Search and Surveillance Act 2012

Police powers - Warrantless powers relating to road blocks

32: Authorised road blocks implemented without warrant

You could also call this:

"Police can stop and search vehicles at road blocks without a warrant if they think a crime has been committed."

If a road block is authorised under section 30, a police officer can do certain things. You might see a road block set up at a specific place. The police officer can stop vehicles near the road block.

The police officer can ask you for your name, address, and date of birth if they think you have committed a crime. This only happens if you are in a vehicle that is stopped at the road block. The police officer can also search the vehicle if they believe someone they are looking for is inside.

This text is automatically generated. It might be out of date or be missing some parts. Find out more about how we do this.

This page was last updated on 24 May 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM2136674.

Topics:

Crime and justice > Criminal lawCrime and justice > Police and safety

31: Duration and record of warrantless road block authorisation, or

"How long a road block without a warrant can last and what needs to be recorded"

33: Inspector or more senior officer may apply for examination order in business context, or

"A police inspector or higher can ask a Judge for an order to question someone about a business crime."

Part 2Police powers
Warrantless powers relating to road blocks

32Authorised road blocks implemented without warrant

Any constable may do any or all of the following when a road block is authorised under section 30:
establish a road block at the place specified in the authorisation:
stop vehicles at or in the vicinity of the road block:
require any person in or on any vehicle stopped by the road block who the constable has reasonable grounds to suspect has committed an offence punishable by imprisonment to state any or all of his or her name, address, and date of birth:
search the vehicle for the purpose of locating a person referred to in section 30(2)(a)(i) or (ii), if the constable or any other constable has reasonable grounds to believe that the person is in or on the vehicle.