Guides · updated July 2026
How much is a speeding ticket in NZ? $30 to $630, band by band
The short answer: NZ speeding fines run from $30 to $630 depending on how far over the limit you were, under the Land Transport (Offences and Penalties) Regulations 1999. Officer-issued tickets also add 10–50 demerit points; speed-camera tickets carry no demerit points. More than 40 km/h over brings an immediate 28-day licence suspension — and more than 50 km/h over means the courts.
The fine schedule
| Speed over the limit | Fine | Demerits (officer-issued) |
|---|---|---|
| 10 km/h or less | $30 | 10 |
| 11–15 km/h | $80 | 20 |
| 16–20 km/h | $120 | 20 |
| 21–25 km/h | $170 | 35 |
| 26–30 km/h | $230 | 35 |
| 31–35 km/h | $300 | 40 |
| 36–40 km/h | $400 | 50 |
| 41–45 km/h | $510 | 50 |
| 46–50 km/h | $630 | 50 |
| More than 50 km/h | Court prosecution (28-day roadside suspension applies from 40 km/h over) | |
Speed-camera offences: same fines, zero demerit points — and since 2025 they arrive as NZTA safety camera notices, not Police tickets. Figures under the Land Transport (Offences and Penalties) Regulations 1999 — the exact amount is printed on your notice.
The fine is often the smaller half
At 100 demerit points within two years your licence is suspended for three months — so an officer-issued ticket at 35–50 points can matter far more than its dollar figure. A successfully disputed notice cancels both: the fine and the points go together. That's why drivers near the threshold dispute tickets they'd otherwise just pay. See how demerit points work for the full picture.
How fines get waived
Written representations to the issuer before the due date — the Police Infringement Bureau for officer-issued tickets, NZTA's safety camera notice dispute form for camera notices — asking Police to use their discretion for a clean driving record on a minor offence, or arguing procedural grounds: no valid tracking history, multiple vehicles in the radar beam, missing calibration or proficiency certificates, material notice defects. Never pay a notice you intend to dispute; payment is treated as accepting liability. The full walkthrough is in how to dispute a speeding ticket.
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Check my ticket freeCommon questions
How much is a speeding ticket in NZ?
Infringement fees run from $30 (10 km/h or less over the limit) up to $630 (46–50 km/h over), set by the Land Transport (Offences and Penalties) Regulations 1999. More than 50 km/h over the limit is dealt with by the courts rather than an infringement fee, and anything over 40 km/h also triggers an immediate 28-day roadside licence suspension. Always check the exact figure printed on your notice.
Do speed camera tickets carry demerit points?
No. Offences detected by safety cameras — fixed, mobile or average-speed — carry the same fines as officer-issued tickets but no demerit points. Only tickets issued by an officer who stopped you add demerits for speeding. That difference matters most if you're anywhere near the 100-point suspension threshold.
What is the speeding tolerance in NZ?
Police no longer publish an official enforcement tolerance, and the safe assumption is that any speed over the limit can be ticketed. A tolerance of around 10 km/h (reduced to 4 km/h over holiday periods) was widely reported historically, but it has never been a legal entitlement — the limit is the limit.
What happens if I don't pay a speeding fine?
The notice moves to a reminder notice with a final due date. If it's still unpaid, it goes to the Ministry of Justice for court-ordered collection, where court costs are added and enforcement tools (deductions, vehicle clamping, blocked licence or passport transactions in serious cases) become available. Never ignore a notice — dispute it in writing or pay it before the due date.
Can a speeding fine be reduced or waived?
Waived, yes — reduced, generally no. Adjudicators either uphold the notice or waive/withdraw it; there's no formal haggling over the amount. Written representations before the due date, arguing the clean-record waiver or procedural grounds (tracking history, calibration, notice defects), are the mechanism. A waived notice cancels the fine and any demerit points together.
Related: demerit points & the 100-point rule · safety camera tickets · NZTA safety camera notice — how to dispute it
Sources: Land Transport (Offences and Penalties) Regulations 1999, NZ Police infringement guidance, Land Transport Act 1998 (roadside licence suspension). GetMeOff.co.nz provides automated document drafting and general information only — it is not legal advice and no outcome is guaranteed.