How do I search for legislation?
You have two options:
1. Use Global search
Enter your search terms into Global search at the top of every page:
2. Use Advanced search
Advanced search lets you enter your specific search requirements. Your available options change depending on which of Act, Secondary legislation, Bill, or Amendment Paper you select.
See Search for legislation for more information.
How do I browse for legislation?
Use the homepage browse buttons:
For Acts, secondary legislation, and Bills, you’ll then see options to refine your results.
For Agencies, you‘ll see a list of all agencies that administer or publish legislation. Click on an agency’s name to find its legislation.
The option to browse agencies is also available on every page, in the page header.
Can I use boolean search operators?
Yes. Both Global search and Advanced search support Boolean operators. See Advanced search for the available search operators and examples of how to use them.
What happens to my old saved links?
If you have links saved to legislation on the earlier version of this website, these links will redirect to the same location.
If you have saved a search string, however, the link to your results will break. You will need to re-do your search.
What happens to my RSS feeds?
If you have web feeds (RSS feeds) saved from the earlier version of this website, you will need to regenerate the feeds. See Keep up to date with legislation.
The website now also provides an API (Application Programming Interface) which means you can access, query, and display legislative data in new ways. See Developer API for more information.
Can I change how the table of contents is displayed?
The left-hand table of contents is a popular feature, but some users find it distracting. You can make the table of contents disappear by clicking the arrow at the top of the table.
If you prefer to see the table of contents at the start of the document, use the Show contents button to display it.
For more on the website’s navigation tools, see Navigate within legislation.
How can I tag sections/get a commercial print?
Some features that were available on the old site are not yet available. Some will be added in the future: see Features coming in the future.
The old site is still available at classic.legislation.govt.nz for a transition period while we finish adding some of the most-requested features, giving people time to get comfortable with the new site.
If you want to tag sections or order a commercial print, you can continue to do so through the old site.
This old site continues to be an up-to-date source of official legislation, publishing Acts, Bills, and other material, in the same way as it has done before during the transition period.
Where can I get help with terms used on this website?
See the Glossary and Guide to New Zealand legislation.
Why change the old site?
The classic website was much loved, and used by thousands of New Zealanders every day. However, a full redevelopment has allowed us to deliver new, modern services:
More secondary legislation: The old website does not provide access to all New Zealand legislation. Secondary legislation published by agencies is not searchable on the old website, so we are improving access to this important information. Our pilot service for secondary legislation is part of the new website.
Mobile-responsiveness and better accessibility support: The new website is designed to look great across all screen sizes and devices, as well as meeting more accessibility requirements.
A new data service: The launch of an API (Application Programming Interface) means people can access, query, and display legislative data in new ways.
A new collection of historical Acts: The redeveloped website means we can more easily publish historical legislation, in connection with our digitisation programme. It allows you to search pre-2008 as-enacted Acts, and we will add more historical legislation in the future.
Features you’ve been requesting: Over the years we have received many requests for improved or upgraded features. The new platform has allowed us to add many new ways for searching, browsing, and interacting with legislation.
See Welcome to the new NZ Legislation website for an outline of the new content and features provided by the new site.
How can I get help or give feedback on this website?
We are happy to help. Please contact us.
If you’d like to give feedback on this website, please use the Feedback tab at the right of every page.