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Vehicle crossing application Vehicle crossing application

If you are planning to build or change a driveway, apply for a vehicle crossing before you start building a new one, or altering an existing driveway.

The vehicle crossing is the area of driveway between a public road and the private property boundary, usually replacing some of the public footpath.

If you’re already going through the process and are ready to book your VXG inspection - skip ahead to step 7 or 8 to access the online booking tool.

Shows where a driveway starts on a private property and where the vehicle crossing goes across the footpath and berm to the kerb

Before you apply

Design of the vehicle crossing 

The design and physical construction of the driveway has to comply to the Auckland Council's operative-in-part Auckland Unitary Plan and AT vehicle crossing standards. This includes the thickness and strength of concrete required, integration of the footpath, and maximum gradients.

Vehicle crossing angle

Vehicle crossing must be right 90° angle to boundary.

Vehicle crossing standards

Auckland Transport released the revised set of vehicle crossing standards on 15 June 2022, which apply to all of Auckland.

Vehicle crossing and vehicle access widths 

Under Auckland Council’s operative-in-part Auckland Unitary Plan, vehicle crossings for a single dwelling can be no wider than 3 metres at the boundary between private property and the road reserve.

For more information, see Chapter E27 of the Auckland Unitary Plan - table E27.6.4.3.2 Vehicle crossing and vehicle access widths.

Vehicle crossing standards

Auckland Transport released the current set of vehicle crossing standards on 15 June 2022, which apply to all of Auckland.

Residential vehicle crossings

Commercial vehicle crossings

Rural vehicle crossings

Asphalt vehicle crossings

Concrete walkway

If anything needs to be relocated in the street

If there are features in your street you may need to request it be relocated before you apply for your vehicle crossing.

  • Tree must be 2 meters away from your proposed vehicle crossing in the street. Contact Auckland Council arborist for Resource Consent.
  • Cesspits, catchpits or kerb outlets are not allowed in front of a proposed vehicle crossing. Contact AT Development Engineer to request relocation.
  • Street pole must be 900mm away from a proposed vehicle crossing. Contact asset owner - either Vector Ltd or Chorus to request relocation.
  • Street light pole must be 900mm away from a proposed vehicle crossing. Contact AT streetlights to request relocation.
  • Fire Hydrant contact Watercare services to request relocation.
  • Power or communication pit or pillar contact asset owner - either Vector Ltd or Chorus to request relocation.
  • Street parking or re-installation of parking lines contact AT Parking Design.
  • Bus stop sign or parking signs contact AT Parking Design.
  • Bus shelters contact AT Metro Bus.
  • Survey Markers contact LINZ.
  • Speed hump, pedestrian crossings, crash barriers or refuge islands contact AT Traffic Engineering.

Check if you also need a resource consent

Under Auckland Council’s operative-in-part Auckland Unitary Plan, vehicle crossings for a single dwelling can be no wider than 3 meters at the boundary between private property and the road reserve. If you plan to build a vehicle crossing that exceeds this maximum, you must apply for resource consent from Auckland Council.

For more information, see Chapter E27 of the Auckland Unitary Plan - table E27.6.4.3.2 Vehicle crossing and vehicle access widths.

Trees on your street

Your proposed vehicle crossing must be 2 metres away from any trees. Contact Auckland Council arborist to get resource consent

Building a new house

If you are building a new house, you'll be asked if there is a suitable existing vehicle crossing when you apply for building consent from Auckland Council. If not, you must apply for a vehicle crossing with your building consent.

New subdivisions

Any vehicle crossings in existing roads within sub division are to follow vehicle crossing application process.

What is not covered by this application process

Land subdivision

Vehicle Crossings being built as part of a land subdivision are not covered by this application process. In these cases, the consultants or contractors building the subdivision should contact Auckland Council to get the work approved.

Limited access roads

Vehicle crossings that are accessed from the state highway are limited access roads. In these cases you need to contact NZTA Waka Kotahi to find out more information.

Private road

A private road is a road that is formed on non-council land and owned or controlled by a private person, persons or body corporate.  Maintenance of the private road is the responsibility of the person, persons or body corporate.  Applying for a vehicle crossing through Auckland Transport on a private road is not required.

Some newly formed roads within new subdivisions are generally privately owned.

Map showing an example of a private road

Vehicle crossing application and process

We aim to process your vehicle crossing application and deliver a consent letter to you within 20 working days. This includes processing time with both Auckland Council and AT.

Step 1: Complete application form

The application process is the same regardless of whether the driveway is shared or right-of-way, or an easement.

Complete the application form

You need an application form filled in for each vehicle crossing.

Download the vehicle crossing application form (PDF 954KB)

What to include in your application:

  • Include a sketch plan, or an architect's site plan, that shows all the property boundaries to scale. Include a site plan that shows the complete property and the location of the proposed vehicle crossing relative to the side boundaries with dimensions. Note: the area of driveway on private property is not part of the vehicle crossing.
  • Show the proposed vehicle crossing location relative to the side boundaries, complete with dimensions. 
  • Show the location of other features that may affect the proposed location of the vehicle crossing, including:
    • Trees
    • Power poles
    • Streetlights
    • Transformers
    • Drainage pits and manholes
    • Redundant vehicle crossings
  • Include detailed photos of where your proposed vehicle crossing will be, include photos of features that may affect your proposed vehicle crossing like trees, streetlights, etc.

Step 2. Apply

Submit application

You can send us your application in the following ways:

For security do not send your payment details with your application. Auckland Council will contact you regarding payment.

What happens next

The application will be checked to make sure all the required information has been supplied. Then the Auckland Council team will reply with online payment details.

If the application is incomplete, it will be returned to you to be completed and re-submitted, before any payment is accepted.

Your responsibility as the owner 

  • Ensuring your Recourse consent is approved before proceeding to apply for a Vehicle Crossing
  • Paying for Recourse Consent Fees
  • Paying for Vehicle Crossing application fees
  • Completing Vehicle crossing application and including all documentation
  • Ensuring the required inspections are carried out
  • Organising Temporary Traffic Management (if required)
  • Collecting documents and certificates from your contractors
  • Letting us know if any plans have changed once building works begin
  • Properly constructed vehicle crossing that complies with AT and Auckland Council standards.

Step 3: Pay the application fee

You will receive an email from Auckland Council with online payment details.

The application fee is a fixed fee of $475.00 (including GST).

The fee covers office processing charges and 3 field inspections:

  • pre-approval,
  • pre-pour and
  • final reinstatement inspection.

All fixed charges are non-refundable and no additional charges will be applied.

Payment options

Auckland Council is the receiving agent for payments.

Step 4. Auckland Council pre-approval process

When you have paid the application fee, the pre-approval process will start at Auckland Council.

We aim to process your vehicle crossing application and deliver a consent letter to you within 20 working days. This includes processing time with both Auckland Council and AT.

The application will then be checked to ensure it complies with Chapter E27 of the Auckland Unitary Plan.

Our ability to meet this target relies on correct information being provided and our field inspection not identifying any problems.

Auckland Council will then transfer your application to AT for a field inspection. 

Step 5. AT pre-approval process 

When Auckland Council has transferred your application to AT for a field inspection. AT will check it complies with all the technical standards and requirements, including traffic safety sight distances, storm water control, maximum gradients, prevention of scraping, and location of power poles, trees, street lights, signs, and other utility infrastructure.

Pre-approval inspection

You do not need to book in a pre-approval inspection. Once the auditor has received and reviewed your application, they will visit the proposed vehicle crossing location and advise if your application has passed or failed.

If your application passes this inspection, AT will send you an approval letter giving you permission to begin construction, in accordance with detailed specifications that will be included with the letter.

AT will assess the level of Temporary Traffic Management (TTM) required during the pre-approval site inspection. AT will request that you submit a traffic management plan before any works can take place. Details of how to submit a traffic management plan will be provided in the approval letter.

Entry into property from the road where proposed vehicle crossing is going to go

Step 6. You can start work

All vehicle crossings must be built in compliance with AT and Auckland Council construction standards.

The property owner is responsible for the cost of constructing and maintaining the vehicle crossing serving their property, in accordance with the Auckland Council Vehicle Crossing Bylaw.

The legal requirements surrounding the need to construct and maintain a vehicle crossing can be found in:

Step 7. Book your pre-pour inspection

When the excavation has been prepared and ready for concrete to be poured, you must contact us to arrange an inspection of the boxing before the concrete is poured.

We require 2 working days' notice to arrange this inspection.

Book vehicle crossing inspection
Please note that you must have received written approval from Auckland Transport before booking an inspection.

Cancel an inspection

Contact us about your vehicle crossing

General enquiries

What happens next

our request will be sent to the Compliance Auditor who will contact you to arrange a suitable time and date to carry out the inspection.

Once the pre-pour inspection has been passed, we will advise you that your crossing must be poured within 7 days (includes weekends and public holidays) and the boxing removed, topsoil and grass seed placed, and saw-cuts completed in the concrete.

It is not acceptable for the footpath and grass berm area to be disrupted and left in a dangerous state for a prolonged period of time.

Driveway showing what it should look like ready for the vehicle crossing pre-pour inspection with base and wood frame ready for concrete to be poured.

Step 8. Book your final inspection

When the reinstatement is complete, a final inspection must be undertaken. We will use a checklist to ensure the concrete is poured, the saw cuts completed, topsoil placed and compacted level with the footpath and crossing, grass seed sown, and all debris removed from the site. 

We require 2 working days' notice to arrange this inspection.

Book vehicle crossing inspection

Cancel an inspection

Contact us about your vehicle crossing

General enquiries

What happens next

Your request will be sent to the Compliance auditor whom will contact you to arrange a time and date for the inspection.

If the vehicle crossing passes the final inspection, a letter will be sent advising you the inspection has passed, and a copy will go into the Property File held at Auckland Council.

Driveway showing completed new vehicle crossing ready for final inspection

Step 9. On-going maintenance of your vehicle crossing

The property owner is responsible for the cost of constructing and maintaining the vehicle crossing serving their property, in accordance with the Auckland Council Vehicle Crossing Bylaw.

  • If AT widens or realigns a road and these works require the vehicle crossing to be altered to meet the new road alignment, then AT will alter and reinstate the vehicle crossing access at our cost.
  • On-going maintenance and repairs to the vehicle crossing remains the responsibility of the property owner.
  • For rural properties with a culvert pipe under the vehicle crossing, the property owner is responsible for maintenance of the culvert to keep it free of debris that could block the culvert to cause it to overflow and cause flooding, or damage the road.
  • Property owners are expected to maintain the grassed area in front of their property to a reasonable standard, to ensure traffic visibility is not compromised, long grass does not become a fire hazard, and the area looks tidy.
  • For any concerns about the way a street front is being maintained contact us. If the area is a hazard, AT will take action to minimise the risk to the community.

The legal requirements surrounding the need to construct and maintain a vehicle crossing can be found in: