Armed Forces Discipline Act 1971

Offences - Offences relating to property

60: Conversion of vehicles, etc

You could also call this:

"Taking or messing with military vehicles or animals without permission is against the law"

Illustration for Armed Forces Discipline Act 1971

If you are subject to the Armed Forces Discipline Act 1971, you commit an offence if you take or convert something that does not belong to you without a valid reason. This includes motor vehicles, ships, aircraft, or animals that belong to the Crown or to someone subject to service law. You can be imprisoned for up to 2 years if you do this. You also commit an offence if you interfere with or get into any of these vehicles, ships, aircraft, or animals without permission. This applies to any vehicle, ship, aircraft, or animal that belongs to the Crown or to someone subject to service law. If you do any of these things, you can be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years, as stated in the Armed Forces Discipline Act 1971 which was amended by the Crimes Amendment Act 2003.

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 It might be out of date or be missing some parts.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

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM402754.

This page was last updated on 1 January 2026 — View changes

Topics:

Crime and justice > Criminal lawTransport and travel > Driving

59: Unlawful possession of service property or property of comrade, or

"Having service property without a good reason is against the law"

61: Destruction of or damage to service property or property of comrade, or

"Don't damage Armed Forces property on purpose or by accident."

Part 2Offences
Offences relating to property

60Conversion of vehicles, etc

Every person subject to this Act commits an offence, and is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years, who, unlawfully and without claim of right, but not so as to be guilty of stealing, takes or converts to his own use or to the use of any other person—
any motor vehicle, or other vehicle or carriage of any description, or ship, or aircraft, or aircraft material, which belongs to the Crown or to any person subject to service law or in which any person subject to service law has a special property or interest; or
any part of any such vehicle, carriage, ship, aircraft, or aircraft material; or
any animal (being an animal capable of being stolen) which belongs to the Crown or to any person subject to service law or in which any person subject to service law has a special property or interest.

Every person subject to this Act commits an offence, and is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years, who, unlawfully and without claim of right, interferes with or gets into or upon any vehicle, carriage, ship, or aircraft referred to in paragraph (a) of subsection (1), or interferes with or gets upon any animal, referred to in paragraph (c) of that subsection.

Notes

Section 60(1): amended, on 1 October 2003, by section 34 of the Crimes Amendment Act 2003 (2003 No 39).
Section 60(2): amended, on 1 October 2003, by section 34 of the Crimes Amendment Act 2003 (2003 No 39).