VIN assignment

All vehicles first registered or re-registered in New Zealand on or after 1 April 1994 must have a vehicle identification number (VIN) assigned and affixed.

Under Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Standards Compliance 2002, the VIN must be assigned and affixed as soon as practicable. A VIN must be:

• assigned to a vehicle before any compliance work is carried out on the vehicle, and
• affixed to the vehicle before the initial compliance inspection is completed.

An entry certifier may assign and affix a VIN while documentation is pending, but must make a note of this on the notes screen to ensure that it is subsequently obtained and verified. In cases where a particular entry-level inspector is only carrying out the VIN assignment process, the VIN must be affixed immediately.

A vehicle may have an original VIN assigned by the manufacturer, or it may need to have a Waka Kotahi ‘7AT’ VIN assigned to it.

When a vehicle record is retrieved from the database and the details are displayed on the screen, the entry certifier must check these details to ensure they match the vehicle presented.

Scratchbuilt vehicles with used donor parts from high volume production vehicles (eg Ford, Holden, Range Rover) should not be assigned any high volume VIN from the donor parts.

1 Determining VIN requirements

To determine whether or not the identifier located on the vehicle is a valid VIN, type the identifier into the escape field of the ‘VIN authority allocation/confirmation’ screen and transmit.

1.1 Valid VIN

If the identifier entered in the escape field of the ‘VIN authority allocation/confirmation’ screen is a valid VIN, the ‘VIN allocation’ screen will display with message ‘Valid VIN entered’. The identifier will display in the VIN field.

The entry certifier must check, correct and complete all vehicle details required for the vehicle type.

If there is a substantial difference (Note 1) in any of the vehicle attributes listed below between the vehicle attributes displayed and the actual vehicle presented, complete a VIN approval request form (CA01).

Do not alter the displayed vehicle details without approval from Waka Kotahi.

Contact Waka Kotahi on 0800 804 580 and select option 4 - inspections.

1.2 17-character identifier not recognised by LANDATA

If the identifier entered in the escape field of the ‘VIN authority allocation/confirmation’ screen is a 17-character identifier that LANDATA cannot decode, the ‘VIN allocation’ screen will display the message ‘WARNING VIN does not decode – Contact TRC’.

Some invalid VINs may be difficult to identify, as they look like a VIN and have the correct vehicle year recorded as the tenth character and a valid check digit as the ninth character. However, the world manufacturer identifier (WMI) belongs to someone other than the vehicle manufacturer. This problem is not identified until the VIN decode is investigated in detail. In such cases, the Permitting Assessments team may ask the importer to provide VIN decode information, and may advise that a ‘7AT’ VIN be issued following investigation.

Do not continue. Please refer all 17-digit numbers that do not decode to Waka Kotahi (contact 0800 804 580). If you have the manufacturer's VIN decode information available email it directly to FRR@nzta.govt.nz.

1.3 Other

If an identifier was not entered, or if the identifier entered in the escape field of the ‘VIN authority allocation/confirmation’ screen is not a valid VIN, the ‘VIN allocation’ screen will display the message ‘Chassis number entered’.

LANDATA will assign a ‘7AT’ VIN to the vehicle.

Most Japanese imports require a new VIN to be assigned.

2 Checking vehicle details

Once a VIN has been recognised or assigned to the vehicle and the vehicle details are displayed on the ‘VIN allocation’ screen, the entry certifier must ensure that the vehicle details that are mandatory for the vehicle type are correct and complete. If no vehicle details are displayed, the vehicle attributes recorded on the vehicle attributes checksheet must be entered.

When all mandatory vehicle attributes are correct and complete, the entry certifier must ensure the following fields are set as explained below.

3 System validation

Transmit once all fields have been completed as above.

LANDATA will validate the data entered and redisplay the ‘VIN allocation’ screen with the vehicle’s VIN displayed in the VIN field.

The system will display an error message at the bottom of the screen if any data entry errors were made (eg an invalid country or vehicle model). Correct errors and transmit.