Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993, Restricted Publications and Supply to Minors
Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993 (NZ), No 94, ss. 3, 122, 122A, 125-127
A citation is an address, not a summary. The first part names the law; what follows narrows it to the exact section, article or paragraph.
In force since 1 October 1994.
An adult content age verification (AV) rule binding public and private bodies.
As of 6 September 2026.
What this law does
Drafted with AI from the cited sources under the direction of UnGovr staff. UnGovr holds editorial responsibility for this page.
A publication classified as restricted may not be supplied, distributed, exhibited, or displayed otherwise than in accordance with its classification, most often an age limit such as 18 years or a younger specified age; doing so is a strict-liability offence, and doing so knowing or with reasonable cause to believe the publication is restricted carries a higher penalty.
Separately, supplying, distributing, exhibiting, or displaying to a person under 18 any publication that would itself be classified objectionable if made available to a person of that recipient's age is an offence where the supplier knows or has reasonable cause to believe this, regardless of whether the publication is objectionable for an adult recipient.
Distribute is defined to include providing access to a publication by means of a public data network, so an online host or platform supplying or displaying content falls within these provisions on the same terms as a physical retailer.
If you get it wrong
Criminal exposureYes
Private right of actionNo
Criminal exposure note
Under s. 125(2), strict-liability supply of a restricted publication contrary to its classification carries a fine of up to $3,000 for an individual or $10,000 for a body corporate. Under s. 126(1) and (2), the knowledge-based version of that offence, and the separate offence of supplying to a person under 18 a publication objectionable for that person's age, carry up to 3 months' imprisonment or a $10,000 fine for an individual, or a $25,000 fine for a body corporate.
Penalty structure
Body-corporate fine cap under s. 126(2)(b) for the knowledge-based restricted-publication and supply-to-minor offences; a natural person instead faces up to 3 months' imprisonment or a $10,000 fine under s. 126(2)(a). The strict-liability form of the restricted-publication offence under s. 125(2) carries lower caps of $3,000 (individual) and $10,000 (body corporate).
- Rule
- Fixed only
- As of
- 6 September 2026
- Currency
- NZD
- Fixed cap
- 25,000
Who enforces it
Enforcement body
New Zealand Police; Attorney-General's consent required for a private prosecution
What it reaches
Age threshold
18
Covered services
Any supplier, distributor, or exhibitor of a publication, including a service provider or platform that provides access to digital content by means of a public data network; email and broadcasting-service transmission are excluded from the definition of digital content.
Read the law
official consolidated Act text, New Zealand Legislation