New Zealand Law Society - 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 (incl GST).
Information about renewing your practising certificate online will be sent to the holders of current practising certificates in mid-late May.
To renew your practising certificate by 30 June you must:
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.
To make your ‘fit and proper’ person declaration, log into Registry using your six-digit User ID (include 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 is included in the email sent to you about renewing your practising certificate. This number is also printed in the bottom left corner of your practising certificate.
If you don’t know your password, click 'Forgot password?' to request a password reset be sent to your email inbox.
You are responsible for ensuring that payment is received by the 30 June deadline. If your organisation is paying for your fees, please make sure 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 email the details to registry@lawsociety.org.nz.
Payments can be made by:
We recommend that fees and levies are paid before 13 June to allow sufficient time for processing and the resolution of any issues. Credit/debit card payments are usually processed instantly and will provide an immediate record to confirm that payment has been received. Payment by credit or debit card will incur a card payment surcharge.
Lawyers and Firm Administrators will be able to download invoices for the upcoming practising year from the ‘Tax Invoices’ screen in Registry from mid-late May.
To include your employer’s name on the invoice, select your work address as your preferred contact in the ‘Personal Details’ section in Registry. Your employer’s name should now appear on your invoice the next time you download a copy.
The invoice is your receipt after it is paid - We do not issue a separate receipt.
If your organisation would like to appoint a Firm Administrator to oversee the payment of practising certificate invoices, please contact Registry.
Your practising certificate for the current year is available for download in the ‘Practising certificates’ section until midnight on 30 June.
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 check that it is available, to confirm the renewal has been successful.
If the Law Society does not receive your completed fit and proper person declaration and the required payment by 30 June deadline:
A person will be in breach of the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006 if they continue to practise as a lawyer 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 provided legal services without holding a current practising certificate.
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.