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.

English Language Bill

5: English is an official language of New Zealand

You could also call this:

"English is a special language in New Zealand"

The proposed law says English is an official language of New Zealand. You will see this change if the law is passed. This means English will have a special status in New Zealand.

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 It might be out of date or be missing some parts.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=LMS1493982.

This page was last updated on 17 February 2026 — View changes

Topics:

Government and voting > Government departmentsRights and equality > Anti-discrimination

4: Act binds the Crown, or

"The law applies to the government and its departments"

5English is an official language of New Zealand

English is an official language of New Zealand.