Fixed speed camera
SignpostedFixed safety camera
Catches: Speeding.
NZTA also calls these spot speed cameras. There were 52 active fixed cameras in November 2024, and signs had been put up at all fixed camera sites by July 2025.
Driving in New Zealand: the road rules for visitors
In New Zealand you drive on the left, with the steering wheel on the right, and roundabouts go clockwise. At junctions without signs or road markings, traffic from your right goes first, even from a small side street.
Watch for fixed, mobile, average speed and red light cameras.
LeftSide of the road
50km/h in towns
100km/h on country roads
100km/h on motorways
0.05blood alcohol limit
Noturning left on red
111emergency number
The rules that catch visitors out
The most important first.
Priority to the right
At a junction with no signs, signals or road markings, give way to traffic coming from your right, even from a small side street. If you are turning, give way to all traffic that is not turning.
One-lane bridges
Some bridges carry only one lane for traffic in both directions. Signs before each one show who goes first. A red circle with a small red arrow means you give way to oncoming traffic. A blue rectangle with a large white arrow means you go first, but only if the bridge is clear.
Turning right gives way to turning left
If you turn right, you give way to oncoming traffic turning left, even when you both face the same sign or a green light. Any driver who is turning gives way to traffic that is not turning. This rule has applied since 25 March 2012, so older advice may say the opposite.
Drive on the left
Traffic keeps left. Keep left at every intersection and every time you pull out onto a road, which is when habit is most likely to pull you to the right.
School buses
When a school bus has stopped, you must drive at 20 km/h or less until you are well past it. This applies from both directions.
Tolls with no booths
New Zealand has three toll roads: the Northern Gateway Toll Road on SH1 north of Auckland, and the Tauranga Eastern Link and Takitimu Drive toll roads in Tauranga. There are no booths. Cameras read your number plate, and you pay online before you travel or up to 10 days after. Pay on NZTA's Buy or pay a toll page using the vehicle's registration plate. Paying online has no fee. If a toll is unpaid 10 days after the trip, NZTA posts a toll payment notice to the registered owner, which for a hire car is the hire company. The notice adds an administration fee, which GO Rentals gave as NZ$4.90 in 2024.
11 more rules worth knowing
Roundabouts go clockwise
Go clockwise and give way to traffic already on the roundabout, which comes from your right.
Mobile speed cameras without warning signs
NZTA's camera SUVs and camera trailers have no warning signs and can be set up anywhere, at any time. Fixed and average speed cameras are signposted.
Long, slow journeys
Distances look short on the map, but most roads have one lane each way, many are narrow and winding, and some are unsealed. Allow extra time, stop every two hours, and rest before a long drive after a long flight.
Passing lanes and pulling over
Most roads have one lane each way. Wait for a passing lane to overtake, and never cross a yellow line on your side of the centre line. If a queue forms behind you, pull over somewhere safe and let it pass.
Flush medians
White diagonal lines painted down the middle of some urban roads are a flush median. You may drive on one briefly to turn into or out of a side road or driveway, or to wait for a gap. Overtaking or parking on one is an offence.
Gravel roads
Unsealed gravel roads are slippery. Keep left and slow down, and slow further for oncoming vehicles, because dust cuts visibility and loose stones chip windscreens.
90 km/h for heavy vehicles and towing
Any vehicle over 3,500 kg, and any vehicle towing a trailer, must not go faster than 90 km/h, even where the limit is 100 or 110 km/h. Check the weight of a large motorhome before you set off.
What the car must carry
The car must carry an approved child restraint for each child under 7. Hire cars should have them, but check before you drive away, because the driver gets the fine.
Transit lanes (T2 and T3)
A T2 lane is for vehicles carrying two or more people, and a T3 lane for three or more. Where: Signposted lanes on some city roads. If you are unsure whether you may use a bus or transit lane, stay out of it to avoid a fine.
Animals on the road
If you meet farm animals on the road, slow down and go carefully. Do not sound your horn, as it can startle them.
Drink driving
The blood alcohol limit is 0.05, and zero for drivers under 20 years old. For drivers 20 and over, the limit is 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood or 250 micrograms per litre of breath.
Speed limits
Where no sign says otherwise, in kilometres per hour.
Towns and cities
Applies in urban areas unless a sign shows a different limit.
Country roads
This is the open road limit. Lower limits are posted on some sections.
Dual carriageways
Some sections are signposted 110 km/h, such as the SH1 Cambridge section of the Waikato Expressway. Vehicles over 3,500 kg and anything towing stay at 90 km/h.
Motorways
Some sections are signposted 110 km/h, such as the SH2 Tauranga Eastern Link Toll Road, SH1 from Ōrewa to the Johnstones Hill Tunnels and the Ara Tūhono Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway. The Johnstones Hill Tunnels are 80 km/h.
- A speed limit is the maximum in good conditions. You must drive slower when the road, weather or traffic make that limit unsafe.
- Under the Setting of Speed Limits Rule 2024, many limits lowered since 2020 went back up to their earlier limits by 1 July 2025. A few sections kept their lower limits, including SH94 from the Homer Tunnel to Milford Sound.
- Councils and NZTA had to make reasonable efforts to set variable speed limits outside all schools by 1 July 2026. The school limit is usually 30 km/h in built-up areas and 40 to 60 km/h at some schools on faster roads.
- School limits apply around school start and finish times. Electronic school signs light up and flash their red ring when the lower limit applies. Some schools use static signs instead.
- Temporary speed limits are posted where work is being done on or near the road.
- On beaches and riverbeds signposted 60 with a 30 beside it, the limit is 30 km/h when pedestrians are present and 60 km/h otherwise.
- Driving more than 40 km/h over a posted limit, or more than 50 km/h over a temporary limit, brings an automatic 28-day licence suspension.
Who goes first
Look right first
You stop at the stop line.
Priority to the right
Both cars arrive at a junction with no signs or lines.
Roundabouts go clockwise
You arrive at the give way line.
The app animates all 7 junctions for New Zealand, including the ones above.
Open it in the appSigns to know
Give way (yield)Give way
You must give way to all traffic, except vehicles that have stopped at a stop sign.
Stop
You must come to a complete stop, then give way to all traffic.
Give way to oncoming trafficGive way to oncoming vehicles (one-lane bridge)
You are at a one-lane bridge and oncoming traffic has priority. The small red arrow shows the direction that must give way, which is yours.
You have priority over oncoming trafficPriority over oncoming vehicles (one-lane bridge)
You may go onto the one-lane bridge first. The small red arrow shows that oncoming traffic must give way.
One-lane bridge aheadOne-lane bridge
A one-lane bridge is ahead.
Speed limit
The maximum speed in km/h until another speed sign.
Variable school speed limitKura school
A lower speed limit applies outside a school around start and finish times.
Speed camera areaSafety camera area
A fixed safety camera is ahead.
Average speed camera area
Cameras measure your average speed between two points on the road ahead.
No overtakingNo-passing line
Overtaking is too dangerous here.
Recommended speed for a bendCurve advisory speed
A bend is ahead. The number is the recommended speed in good conditions.
Roadworks speed limitTemporary speed limit
A temporary legal limit applies while work is done on or near the road.
Speed cameras
NZTA has run all of New Zealand's safety cameras since July 2025. Fixed cameras have warning signs. Mobile cameras in SUVs and trailers have no signs and can appear anywhere. Average speed cameras run on a growing number of roads, with signs before each section. Police officers still enforce speed limits and issue their own notices.
Mobile camera
No warningMobile safety camera
Looks like: A nondescript white SUV parked in view at the side of the road, or a camera trailer left at the roadside.
Catches: Speeding.
34 camera SUVs were in use in September 2025, and the first of 10 camera trailers started in Auckland that month. They can be set up anytime and anywhere, chosen by crash risk.
Average speed camera
SignpostedAverage speed safety camera
Catches: An average speed between two cameras that is over the limit.
Operating on Matakana Road, Pine Valley Road and Kahikatea Flat Road north of Auckland. SH2 east of Pōkeno was due to start fining from 28 April 2026, and SH5 south of Rotorua and SH2 near Matatā in May 2026. NZTA plans 17 sites by the end of 2026, including SH1 Sanson to Foxton, SH2 Upper Hutt, SH8 Tekapo to Twizel and SH6 Kingston.
Every camera type in New Zealand, the warning signs and how fines reach you
Licence and International Driving Permits
| Licence from | Permit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Australia, United Kingdom, Ireland, United States, Canada | Not needed | A current licence printed in English is enough. Carry it whenever you drive. |
| the EU, Switzerland, Iceland, Japan | Required | If your licence is not in English, you must carry an accurate English translation with it. An IDP counts as a translation. So does one from an NZTA-approved translator, an embassy, high commission or consulate, or the authority that issued your licence. An IDP is not valid on its own without your licence. A licence printed in English needs neither. |
| New Zealand | Not needed | This is the local licence. |
What to carry
- Your current driving licence, whenever you drive
- An accurate English translation or an IDP, if your licence is not in English
Zones and tolls
Transit lanes (T2 and T3)
A T2 lane is for vehicles carrying two or more people, and a T3 lane for three or more. Where: Signposted lanes on some city roads.
Tip: If you are unsure whether you may use a bus or transit lane, stay out of it to avoid a fine.
Tolls
New Zealand has three toll roads: the Northern Gateway Toll Road on SH1 north of Auckland, and the Tauranga Eastern Link and Takitimu Drive toll roads in Tauranga. There are no booths. Cameras read your number plate, and you pay online before you travel or up to 10 days after.
- Pay on NZTA's Buy or pay a toll page using the vehicle's registration plate. Paying online has no fee.
- If a toll is unpaid 10 days after the trip, NZTA posts a toll payment notice to the registered owner, which for a hire car is the hire company. The notice adds an administration fee, which GO Rentals gave as NZ$4.90 in 2024.
- In a hire car, check first how the hire company handles tolls. Some include them in a cover package. NZTA does not refund tolls bought for days outside your rental.
- From 1 July 2023 a car paid NZ$2.60 on the Northern Gateway, NZ$2.30 on the Tauranga Eastern Link and NZ$2.10 on Takitimu Drive, according to GO Rentals in November 2024. Check NZTA for current prices.
- Each toll road has an alternative route that avoids the toll.
- A toll account pays tolls automatically from a linked card.
Driving in the cities
Auckland
The Northern Gateway Toll Road on SH1 north of Auckland is tolled electronically. Pay online within 10 days of your trip.
SH1 from Ōrewa to the Johnstones Hill Tunnels and the Ara Tūhono Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway are signposted 110 km/h. The tunnels are 80 km/h.
Average speed cameras run on Matakana Road, Pine Valley Road and Kahikatea Flat Road north of the city.
The first of NZTA's camera trailers without warning signs started in Auckland in September 2025.
Some city roads have T2 and T3 transit lanes and bus lanes.
Tauranga
Two toll roads serve the city: the Tauranga Eastern Link and Takitimu Drive. Both are electronic. Pay online within 10 days of your trip.
Part of the Tauranga Eastern Link Toll Road is signposted 110 km/h.
Queenstown
In heavy snow, an enforcement officer in the Queenstown Lakes District can order you to fit snow chains. Ezi Car Rental cites a $750 fine for not doing so.
Some hire companies offer snow chains at Queenstown Airport. Book them before you collect the car.
An average speed camera site is planned on SH6 at Kingston.
On the road to Milford Sound, SH94 from the Homer Tunnel to Milford Sound kept its lower speed limit under the 2024 rule.
Questions people ask about driving in New Zealand
Which side of the road do you drive on in New Zealand?
The left. Keep left at every intersection and whenever you pull out onto a road.
Can I drive in New Zealand on my overseas licence?
Yes, for up to 12 months from your most recent arrival, if your licence is current. If it is not in English, you must also carry an accurate English translation or an IDP.
What is the speed limit in New Zealand?
50 km/h in urban areas and 100 km/h on open roads, unless a sign says otherwise. A few motorway and expressway sections are 110 km/h. Vehicles over 3,500 kg and anything towing are limited to 90 km/h.
Can you turn left on a red light in New Zealand?
No. A red light means every driver stops, including those turning left.
Who gives way when turning right in New Zealand?
A driver turning right gives way to oncoming traffic turning left, and to all traffic that is not turning. This has been the rule since 25 March 2012.
How do one-lane bridges work?
Signs before the bridge show who goes first. A red circle with a small red arrow pointing your way means you give way. A blue rectangle with a large white arrow means you go first, once the bridge is clear.
What is the drink driving limit in New Zealand?
50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, or 250 micrograms per litre of breath, for drivers 20 and over. Drivers under 20 have a zero limit.
How do you pay tolls in New Zealand?
Online, on NZTA's Buy or pay a toll page, before you travel or up to 10 days after. There are no booths. In a hire car, check first how your hire company handles tolls.
Driving in New Zealand soon?
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New Zealand for drivers from…
The same guide, with only what's different from home.
Sources
Checked 15 October 2026. Official sources first.
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- Road Code: Giving way on one-lane bridges NZ Transport Agency (NZTA)
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- From policy to practice: the science behind roadside drug testing (31 March 2026) PHF Science
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