Search and Surveillance Act 2012

General provisions in relation to search, surveillance, and inspection powers - Carrying out search powers

110: Search powers

You could also call this:

"Police can search places, vehicles, or things with permission, using reasonable force and help when needed."

When someone has a search power, they can enter and search a place, vehicle, or thing at a reasonable time. They can also ask for help from anyone, including people from a hapū or iwi if the place is important to them.

They can use reasonable force to carry out the search and seize things that are relevant to the search.

They can bring equipment to use during the search, including dogs trained for law enforcement, and copy documents or access computer systems if necessary.

They can also take photos, videos, or drawings of the place or things found there if they think it will help with the search.

They must only do these things at a reasonable time and in a way that is reasonable for the search.

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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=DLM2136804.

Topics:

Crime and justice > Police and safetyCrime and justice > Criminal law

109: Limitation on jurisdiction of certain issuing officers, or

"Some law enforcement officers can't make decisions on cases from their own team."

111: Remote access search of thing authorised by warrant, or

"Searching something remotely with a special warrant"

Part 4General provisions in relation to search, surveillance, and inspection powers
Carrying out search powers

110Search powers

Every search power authorises the person exercising it—
to enter and search the place, vehicle, or other thing that the person is authorised to enter and search, and any item or items found in that place or vehicle or thing, at any time that is reasonable:
to request any person to assist with the entry and search (including, without limitation, a member of a hapū or an iwi if the place to be entered is of cultural or spiritual significance to that hapū or iwi):
to use any force in respect of any property that is reasonable for the purposes of carrying out the search and any lawful seizure:
to seize anything that is the subject of the search or anything else that may be lawfully seized:
to bring and use in or on the place, vehicle, or other thing searched any equipment, to use any equipment found on the place, vehicle, or other thing, and to extract any electricity from the place, vehicle, or other thing to operate the equipment that it is reasonable to use in the circumstances, for the purposes of carrying out the entry and search:
to bring and use in or on the place, vehicle, or other thing searched a dog (being a dog that is trained to undertake searching for law enforcement purposes and that is under the control of its usual handler):
to copy any document, or part of a document, that may lawfully be seized:
to use any reasonable measures to access a computer system or other data storage device located (in whole or in part) at the place, vehicle, or other thing if any intangible material that is the subject of the search may be in that computer system or other device:
if any intangible material accessed under paragraph (h) is the subject of the search or may otherwise be lawfully seized, to copy that material (including by means of previewing, cloning, or other forensic methods either before or after removal for examination):
to take photographs, sound and video recordings, and drawings of the place, vehicle, or other thing searched, and of any thing found in or on that place, vehicle, or other thing, if the person exercising the power has reasonable grounds to believe that the photographs or sound or video recordings or drawings may be relevant to the purposes of the entry and search.