Up-date Warrant of Fitness (WoF) and Certification of Fitness (CoF)

The Ministry of Transport and NZ Transport Agency are working to put in place formal regulation relating to WOFs and COFs during the Level 4 Alert Period. In the interim, the following guidance is provided

Personal and private vehicles: WOF requirements

Obtaining a new WOF is not regarded as an essential trip during Alert Level 4. Members of the public should not travel for this purpose, and businesses should not provide WOF services to the general public who are not essential workers.

Due to the inability to obtain a new WOF at this time, for the period of Alert Level 4, all expired WOFs will be deemed current.

Any person driving a private vehicle during Alert Level 4 (limited to essential purposes), with a current or expired WOF, has a responsibility to ensure the vehicle is safe to operate.

Essential maintenance and repairs can be provided in order to ensure that a private vehicle remains safe and operational when used for essential purposes.

Police are focused on road safety. As such, vehicles with serious safety issues identified (i.e. those that threaten a vehicle’s safe operation) may be ordered off the road by Police until essential safety repairs have been completed. However, Police will not issue infringement notices for an expired WOF during Alert Level 4.

 Essential services: WOF/COF requirements

Obtaining a WOF/COF is regarded as an essential trip for vehicles involved in essential services, and their supply chains, during Alert Level 4.

Essential services can request and be provided with COF services, including any maintenance or repairs required.

During the period of Alert Level 4, an expired WOF/COF on a vehicle used for essential services will be deemed current, if it is impractical for it to be renewed. If driving an essential service vehicle without a current WOF/COF, operators and drivers continue to have responsibilities to ensure the vehicle is safe for operating.

Repairs needed to make a vehicle safe to carry out an essential service, are themselves an essential service and can be commissioned and carried out.

Police are focused on road safety. As such, drivers of vehicles used for essential services where serious safety issues are identified (i.e. those that threaten the vehicles safe operation) may have that vehicle ordered off the road by Police, until essential safety repairs have been completed. However, Police will not issue infringements for an expired WOF/COF to essential service vehicle drivers during the Alert Level 4 period.