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Summary Offences Act 1981

Offences resembling forgery or fraud

19: Imitation of official documents

You could also call this:

"Don't fake official documents or you could get a $500 fine"

Illustration for Summary Offences Act 1981

You can get a fine of up to $500 if you create or share a document that looks like an official one. This includes documents that seem to be from the government or other important groups. You must not make people think a document is official when it is not. You are not allowed to make a document that looks like it is from a important person or group, like the Sovereign or a Minister. This also includes documents that seem to be from a local council or other public authority. If you do this, you can get in trouble with the law. If you make a document that seems to be an official one, you can get a fine. This is because the law says you must not try to trick people into thinking something is official when it is not. You have to be honest and clear about what your document is and where it comes from.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM53560.

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18: Imitation of court documents, or

"Don't fake court documents or you could get a $500 fine"

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"It's against the law to pretend you have qualifications you don't really have."

19Imitation of official documents

  1. Every person is liable to a fine not exceeding $500 who issues or distributes or publicly exhibits or causes to be issued or distributed or publicly exhibited any document that is intended or is likely, by reason of its wording or appearance or in any other manner, to cause any person to believe, contrary to the fact, that—

  2. the document is an official document; or
    1. the document is or contains a copy of or an extract from an official document; or
      1. the document sets forth the substance of an official document.

        1. In this section official document means a document issued by or with the authority of—

        2. the Sovereign; or
          1. the Governor-General; or
            1. the Executive Council; or
              1. any Minister or officer in the service of the Crown in his capacity as such; or
                1. any local or public authority; or
                  1. any member or officer of any local or public authority in his capacity as such.

                    Compare
                    • 1927 No 35 s 21
                    • 1967 No 154 s 2(1)
                    Notes
                    • Section 19(2)(a): editorial change made by the PCO, on , under sections 86(1) and 87(a) of the Legislation Act 2019 (2019 No 58).