Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

 Plain Language Law homepage
Back to
257: Using forged documents
or “It's against the law to use fake papers to get things or fool people, even if they were made in another country.”
You could also call this:

“Changing, hiding, destroying, or copying papers to trick someone is against the law.”

You can go to prison for up to 10 years if you change, hide, destroy, or copy a document to trick someone. This is illegal if you do it to get something valuable or to make someone else lose something.

You break this law as soon as you change or make the document, even if you didn’t plan for a specific person to use it or do something because of it.

You can also go to prison for up to 3 years if you sell or give someone a document that you know was changed, hidden, or copied to trick people. This is illegal if the document was made to get something valuable or to make someone else lose something.

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 It might be out of date or be missing some parts.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

Next up: 259: Using altered or reproduced document with intent to deceive

or “It's against the law to use a fake or changed document to trick people, even if it was made in another country.”
Next

Part 10 Crimes against rights of property
Forgery and counterfeiting

258Altering, concealing, destroying, or reproducing documents with intent to deceive

  1. Every one is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years who, with intent to obtain by deception any property, privilege, service, pecuniary advantage, benefit, or valuable consideration, or to cause loss to any other person,—

  2. alters, conceals, or destroys any document, or causes any document to be altered, concealed, or destroyed; or
    1. makes a document or causes a document to be made that is, in whole or in part, a reproduction of any other document.

      1. An offence against subsection (1) is complete as soon as the alteration or document is made with the intent referred to in that subsection, although the offender may not have intended that any particular person should—

      2. use or act upon the document altered or made; or
        1. act on the basis of the absence of the document concealed or destroyed; or
          1. be induced to do or refrain from doing anything.

            1. Every person is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years who, without reasonable excuse, sells, transfers, or otherwise makes available any document knowing that—

            2. the document was altered, concealed, or made, in whole or in part, as a reproduction of another document; and
              1. the document was dealt with in the manner specified in paragraph (a) with intent to—
                1. obtain any property, privilege, service, pecuniary advantage, benefit, or valuable consideration; or
                  1. cause loss to any other person.

                  Compare
                  Notes
                  • Section 258: replaced, on , by section 15 of the Crimes Amendment Act 2003 (2003 No 39).
                  • Section 258(3): inserted, on , by section 18 of the Crimes Amendment Act 2015 (2015 No 95).