Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Privacy Act 2020

Access to and correction of personal information - Access to personal information

44: Responding to IPP 6 request

You could also call this:

"What happens when you ask for your personal information from an agency"

Illustration for Privacy Act 2020

If you ask an agency for your personal information under IPP 6 and section 43 does not apply, the agency must respond to your request as soon as possible, and no later than 20 working days after they receive it. You will get a response that tells you whether the agency has your personal information or not. The agency will let you know if they have your information and if you can access it.

The agency's response will tell you one of the following: they do not have your personal information in a way that they can easily find it, or they do not have any information about you. They might also say they do have your information and they will either give you access to it or not. In some cases, the agency will not tell you if they have your information or not.

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 It might be out of date or be missing some parts.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

This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS153150.

Topics:
Rights and equality > Privacy
Previous

43: Transfer of IPP 6 request, or

"What happens if the agency you ask for information doesn't have it and sends your request to another agency instead"

Next

45: Decision to grant access to personal information, or

"Getting to see your personal information: what you need to know"

Part 4Access to and correction of personal information
Access to personal information

44Responding to IPP 6 request

  1. If an agency receives an IPP 6 request and section 43 does not apply, the agency must, as soon as is reasonably practicable, and in any case not later than 20 working days after the day on which the request is received, respond to the request.

  2. A response must notify the requestor that—

  3. the agency does not hold personal information in a way that enables the information to be readily retrieved; or
    1. the agency does not hold any personal information about the individual to whom the request relates; or
      1. the agency does hold personal information about the individual to whom the request relates and, if access to the information has been requested, that—
        1. access to that information, or some of that information, is granted; or
          1. access to that information, or some of that information, is refused; or
          2. the agency neither confirms nor denies that it holds any personal information about the individual to whom the request relates.

            Notes
            • Section 44(1): amended, on , by section 14 of the Privacy Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 53).