Buying a Car or Campervan in New Zealand Step 3: The Paperwork

Essential Documents to Check Before Buying a Car or Campervan in New Zealand

There are a few essential documents you will want to check before buying a car or campervan in New Zealand. These included a Warrant of Fitness (WOF) or a Certificate of Fitness (COF) and a vehicle registration (REGO). Campervan and motorhome buyers may also consider an electrical and self-containment certification essential depending on what living facilities their vehicle is supplied with.

The Warrant of Fitness (WOF) or Certificate of Fitness (COF)

Any vehicle sold in New Zealand should have a valid Warrant of Fitness (WOF) less than one-month-old. For heavy vehicles like a motorhome, this is instead known as a Certificate of Fitness (COF). A WOF or COF is a document certifying that the vehicle has passed the inspection of safety and roadworthiness.

You can check your chosen vehicle’s last WOF or COF inspection on the New Zealand Transport Agency‘s (NZTA‘s) website – you will need the vehicle’s plate number.

Be aware that a WOF is not a pre-purchase inspection, it is merely a compulsory check to see that the car meets the compulsory standards. For more on pre-purchase inspections, see Buying a Car or Campervan in New Zealand Step 1: Car Inspection.

The Vehicle Registration (REGO)

Does the vehicle have a current license? This is otherwise known as the vehicle registration or “REGO“. If it doesn’t have a REGO or it has expired, it is illegal to drive on New Zealand’s roads.

You can check the expiry of your chosen vehicle’s REGO on the NZTA‘s website – you will need the vehicle’s plate number.

Campervan Electrical Certificate and Self-Containment Certificate

If you are buying a campervan or a motorhome, there are a couple of additional documents you’ll want to have.

A Warrant of Electrical Fitness (WOEF) is required by law before a campervan can be connected to a 230-volt supply system (i.e. the electrical outlets from the grid in New Zealand).

For being able to freedom camp in New Zealand legally, you will also need a Self-Containment Standard NZS 5465:2001 along with its certificate and window card. Learn more about that in our How to Get Your Campervan Certified Self-Contained.

Paperwork When Buying a Vehicle from a Professional Dealer

When buying a vehicle from a professional dealer (not a private seller), you should be provided with a Consumer Information Notice (CIN) and sign a sales agreement.

Consumer Information Notice (CIN)

A Consumer Information Notice (CIN) includes the price of the vehicle and all information relating to it, including:

• Year of registration in New Zealand
• Odometer reading
• Mention of damage recorded at importation
• Make, model, year of manufacture and other legal info about the vehicle
• Dealer’s contact details and registration
• Any securities registered on the vehicle.

Vehicle Sales Agreement

The sales agreement when buying a car or campervan from a professional dealer is an agreement that will disclose all the terms of the sale. As with any agreement, make sure to read it carefully before signing it. You could be charged a “documentation fee” as part of the negotiation. However, it may be waived, so try it.

The Change of Ownership Form for Buying a Car in New Zealand

This is one of the most important documents on this list is the Change of Ownership form. This will state who is responsible for the car or campervan and who will pay fines and other fees. This can be done online on the NZTA website (note that you will need a New Zealand driver’s license to complete the form online).

If you do not have a New Zealand-issued driver’s license, you will have to complete a paper form either at an NZ Post Shop, AA, VINZ or VTNZ office. Both you and the seller will have to complete a form each:

Buyer’s form: MR13B
Seller’s form: MR13A

Just to make it clear, the usual order of this process is:

1. The buyer pays for the vehicle
2. The buyer and seller both complete their respective Change of Ownership forms (one doesn’t need to be done before the other; it should be done around the same time).

Optional Paperwork to Check Before Buying a Car or Campervan in New Zealand

Although we have gone through all of the essentials when it comes to paperwork and buying a car or campervan in New Zealand, there are a few optional extras that are worth looking into.

Check if Road User Charges are Owed

Road User Charges (RUC) is a tax on diesel vehicles which are levies paid determined by the distance driven. You may want to check if there are any outstanding RUC charges owed on the vehicle before purchasing it. Learn more about RUC on the NZTA website.

Check the Vehicle Ratings

Sitting down and looking at the paperwork is your chance to check the rating of the car that you are buying. There are five different ratings that you may want to have a look at:

• ANCAP test
• Used car safety rating
• Fuel economy rating
• Air pollution rating
• CO2 emission rating.

Ask your seller or search online for the model of the vehicle so you can get accurate ratings. The New Zealand government has its own website covering most of these ratings at rightcar.govt.nz.

Debt Check (Security Interest or Finance Owing)

When buying a car from a private seller, we strongly advise you to run a quick debt check on the car that you want to buy. It will allow you to see if the car has been used as security for any credit. Remember, if there is any outstanding debt on the car that you are buying, even if the debt isn’t yours, your car could be repossessed and you will have no way to contest it.

To check if a car in New Zealand has any money owing on it, you can run a vehicle history check online for free on the New Zealand Ministry of Business’ Personal Property Securities website. You will need the vehicle registration number (REGO), chassis number or VIN to check.

Certificate of Registration

This is a very simple form that will display the list of all the current owners of the car. You can compare it with your seller’s ID and see if it matches to make sure that you are buying the car from its rightful owner. If you suspect the vehicle is stolen, you can always check on the New Zealand Police website.