This page is about a bill. That means that it's not the law yet, but some people want it to be the law. It could change quickly, and some of the information is just a draft.

Planning Bill

Enforcement and other matters - Enforcement - Infringement offences

268: How infringement notice may be served

You could also call this:

"How you get an infringement notice if you break the law"

You can get an infringement notice if an enforcement officer thinks you have committed an offence. The officer can give you the notice in several ways. They can deliver it to you, leave it at your home or work with someone else, send it to you by post, or send it to your electronic address. If the notice is sent by post, it is usually considered served five working days after it was posted. If it is sent to your electronic address, it is considered served when it first enters a system outside the enforcement authority's control. This is how the proposed law says infringement notices may be served on you.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS1540207.

This page was last updated on 12 December 2025 — View changes

Topics:

Crime and justice > Courts and legal help

267: What infringement notice must contain, or

"What information must be on an infringement notice?"

269: Payment of infringement fees, or

"What happens to the money you pay for breaking a rule"

Part 6Enforcement and other matters
Enforcement: Infringement offences

268How infringement notice may be served

An infringement notice may be served on the person who the enforcement officer believes is committing or has committed the infringement offence by—
delivering it to the person or, if the person refuses to accept it, bringing it to the person’s notice; or
leaving it for the person at the person’s last known place of residence with another person who appears to be of or over the age of 14 years; or
leaving it for the person at the person’s place of working or work with another person; or
sending it to the person by prepaid post addressed to the person’s last known place of residence or place of business or work; or
sending it to an electronic address of the person.

Unless the contrary is shown,—
an infringement notice (or a copy of it) sent by prepaid post to a person under subsection (1) is to be treated as having been served on that person on the fifth working day after the date on which it was posted; and
an infringement notice sent to a valid electronic address is to be treated as having been served at the time the electronic communication first entered an information system that is outside the control of the enforcement authority.