VIN assignment
3-2 Assigning a VIN to a registered vehicle
Most vehicle types are required to have a VIN if they are registered or re-registered in New Zealand on or after 1 April 1994. Vehicles that were registered in New Zealand before this date and have their original chassis identification attached are not required to have a VIN affixed. However, a VIN may be affixed at the vehicle owner’s request.
If a vehicle does not have any identifiers (ie a VIN or chassis number), it is required to have a VIN assigned and affixed before its next warrant of fitness inspection.
Most motor vehicles have had some form of chassis number assigned to them. Where chassis numbers or VINs are missing or where the LANDATA chassis number does not match the actual chassis number, the vehicle may have been stolen or involved in a major accident at some point in its life. Because of this, you are required to complete a VIN approval request form (CA01) and email a copy to assessments@nzta.govt.nz
Before assigning the VIN, the entry certifier must inspect the vehicle and record its attributes on a vehicle attributes worksheet. This worksheet must be retained for a minimum of two years. The VIN must be assigned to a registered vehicle using the ‘vehicle details by plate’ screen.
The following process outlines how to assign a VIN to a registered vehicle.
Step | Action | ||
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Type >DETAILP (space) (plate number)< in the escape field and transmit. The ‘vehicle details by plate’ screen displays details for the plate number entered. | ||
2 | Is a chassis number displayed? | NO | Contact Waka Kotahi on 0800 804 580 for assistance. |
YES | Note the chassis number and continue from step 3. | ||
3 | Type >VINASGN (space) (chassis number)< in the escape field and transmit. The system will search for vehicle records with that chassis number. | ||
4 | Is more than one vehicle record displayed? | YES | The ‘assign VIN to a registered vehicle’ screen displays with a list of vehicles with that chassis number. Use scroll commands to find the correct record if required. Type >X< in the select field alongside the correct record and transmit. The ‘assign VIN to registered vehicle’ screen will display the vehicle details. Continue from step 5. |
NO | The ‘assign VIN to a registered vehicle’ screen displays with the vehicle details. | ||
5 | Are the displayed details correct? | YES | Continue from step 6. |
NO |
Enter the correct chassis number and continue from step 4. | ||
6 | Do you want to print an MR2A VIN checksheet? | YES | Transmit. The message ‘Vehicle has been assigned a VIN’ displays at the top of the screen with a VIN in the VIN field. |
NO | Type >N< in the print MR2A field and transmit. The message ‘Vehicle has been assigned a VIN’ displays at the top of the screen with a VIN in the VIN field. | ||
7 | Affix the VIN. Refer to ‘Pre-registration and VIN 4-1’. | ||
Page amended 1 October 2022 (see amendment details).