Paying levies if you own or drive a vehicle
Your Motor Vehicle levy helps cover the cost of accidents on public roads involving moving vehicles. We calculate levies so that we're able to cover the cost of injuries. This includes injuries that need lifelong support.
The Motor Vehicle levy doesn’t cover injuries involving vehicles off a public road. This includes quad bikes, tractors and off-road bikes. Other levies cover these injuries.
On this page
How you pay the Motor Vehicle levy
You pay the Motor Vehicle levy in two different ways:
- at the petrol pump – currently at 6 cents per litre
- as part of your vehicle licence (rego) fee.
For non-petrol vehicles, eg diesel, or electric, you pay your whole levy through your vehicle licence (rego).
Levies for different types of vehicles
Petrol vehicles
If your vehicle runs on petrol, you’ll pay part of your Motor Vehicle levy when you fill up at the pump and part through your vehicle licence (rego). The current petrol levy rate is 6 cents per litre.
Why you pay levies on petrol
Paying part of your Motor Vehicle levy at the pump is one way to make it fairer for everyone on the road:
- the more you drive, the more at risk you are of an accident, and so the more you pay
- if you own many vehicles, you only pay part of the levy based on how much you use each one
- ensures vehicles without a vehicle licence (rego) are still paying towards the cost of injuries.
Diesel vehicles
You will pay your entire Motor Vehicle levy when you licence your diesel vehicle. You won’t pay any other levies when you buy diesel.
Levies on diesel vehicles are structured this way because diesel powers more than just road vehicles, eg boats and farm vehicles. So it isn’t appropriate to add a levy at the diesel pump.
Hybrid vehicles
Hybrid vehicles, including petrol-powered plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), still need some petrol to run. These are classed as ‘petrol’ vehicles. This means you’ll pay your Motor Vehicle levy both at the pump and in your vehicle licence (rego).
Electric vehicles
Electric vehicles (EVs) and diesel plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are classed as non-petrol vehicles. As you don't purchase petrol, you will pay your entire levy when you renew your licence for your vehicle.
Electric vehicle levy changes
Light electric vehicles are being reclassified from 1 July 2025. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs), diesel-powered plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) will be class 6, and petrol-powered plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) will be class 2.
The new classifications will mean these vehicles pay an equivalent total levy to petrol or diesel vehicles of the same class. It’s important that ACC levies are fair and that activities with a similar level of risk pay the same levies. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are exposed to the same risk as internal combustion engine vehicles.
Read more about levy results.
Paying levies as part of your vehicle licence (rego)
The levy on your vehicle licence (rego) depends on how much risk you're exposed to by travelling in your vehicle.
Cars and light passenger vehicles
The classification of vehicles is broken down into petrol and non-petrol.
Current vehicle licence (rego) levy rates for light passenger vehicle classes (excluding GST)
|
Vehicle type |
Current levy rate |
|
Petrol |
$49.38 |
|
Non-petrol only |
$109.05 |
Mopeds, scooters and motorcycles
Current levy rates for mopeds, scooters and motorcycles (excluding GST)
|
Vehicle class |
Petrol |
Non-petrol |
|
Mopeds and scooters |
$132.09 |
$145.76 |
|
Motorcycles (600cc or less) |
$346.17 |
$359.85 |
|
Motorcycles (over 600cc) |
$453.19 |
$466.87 |
$25 from these rates goes toward funding motorcycle safety initiatives.
How we set moped, scooter and motorcycle rego levies
We base our moped, scooter and motorcycle levies on crash data from the Ministry of Transport. The data shows that:
- motorcycling is riskier than travelling in other types of vehicles
- the cost of treating injuries from motorcycle accidents is higher than other injuries
- there’s a strong link between engine size and the cost of an injury.
Current levies collected from motorcycles make up 28% of the levies collected to cover the cost of motorcycle injuries. Other Motor Vehicle owners cover the rest.
We use motorcycle crash data from the Ministry of Transport.
Latest motorcycle crash data on the Ministry of Transport website.
Goods service vehicles (GSVs)
A goods service vehicle is a vehicle thats main use is to carry goods. A vehicle is determined to be a GSV when it’s first registered in New Zealand. The current vehicle licence (rego) fee levy rates (excluding GST) for GSVs are:
|
Vehicle class |
Petrol |
Non-petrol |
|
Light (weighing 3,500kg or less) |
$85.28 |
$139.37 |
|
Heavy (not in ACC Fleet Saver) |
$238.62 |
$256.26 |
How we set GSV rego levies
There is no TSSI crash data for GSVs, so we base their vehicle licence (rego) levies on weight.
Vintage vehicles
A vehicle is vintage if it’s 40 years or over. The current vehicle licence (rego) levy rates for vintage vehicles are:
| Vehicle class | Petrol | Non-petrol |
| Class 3 and 7 | $26.46 | $58.42 |
Contact us
If you have a question about your Motor Vehicle levy, contact our business team.
Phone 0800 222 776 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm)
Email business@acc.co.nz
If you have a question about your vehicle classification, contact the NZTA.
Phone 0800 108 809
Email info@nzta.govt.nz