88 Recognition of overseas driver licence or permit
(1) A person, on arrival in New Zealand, is deemed to hold a New Zealand driver licence of a class that entitles the person to drive the motor vehicles that the person is entitled to drive under—
(a) a valid and current driver licence or permit issued overseas to the person, after the person has produced proof of the person's driving competence, by an overseas authority, or an agent of that authority, authorised to issue a driver licence or permit; or
(b) an international driving permit.
(2) However,—
(a) subclause (1)(a) does not apply unless—
(i) the overseas driver licence or permit is written in English; or
(ii) the person who holds the overseas driver licence or permit also carries an accurate English translation of the licence or permit:
(b) subclause (1)(b) does not apply unless the person who holds the international driving permit also carries the overseas driver licence on which the permit is based.
(3) A person who is deemed by subclause (1) to hold a New Zealand driver licence may continue to drive under that driver licence until the first of the following situations occurs:
(a) the person has remained in New Zealand for a continuous period of 12 months; or
(b) the document that enabled that person to be deemed to hold a New Zealand driver licence under subclause (1) expires, is suspended, or is revoked; or
(c) an order is made disqualifying the person from holding or obtaining a driver licence, either in New Zealand or in the jurisdiction that granted the overseas driver licence or permit; or
(d) the person obtains or renews a New Zealand driver licence.
(4) In this clause, international driving permit means a valid and current international driving permit as specified in Annex 10 of the United Nations Convention on Road Traffic signed at Geneva on 19 September 1949 or Annex 7 of the United Nations Convention on Road Traffic signed at Vienna on 8 November 1968 and issued overseas in accordance with the provisions of the appropriate convention.
