Infringements

Safe speed cameras detect speeding vehicles or running of red lights and an infringement notice is sent to the owner of the vehicle. If you receive an infringement notice and you want to find out who was driving, you can request a photo. Static (fixed) and mobile safe speed cameras are designed to photograph vehicles, not drivers. It is the vehicle owner's responsibility to identify who was driving at the time of the offence. 

Safe speed camera photo requests are free and cannot be actioned over the phone.

There are two ways you can request a photo:

Online: Safety camera photo request online form

By mail: Print and complete a Safety camera photo request form (PDF, 62KB) and post it to the address found at the bottom of the form.

Requests for safe speed camera photos can only be made in writing by the person named on the original notice or an authorised representative of a company or incorporated body.

To authorise someone to act on your behalf, download the Pro-forma: Authority to act on my behalf for the purposes relating to my infringement notice(s) form (PDF, 47KB) and post it to the Police Infringement Bureau, PO Box 9147, Wellington 6141, or upload it on the online form requiring this.

The offence means that the driver failed to stop at a red traffic signal in the form of a disc.  

A mobile safe speed camera vehicle must be deployed in the following manner.

1. Safe speed camera vehicles must be legally parked.
2. Safe speed camera vehicles must be deployed in a manner that is visible from the roadside and are prohibited from being deployed in a hidden fashion.
3. The position in which the safe speed camera vehicle is parked must, so far as is practicable, be at the optimal distance from the normal traffic lanes to ensure the safety of the operator and best quality photo, i.e. about one and one half lane widths away from the normal path of vehicles.
4. When the safe speed camera is being deployed, on a roadway, the safe speed camera vehicle tailgate must either be fully extended or closed.
5. The use of private land for the parking of safe speed camera vehicles is permitted where the occupier of the land has clearly given permission for such use.
6. The safe speed camera vehicle must be parked on a straight section of road so that the operator has adequate reference points for aligning the camera. This ensures that any vehicle, which is being measured and/or photographed, is travelling on a straight section of road at that time.
7. Where a safe speed camera is deployed in an area where drivers are making the transition from a higher speed limit to a lower speed limit the safe speed camera vehicle must not be positioned closer than 250 (two hundred and fifty) metres from the point where the speed limit reduces. This restriction does not apply within School Zones or Temporary Speed limit sites.
8. A safe speed camera must not be deployed within 250 (two hundred and fifty) metres of the finish of any passing lane.
9. In any situation where a camera is operational at a site, a second camera must not be deployed in the same site or in any other site adjoining the first.
10. Where a safe speed camera is deployed in a school zone safe speed camera site, it must only be operated in the following circumstances:
    • between the hours of 0730 hrs to 1800 hrs on a school day; or
    • at any other time that a school activity occurs, this includes sports activities held at school grounds

Demerit points are not imposed for safe speed camera offences.

An SRN recorded on a safe speed camera infringement notice is the site reference of the offence. SRN stands for “Site Reference Number”.

An ICN recorded on a safe speed camera infringement notice is the safe speed camera photo reference. ICN stands for “Image Control Number”.

Static (fixed) and mobile safe speed cameras are designed to photograph vehicles, not drivers. It is the vehicle owner’s responsibility to identify who was driving at the time of the offence.

Static (fixed) safe speed camera photos often show more than one vehicle. The green oval indicates which vehicle’s speed is recorded. The blue circles and red arrows are for alignment purposes. The lane in which a vehicle is travelling is identified after the word “lane” in the data line. Lane “A” is always the nearest lane to the camera, with lanes further away labelled in alphabetical subsequent order. Note that Lane A may include part lanes. 

Mobile digital safe speed camera photos are identified by a 9 digit ICN number which always starts with the figure “6”. These cameras use a radar based speed detection system to measure vehicle speeds.

Red light camera photos are identified by a 9 digit ICN number which always starts with the figure “1”. Photos taken by a Red Light Camera often show more than one vehicle in the picture, but the Lane in which your vehicle was travelling is identified by a character which appears under the date on the date line. Line A is, the closest lane to the camera being monitored.

Requests for safe speed camera photos can only be made in writing by the person named on the original infringement notice or an authorised representative of a company or incorporated body. For further information visit the Request a safe speed camera photo web page.

Safe speed camera is a term used for the collective of all compliance and enforcement cameras i.e. speed camera, red light camera.

For more information on speeds and speed signs visit  http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/roadcode/about-limits/speed-limits/.

• Safe speed cameras
• Speeds and speed signs (NZ Transport Agency website)
• Penalties for speeding (NZ Transport Agency website)
• Effects of speed in crashes and analysis of crash risk for the Christmas holiday period (report published December 2013)

Speed limits, cameras and enforcement

Commercial Vehicle Safety Team (CVST)

Speeding fees increase progressively from $30 for speeds less than 10 km/h over the limit, to a maximum fee of $630 for speeds up to 50km/h over the limit.

At more than 40 km/h above the speed limit you could also get a 28-day licence suspension.

At more than 50 km/h over the limit you could be charged with careless, dangerous or reckless driving.

The amount of your infringement fee will depend on how far over the speed limit you are going.

In addition to an infringement fee, you will also incur demerit points. 

Find out about the demerit points related to speeding.

Vehicle owners are liable for offences detected by safe speed cameras, including red light cameras; however if the owner was not the driver or person responsible for the vehicle at the time the owner may transfer liability for the offence to the person who was.

Complete the statutory declaration below and send it to the Police Infringement Bureau, PO Box 9147, Wellington 6141. You must sign the form and it must be witnessed by an authorised person for example a Justice of the Peace, Solicitor, Registrar or Deputy Registrar of the High Court or District Court, an authorised Police officer. The statutory declaration cannot be accepted if it is not witnessed by an authorised person.

• Statutory Declaration in respect of an alleged vehicle offence made under the Oaths and Declarations Act 1957 (PDF, 18KB)

The liability for the infringement notice will be transferred to the person named on the statutory declaration and a new infringement notice will be sent to them.

If the statutory declaration is not accepted, you will either have to pay the fee or contact the Police Infringement Bureau before the final due date and tell them if you want to take other action.

Contact the Police Infringement Bureau.

If the infringement notice is already filed with the Ministry of Justice, the matter is in their jurisdiction and enquiries must be directed to them.

Contact the Ministry of Justice.

Liability for an offence can be transferred into the name of another party or driver by completing a statutory declaration. A copy of the statutory declaration is included with your notice.

Any declaration made must be witnessed by an authorised person as detailed on the statutory declaration.

To make a statutory declaration relating to an infringement notice, download and complete the Statutory Declaration form below.

• Statutory Declaration in respect of an alleged vehicle offence made under the Oaths and Declarations Act 1957 (PDF, 18KB)

A person not named on the notice cannot request a court hearing or photo. The offence remains in the name on the notice until the transfer of liability process has been completed.

A transfer of liability cannot be completed once the notice has been transferred to the Ministry of Justice.

Safe speed camera infringements

A statutory declaration form is sent out with speeding tickets (infringement notices) to advise driver details. It must be signed and witnessed before the responsibility of the notice can be transferred onto anyone else.

Infringement notice issued by a police officer

If the user of the vehicle gave false information when stopped you should write to the Police Infringement Bureau, PO Box 9147, Wellington 6141. Include:

• infringement notice number
• details of the vehicle stopped (registration number, make and model)
• your name, address and email address (optional)
• a copy of your photo identification, such as driver licence or passport photo page
• if possible, proof that you could not have been the driver at the time of the offence, such as timesheets or a letter from your employer.

The officer who issued the infringement notice will be consulted and your notice will be put on hold until it is sorted out.

If you have sold your vehicle and the change of ownership was completed by the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) before the offence date please contact the Police Infringement Bureau.

The transfer of an infringement notice to the driver or person/company in possession of the vehicle at the time of the alleged offence should be completed prior to the payment of the infringement notice.

See Pay a Police infringement fee in New Zealand or Pay a Police infringement fee from overseas.

To obtain your notice number either phone the Police Infringement Bureau, complete the online lost or missing notice form or download the lost/missing notice form (PDF, 68KB) and post it to the Police Infringement Bureau, PO Box 9147, Wellington 6141.

Infringement fees are payable within 28 days from the issue of the original notice. Once this period has expired a reminder notice will be issued; giving you a further 28 days to finalise the matter with Police.

If unpaid by the final due date; the matter will be transferred to the fines collection unit of the Ministry of Justice.

Police are unable to accept payment of an infringement notice over the phone or at a local Police station.

For details on how to pay - Pay a Police infringement fee in New Zealand or Pay a Police infringement fee from overseas.

The Police operate School Speed Zones between 7:30 AM to 6:00 PM on a school day, or when school activities are occurring. Police School Speed Zones are not sign posted.

The Police School Speed Zones extend 250 metres either side of a school's boundaries.

For more information, check out How police enforce speed limits.

To request, go to Infringement Services forms.

You have until the final due date on your reminder notice to raise any matters concerning the circumstances of the offence. Time must also be allowed for the Police Infringement Bureau to respond in writing to these matters before the due date.

You must write to the Police Infringement Bureau, PO Box 9147, Wellington 6141 or email the Police Infringement Bureau before the due date if you want to do any of the following:

• raise a matter concerning the circumstances of the offence for consideration by a Police adjudicator
• deny liability for the offence and request a court hearing
• admit liability for the offence and request a court hearing and make submissions for the court to consider in a hearing
• request a safe speed camera photo.

You need to tell us the correct infringement notice number and clearly express your intentions or outline the details of your dispute or explanation. Phone explanations are not permitted as your intention must be clearly stated in writing. A Police adjudicator will consider your explanation or action your request for a court hearing and will reply to your correspondence.

If you want to start court proceedings, we will transfer the matter to the Ministry of Justice and they will contact you. They may add court costs in addition to any penalty.

For more information visit the Ministry of Justice website.