NZ self-containment: what the green warrant needs

If you want to freedom camp in New Zealand, your van needs a green self-containment warrant. The old blue warrant stopped counting for freedom camping on 7 June 2026, when the transition period that began in December 2023 ended.

This guide covers what the rules ask for, how certification works, and the things that catch out caravans built for the Australian market. It isn’t legal advice; check the official sources listed at the end before you travel.

Why it matters

On most public land in New Zealand, freedom camping is limited to certified self-contained vehicles unless a local bylaw allows otherwise. Councils, the Department of Conservation and Land Information New Zealand manage and enforce the rules on their land. Camping on public land without a green warrant can bring a NZ$400 infringement notice.

Holiday parks and private campgrounds aren’t affected. If you always stay at paid sites with toilets and showers, you don’t need a warrant.

What a self-contained vehicle needs

The regulations set out what the vehicle’s facilities must do. In summary:

• A fixed toilet. The base must be rigidly mounted to the vehicle, and it must drain or flush into a fixed blackwater tank or a removable cassette. A portable toilet stored in a cupboard doesn’t qualify.
• Enough capacity for three days. The facilities must operate for a minimum of three days for the maximum number of occupants the vehicle is certified for.
• Fresh water, stored in tanks that are securely supported and protected from sun exposure.
• Grey water storage. Waste water from sinks and showers goes into fixed or portable tanks connected to the vehicle, or can be combined with blackwater. Drain pipes need enough size and fall to empty properly.
• Ventilation. Waste tank vents must end outside the vehicle, away from doors and windows, and be protected against birds and vermin. Sink and shower drains need a water trap or similar to stop smells coming back inside.
• Secure rubbish storage.

The certifier assesses whether tank sizes are enough for the number of people. More berths means more capacity needed, so a family van certified for four needs more than a couple’s van.

How certification works

The Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board regulates the system and appoints certification authorities. Those authorities inspect vehicles and issue warrants. More than 68,000 vehicles had green warrants by June 2026.

When your van passes, you get:

• a green warrant card that shows the issue and expiry dates, and may carry a QR code that lets enforcement officers check the national register of self-contained vehicles;
• a record of the vehicle on that national register.

The card must be visible from outside. In a motorhome it goes on the inside of the windscreen on the passenger side. A caravan has no windscreen, so the card is displayed upright near the front left-hand side of the van, or on the towing vehicle.

Warrants expire, so check the date before a long trip and book a re-inspection in time.

Where caravans trip up

Many vans sold in New Zealand were designed for Australia, where there’s no equivalent national scheme. The common gaps:

• No fixed toilet. Couples’ vans without an ensuite, and many hybrids and camper trailers, have nowhere to mount one.
• No grey water tank. Australian vans often drain sinks straight onto the ground through a hose. A tank has to be added, with enough capacity.
• Tank capacity versus berths. A van with bunks may be certified for fewer people unless the tanks are big enough for all of them.
• Vents. Tank vents that end under the van or near a door need rerouting.

If you’re buying a new van for New Zealand, ask the dealer in writing whether it will pass green warrant certification for the number of people you’ll travel with, and what changes it needs. Retrofitting a toilet and tank later is usually harder and dearer than ordering them in.

The build estimator flags whether a build has the key equipment: a fixed toilet, fresh water and a grey water tank. It can’t tell you whether a van will pass; only an inspection can.