KEY POINTS:
- A rego is a vehicle licence that permits a car to be driven legally on New Zealand roads.
- To obtain a rego, a car needs a valid warrant of fitness (WoF).
- The cost of a rego depends on its length (up to 12 months) and the vehicle type.
- A rego’s cost includes an ACC levy, which is used to pay for the treatment of those injured in road accidents.
What is a rego?
Despite its name, a rego isn’t a car’s registration – that occurs when a vehicle first arrives in the country, it’s issued number plates and registered on the Motor Vehicle Register.
Instead, a rego is a licence that permits the car to be driven legally on New Zealand roads. To be eligible for a rego, a car must have a valid WoF.
How often do I need to purchase a rego?
You can renew a car’s rego for up to a year, in one-month increments. It must be renewed before it expires, otherwise it won’t be legal for the car to be driven on the road.
How much does a rego cost?
The cost of a rego depends on:
- The length of the rego period.
- The type of vehicle it’s for.
- The fuel the vehicle uses.
The longer the rego period, the cheaper the price.
A rego’s cost includes an ACC levy, which is used to pay for the medical treatment of those injured in road accidents.
| Private cars | 3 months | 6 months | 12 months |
| Petrol | $40.47 | $72.26 | $135.84 |
| Diesel | $57.41 | $106.17 | $203.67 |
| Electric | $40.47 | $72.26 | $135.84 |
| Motorcycles | 3 months | 6 months | 12 months |
| 0-60cc | $108.12 | $207.56 | $406.46 |
| 61cc-600cc | $112.57 | $216.48 | $424.28 |
| 601cc+ | $141.11 | $273.55 | $538.44 |
| Mopeds | 3 months | 6 months | 12 months |
| $51.03 | $93.38 | $178.09 |
For a full breakdown of costs, and for more information, visit the NZTA website here.
Compare Outstanding Value Car Insurance with Canstar
Looking for great value car insurance for you and your family? Each year, we release our car insurance awards, including winners for Insurer of the Year, Outstanding Value, and Most Satisfied Customers. As part of our award results, we also publish our Outstanding Value Star Ratings, covering car insurance for different age groups. Below are our top-rated providers in the drivers aged 30-49 category. Click here to view our complete car insurance Star Ratings for all age groups.
Comprehensive Cover: Drivers 30-49:
| Provider | Star Rating |
Car Insurer of the Year |
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See here for our ratings methodology. The table above is an abridged version of our research. For the full results of our latest Car Insurance Ratings and Award, click here.
About the author of this page
Bruce Pitchers is Canstar NZ’s Content Manager. An experienced finance reporter, he has three decades’ experience as a journalist and has worked for major media companies in Australia, the UK and NZ, including ACP, Are Media, Bauer Media Group, Fairfax, Pacific Magazines, News Corp and TVNZ. As a freelancer, he has worked for The Australian Financial Review, the NZ Financial Markets Authority and major banks and investment companies on both sides of the Tasman.
In his role at Canstar, he has been a regular commentator in the NZ media, including on the Driven, Stuff and One Roof websites, the NZ Herald, Radio NZ, and Newstalk ZB.
Away from Canstar, Bruce creates puzzles for magazines and newspapers, including Woman’s Day and New Idea. He is also the co-author of the murder-mystery book 5 Minute Murder.
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