Passports Act 1992

31 Other offences

  • (1) Every person commits a crime who—

    • (a) for purposes of travel and without reasonable excuse, uses a New Zealand travel document that he or she knows or has reasonable cause to suspect has expired or has been cancelled; or

    • (b) for purposes of travel or identification and without reasonable excuse, uses a New Zealand travel document that he or she knows or has reasonable cause to suspect was issued to or in respect of another person; or

    • (c) being a person to whom a New Zealand travel document has been issued, without reasonable excuse permits another person to have possession of that document in circumstances where he or she knows or has reasonable cause to suspect that the person intends to use it for purposes of travel or identification; or

    • (d) without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, takes or retains in his or her possession or under his or her control a New Zealand travel document against the will of the holder; or

    • (e) [Repealed]

    • (f) without reasonable excuse, has in his or her possession or under his or her control within New Zealand—

      • (i) a passport issued by or on behalf of the Government of any country other than New Zealand, being a passport that he or she knows or has reason to suspect has been falsified or has been obtained by false representation; or

      • (ii) a document purporting to be a passport issued by or on behalf of the Government of any country other than New Zealand that he or she knows or has reason to suspect is not such a passport.

    (2) Every person commits a crime who intentionally defaces or destroys a New Zealand travel document.

    (3) Every person who commits an offence against subsection (1) is liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years, a fine not exceeding $250,000, or both.

    (4) Every person who commits an offence against subsection (2) is liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years.

    Compare: 1980 No 58 s 12

    Section 31(1)(a): amended, on 21 April 2005, by section 26 of the Passports Amendment Act 2005 (2005 No 44).

    Section 31(1)(b): amended, on 21 April 2005, by section 26 of the Passports Amendment Act 2005 (2005 No 44).

    Section 31(1)(c): amended, on 21 April 2005, by section 26 of the Passports Amendment Act 2005 (2005 No 44).

    Section 31(1)(d): amended, on 21 April 2005, by section 26 of the Passports Amendment Act 2005 (2005 No 44).

    Section 31(1)(e): repealed, on 18 June 2002, by section 10(1) of the Passports Amendment Act 2002 (2002 No 24).

    Section 31(2): amended, on 21 April 2005, by section 26 of the Passports Amendment Act 2005 (2005 No 44).

    Section 31(3): substituted, on 18 June 2002, by section 10(2) of the Passports Amendment Act 2002 (2002 No 24).

    Section 31(4): added, on 18 June 2002, by section 10(2) of the Passports Amendment Act 2002 (2002 No 24).