A person is registered for either 8 years, 15 years or for life, depending on the severity of the offence they committed and the sentence they received.

Once a registered person has completed their registration period, they will no longer need to report.

If a registered person goes overseas, the time they have on the register is put on hold. When they return to New Zealand their registration period recommences. The local law enforcement agency in the country/countries they travel to will be informed of the offender’s travel arrangements. If the travel plans of the registered person change before or during their travel, the changes need to be advised to the register.

The register obligations are additional to any other sentence or order requirements the registered person may have.

If the registered person is convicted of another qualifying offence (that’s one related to child sex offending), and is sentenced to prison, they will automatically receive another period of registration. If they receive a non-custodial sentence, it will be up to the judge to decide whether to order a
further registration period. Their length of time on the register will be recalculated considering the new registration requirements.

If the registered person has a disability that makes it impossible or impracticable to make a report, a parent, guardian, carer, or other adult person nominated and approved by the person’s Police case manager can report on their behalf.

A person who has been sentenced to imprisonment for a corresponding offence in another country or is subject to registration requirements for a corresponding offence in another country, will be registered in New Zealand if they intend to move to New Zealand.

They are likely to be served with a registration order at the NZ border and will be required to make an initial report to a Police case manager within 72 hours (3 days) of arrival in New Zealand.