the name, date of birth or address are different. Double-check that everything on your statutory declaration form matches what you entered in your renewal application before you send it in to us.
Some or all statutory declarations or certificates have not been returned to the Registrar to complete application. If several people in your company need to complete a statutory declaration, you may need to follow up to make sure we receive them all within the required time limit.

If we find a problem with your application, we'll email you about it and let you know what you need to do to complete the renewal process. This doesn't stop the clock - you still need to complete it within the timeframes outlined above.