Background
The requirements for Driver Check were developed in conjunction with the Road Transport Forum, Bus and Coach Association, New Zealand Contractors' Federation and the New Zealand Taxi Federation.
Driver Check came into effect on 3 May 1999 to allow roadside vehicle impoundment provisions to operate effectively. Under the law, the Police are required to impound any vehicle being driven by someone who is disqualified or suspended from driving, or who has been forbidden to drive.
Roadside vehicle impoundment sends a clear message to owners of vehicles that they have an obligation to ensure only appropriately licensed drivers use their vehicles. Companies therefore need to be able to check the validity of their employees' driver licences before allowing them to drive a company vehicle, and rental companies are responsible for ensuring they only rent vehicles to licensed drivers.
For more information about roadside vehicle impoundment and the other changes to driver licensing, visit the NZTA website. Full details about roadside vehicle impoundment can be found in Factsheet 63.
Privacy Act requirements
The onus lies with the company or operator to obtain signed consent from individual drivers to provide the NZTA with driver details. These details are required to answer queries concerning driver licence status and to establish the 'driver to company' link.
For each driver, you should obtain the following information to assist you in establishing the driver company links:
- Full name
- Date of birth
- Driver licence number
- Driver licence version number
Where a driver licence number and version number are unavailable, you may make an inquiry against the Driver Licence Register (via Driver Check) by quoting the driver's full name and date of birth. For this query to be successful, the details must relate to a unique driver. If more than one very similar match exists on the Register, then no information can be made available until the driver licence number and version number are confirmed. This will need to be confirmed with the employee.
Setting up on Driver Check
To establish your company as an authorised user of the Driver Check facility, you need to become a registered user. Refer to the Register page for details on how to register your interest in using the Driver Check service and request a registration pack.
For information on how to use Driver Check select the Driver Check Help link.
