Changing your name on the Motor Vehicle Register 

If you are the registered owner of any vehicles, your name will appear on the Motor Vehicle Register.

You might want to change your name on the Motor Vehicle Register if you’re:

• getting married or being joined in civil union and taking your partner’s name
• dissolving your marriage or civil union
• changing your name by statutory declaration. 

How do I change my name on the motor vehicle register?

 To change your name on the Motor Vehicle Register, you will need to show one of the following forms of evidence of name change:

• New Zealand driver licence showing your new name
• Marriage certificate, civil union certificate or dissolution of marriage documents
• Adoption papers
• Certified copy of Deed poll issued by Births, Deaths and Marriages (BDM) prior to September 1995
• Change of name by statutory declaration document certified by BDM from September 1995 onwards
• Passport showing new name
• Full New Zealand birth certificate showing both names.  

If you only need to change your surname and you are about to do a change of ownership or register a motor vehicle, you can change your name at the agent when you make the application, provided you take the original of one of the forms of evidence of name change listed above.  

If you want to change your first name, or if you are not about to make one of the above applications (or any application at all), then you will need to put a request in writing to have your name changed.  You will need to include a copy of one of the forms of evidence of name change, and send the request to: 

Transport Registry Centre
Land Transport NZ
Private Bag 11777
Manawatu Mail Centre
Palmerston North 4442

Last updated: 7 February 2008