How rego works
Rego is the everyday name for a vehicle licence. You need a current one to use most vehicles on the road, and you show it with the label on your windscreen. It's different from registration, which you usually pay once, when a vehicle is first registered in New Zealand.
You can license a vehicle for 3, 6 or 12 months. NZTA sends a reminder before it runs out. Your vehicle needs a current warrant or certificate of fitness before you can renew.
Every rego payment has three parts:
- The licence fee.
- The ACC levy, which helps pay for injuries in crashes on public roads.
- An admin fee of $8.66 online or $11.99 at an agent.
All three include GST.
Rego fees from 1 July 2026
These are NZTA's fees for private vehicles, for licences that start on or after 1 July 2026. They include GST and the online admin fee. Add $3.33 if you pay at an agent.
| Vehicle | 3 months | 6 months | 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car, petrol | $51.85 | $95.06 | $181.45 |
| Car, diesel or electric | $68.69 | $128.74 | $248.83 |
| Ute or van, petrol, up to 3,500 kg | $62.65 | $116.65 | $224.63 |
| Ute or van, diesel or electric, up to 3,500 kg | $77.90 | $147.19 | $285.71 |
| Motorcycle, petrol, up to 60cc | $114.37 | $220.09 | $431.52 |
| Motorcycle, petrol, 61 to 250cc | $120.58 | $232.45 | $456.24 |
| Motorcycle, petrol, 251 to 750cc | $158.08 | $307.48 | $606.29 |
| Motorcycle, petrol, 751cc and over | $210.62 | $412.56 | $816.45 |
| Motorcycle, electric | $118.20 | $227.82 | $446.96 |
| Moped, petrol | $49.72 | $90.85 | $173.03 |
| Moped, electric | $53.58 | $98.57 | $188.47 |
| Light trailer or caravan | $23.77 | $38.85 | $69.04 |
Taxis, rental cars, heavier goods vehicles and vintage vehicles have their own rates, which this calculator doesn't cover. NZTA's fee checker on Rightcar will look up the exact fee for any plate.
Worked example: 12 months for a petrol car
- Rego for 12 months, paid online: $181.45
- ACC levy: $56.75 a year before GST, so $65.26 with GST
- Admin fee: $8.66
- That leaves $107.53 for the licence fee and other charges
- It works out to about $3.49 a week
Paying 3 months at a time costs $51.85 each time, or $207.40 over a year. That's $25.95 more than paying for 12 months at once, mostly because you pay the admin fee four times.
Driving a diesel or an EV? Rego is only part of it.
RUC calculator →Why diesel and electric rego costs more
Petrol vehicles pay part of their ACC levy at the pump, at 6 cents a litre. So the levy in petrol rego is smaller: $56.75 a year before GST for a car. Diesel and electric cars don't buy petrol, so they pay the whole levy through rego: $115.34 a year before GST.
Hybrids that run on petrol, including plug-in petrol hybrids, count as petrol vehicles for the levy. Electric vehicles and plug-in diesel hybrids count as non-petrol.
Diesel and electric vehicles also pay road user charges for every kilometre they drive. The RUC calculator works those out.
Motorcycle levy changes from 1 July 2026
ACC split motorcycles into three groups by engine size from 1 July 2026: 250cc or less, 251 to 750cc, and over 750cc. Levies went down a little for small bikes and up for medium and large ones. On every motorcycle and moped, $25 of the ACC levy (before GST) goes to motorcycle safety programmes. It's already included in the fees above.
Riders who complete a Ride Forever Gold course can get 25% off the ACC levy, called ACC Rider Reward. It applies when you renew, if the bike is registered in your own name. The calculator shows the full levy without the discount.
Rego for a business vehicle
Rego prices include GST. If you're GST-registered and the vehicle is used for your business, you can usually claim back the GST on the business share. The GST calculator takes it out of any amount.
Questions people ask
How much is car rego in NZ?
For a private petrol car, 12 months of rego costs $181.45 online, from 1 July 2026. A diesel or electric car costs $248.83. Both include GST and the online admin fee.
Why is rego dearer for diesel and electric cars?
Petrol cars pay part of their ACC levy at the pump, at 6 cents a litre. Diesel and electric cars pay their whole ACC levy through rego, so their rego costs more.
Is it cheaper to pay rego for 12 months?
Yes. Each renewal has an admin fee, and the levy is spread evenly. For a petrol car, 12 months costs $25.95 less than paying for 3 months four times.
What is the ACC levy in my rego?
For a petrol car it's $56.75 a year before GST, or $65.26 with GST. For a diesel or electric car it's $115.34 before GST, or $132.64 with GST.
Do electric cars pay rego?
Yes. Electric cars pay the same rego as diesel cars: $248.83 for 12 months online from 1 July 2026. They also pay road user charges.
Is my information saved?
No. The sums run in your browser, and nothing you choose leaves your device.