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Drivers are to have larger photographs embedded in their licences - to help the police know just who they are dealing with on dark nights.
Hoteliers are also pleased with a plan by Land Transport New Zealand to enlarge photos and typefaces on driver licences issued from July.
That is because many of their younger patrons use driver licences as identification to verify their age, and the Hospitality Association says the small sizes make it hard for bar staff to detect those who use older people's licences fraudulently to buy alcohol.
Land Transport says the changes are in response to advice from the police that some features of existing licences can be difficult to see in poor light, especially when checking that a photo matches the driver of a car at the roadside.
The new photos will measure 24mm by 28mm, compared with existing dimensions of 18mm by 22mm, and drivers' names and other details will also be printed in larger type.
But Land Transport emphasises that drivers will not have to do anything extra when their licences are replaced as they come up for renewal.
Neither does it believe any civil liberties issues will be raised, given that no additional information will be contained in the new format.
In another important change, drivers whose licences are suspended or disqualified for vehicle offences will be given pink temporary licences for restricted purposes prescribed by court orders.
These are commonly known as "work licences" and are now the same green colour as full licences, although drivers using them also have to carry court orders prescribing conditions such as the hours they are allowed to be at the wheel for specific purposes such as travelling to a job or to a doctor.
Acting road policing operations manager Inspector Dave Parsons said the existing licences were hard on police having to squint at their small print and photos at checkpoints.
The new pink temporary licences would also make their jobs easier, he said.
Hospitality Association chief executive Bruce Robertson said the new licences would make life a lot easier for bar operators trying to stop those under 18 from buying alcohol.
"Some licensed premises are pretty darkly lit, as are some entrances where customer ID is inspected, and it hasn't been an easy task for many operators."
Council for Civil Liberties president Tony Ellis saw no difficulties with making drivers easy for the police to recognise.
