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outerphase
By outerphase | AA Member | 21 Posts | 15 July 2014 at 6:07pm

My friend, an Australian, recently got pulled over in NZ because of a sticker on the rear of his car which pokes fun at P platers over there. He didn't get fined but got me thinking that the cop might have mistaken the sticker for a proper P plate. Was this sticker illegal, and is it illegal to display P plates in a similar manner?

ABayliss
By ABayliss | AA Expert | 2169 Posts | 16 July 2014 at 8:38am

If the sticker extended more than 100mm from the top or bottom, or 50mm from the edge of the glass, this would be illegal.
L Plates (NZ equivalent of Australian P Plates) are exempt. Here's what the WoF manual says;

"stickers are wholly within 100mm of the top or bottom edge, or 50mm of the side edges, unless required or permitted by legislation, eg:

– a licence label

– a road user licence label

– a WoF label

– an alternative fuel sticker

– a current parking permit or other document issued by the local authority

– learner L-plates (in sticker format) provided the driver’s vision is not unreasonably affected."