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.

Natural Environment Bill

Enforcement and other matters - Enforcement - Powers of entry and search

277: Direction and execution of warrant for entry for search

You could also call this:

"Police can search a place with a special permission slip called a warrant"

Illustration for Natural Environment Bill

If a warrant lets police enter and search a house or marae, any police officer can do it. You need to know that a warrant is like a special permission slip. A police officer is also called a constable. When police get a warrant to search a place, it is usually given to any police officer or enforcement officer. An enforcement officer is someone who helps make sure people follow the rules. You should know that an enforcement officer must go with a police officer when they first enter a place to search it. After the police officer and enforcement officer first enter the place, the police officer can leave if the enforcement officer agrees. This means the enforcement officer can stay and finish the search without the police officer. The police officer can only leave after they have started the search.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS1529091.

This page was last updated on 14 December 2025 — View changes

Topics:

Crime and justice > Police and safetyHousing and property > Home safety and repairsHousing and property > Land use

276: Warrant for entry for search, or

"Searching a place or vehicle with a special permit if someone might have broken the law"

278: Offences against this Act, or

"Breaking the Natural Environment Bill's rules is against the law"

Part 6Enforcement and other matters
Enforcement: Powers of entry and search

277Direction and execution of warrant for entry for search

If a warrant authorises the entry and search of a dwellinghouse or marae, it must be directed to and executed by any police constable generally.
Except as provided in subsection (1), every search warrant issued under section 276 must be directed to any constable generally or enforcement officer generally.
An enforcement officer must be accompanied by a constable during the initial entry of the place or vehicle to be searched.
Subject to the agreement of the enforcement officer, the constable may leave the place or vehicle at any time after the initial execution of the search warrant.