New Zealand Law Society - Renewing your practising certificate online

Renewing your practising certificate online

Lawyers must renew their practising certificate by midnight 30 June (NZST) to continue practising. From 1 July, lawyers who have not renewed will have their names removed from the public register of lawyers. They will no longer be able to renew their practising certificate online and will need to apply for a new practising certificate, and pay a late renewal fee of $58.

Information about renewing your practising certificate online will be sent to the holders of current practising certificates from late May.

To renew your practising certificate before 30 June you must: 

  • complete your 'fit and proper' person declaration and 
  • pay the required fees and levies. 

Once these two steps have been completed, you should check that your practising certificate for the upcoming year is available to download. Please contact Registry@lawsociety.org.nz if this is not the case.

'Fit and proper' person declaration 

To make your ‘fit and proper’ person declaration, log into the Registry database using your six-digit User ID (including any leading zeros) and go to the ‘Fit & Proper Declaration’ screen.  

You must complete your own declaration personally. 

Read more about completing the declaration 

Your User ID will have been included in the email that we sent you about renewing your practising certificate. It also appears in the bottom left corner of your practising certificate.

If you don’t know your password, click 'Forgot password?' to request a password reset.

Fees and levies

You are responsible for ensuring that payment is received before the deadline. If your organisation is paying for your fees please ensure the appropriate person has a copy of your invoice. If your fees are being paid by a third party (for example a finance company) please contact registry@lawsociety.org.nz

We recommend that fees and levies are paid before 15 June to allow sufficient time for processing and the resolution of any issues. Credit card payments are usually processed instantly and will provide an immediate record to confirm that payment has been received.   
 
Payments can be made by: 

Invoices and receipts  

Lawyers and firm administrators will be able to download invoices for the upcoming practising year from the ‘Tax Invoices’ screen in Registry from late May. 

If you want your employer’s name to appear on the invoice instead of your name, select your work address as your preferred contact in the ‘Personal Details’ section. After approximately 10 minutes your employer’s name will appear on your invoice the next time you download this.

The invoice becomes your receipt when it’s paid, we don’t issue a separate receipt. 

If your organisation would like to appoint a firm administrator to oversee its payments please contact Registry

Accessing practising certificates 

Your practising certificate for the current year will be available for download in the ‘Practising certificates’ section until 1 July. 

As soon as you have completed your fit and proper person declaration and paid the required fees, your practising certificate for the upcoming year will also be available in the ‘Practising certificates’ section. You are not required to print your certificate, but you should confirm that it is available so you know that your renewal has been successful. 

If your practising certificate is not renewed online before 30 June 

If the Law Society does not receive your completed fit and proper person declaration and the required payment before 30 June: 

  • you will not hold a current practising certificate
  • you will not be able to provide legal services in the reserved areas defined by section 6 of the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act
  • you name will be removed from the register of lawyers
  • you will not be able to reapply online
  • you will have to make a new application for a practising certificate, pay a late renewal fee of $58, and be approved before being able to practice law again.  

Lawyers will be in breach of the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006 if they continue to practise without a valid practising certificate. 

The Law Society may advise the Legal Services Agency, Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), and the courts of the names of lawyers known to have been in private practice and offering services directly to the public who have not renewed their certificates by the due date, and who have not advised the Law Society that they were ceasing practice. 

If you subsequently apply for and are issued with a new practising certificate, your name will be restored to the public register, but your practising certificate will only be effective from the date of issue – not from the date at which your previous certificate expired.

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