Libraries

Banned Books

We get many inquiries asking what books are banned in New Zealand. This page explains how to find out what books are banned, the penalties for possessing and distributing banned books, and how books are banned.

You can find out what books are banned in New Zealand

Using the NZ Censorship Decisions Database you can search for classification decisions on books made by the Office of Film and Literature Classification and the Indecent Publications Tribunal.

It is important to note that decisions made by the Indecent Publications Tribunal remain in force today. This means that a book banned in 1965, for example, is still banned today and consequently it is an offence to possess or distribute it (including downloading it digitally).

The Classification Act sets out penalties for possessing or distributing banned books

The penalty for an individual possessing a banned publication is a term of imprisonment of up to 5 years or a fine of up to $50,000. The penalty for an individual distributing a banned publication is a term of imprisonment of up to 10 years, and for an organisation the penalty is a fine of up to $200,000. You can read more about offences and penalties under the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993 in our Plain English Guide to the Offence Provisions.

Books are banned in New Zealand using criteria set out in the Classification Act

Unlike films, books are not required to be classified before they are supplied to the public. Books are generally submitted for classification by Police, Customs, the Censorship Compliance Unit of the Department of Internal Affairs, or members of the public.

The Office of Film and Literature Classification classifies books using the criteria set out in section 3 of the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993. You can read more about the criteria, including a link to the full wording of the classification legislation, on our What the Act Restricts page. On average the Office classifies 2 or 3 books per year. Books can be classified as unrestricted, restricted or banned.

If you would like to have a banned book re-classified you can seek to have it reconsidered

You can apply to have a publication reconsidered by the Classification Office under section 42 of the Act if:

the publication was classified three or more years ago; or
it has been substantially altered since the original classification decision; or
you can satisfy the Chief Censor that there are special circumstances that justify reconsideration of the decision.

In most cases, you will need the permission of the Chief Censor to make an application.

Your application should include:

a copy of the publication to be reconsidered
any advertising material associated with the publication
an application form (PDF v6.0, 167kb) and the correct fee
a covering letter (optional) outlining why you want the publication reconsidered
- note that if the three year time period has not elapsed you will need to explain any special circumstances justifying an early reconsideration