IR-01-26-7325
1 April 2026
Nigel Gray
[FYI request #33886 email]
Dear Nigel
Request for information
I refer to your Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) request received on 27 February 2026
in which you asked:
I am requesting the fol owing information regarding Police guidance, policies, or
internal instructions relating to “sovereign citizens”, “non-compliant behaviour”,
“ideologically-motivated behaviour”, or any similar behavioural-risk classifications
used during roadside interactions:
New Zealand Police does not use a standalone behavioural risk classification system
specifical y labelled as “non-compliant behaviour” or “ideological y-motivated behaviour”
for roadside interactions.
However, Police does hold operational guidance relevant to roadside interactions with
individuals who assert sovereign citizen beliefs. This guidance is contained in the
Sovereign Citizens chapter of the Police Manual, which provides officers with procedures,
safety considerations, and scenario-based guidance (including traffic stops), and directs
the application of TENR and the Graduated Response Model where such beliefs may
lead to non-compliance or escalation. A copy is publicly available on Police’s website:
https://www.police.govt.nz/about-us/publication/sovereign-citizens-police-manual-chapter
1. Document creation and circulation
The date each relevant policy, guideline, training note, or operational instruction
was drafted.
Drafting of the
Sovereign Citizens chapter was an iterative process which took place
between March 2024 and February 2025.
The date each was approved.
The
Sovereign Citizens chapter was approved on 24 February 2025.
The date each was first circulated to staff.
The
Sovereign Citizens chapter was first made available to all staff on 24 February 2025.
A supporting internal notification to all staff was published on 4 March 2025.
Police National Headquarters 180 Molesworth Street. PO Box 3017, Wellington 6140, New Zealand.
www.police.govt.nz
Any subsequent re-circulation, updates, or amendments since 1 January 2023.
The
Sovereign Citizens chapter was last updated on 5 June 2025 as part of routine
internal review while progressing to external publication. The amendments made were
minor in nature and the updated chapter was made available to staff immediately on
making those updates.
2. Context for updates or circulation
Al internal correspondence, emails, memos, or briefing notes that discuss the
need to create, update, or re-circulate this guidance.
The request for a
Sovereign Citizens chapter originated verbally from a Police member in
the Central District who sought operational guidance on how staff should approach
discussions with those who assert sovereign citizen beliefs.
Development of the
Sovereign Citizens chapter was a collaborative project across a
number of business groups over several months. Police does not hold discrete briefing
notes or formal memoranda created specifically for the purpose of approving or directing
the creation of the chapter. I have however included the paper that was presented to
Police’s Security and Privacy Reference Group which sought feedback on an early draft. I
have also included the notice to staff which was circulated on Police’s internal
noticeboard on 4 March 2025 fol owing the chapter’s publication.
Aside from these artefacts, Police also hold a significant volume of internal emails which
are routine and administrative in nature as the chapter was developed and considered.
Police would require substantial time to locate, review, and prepare these emails for
release. These are therefore refused under section 18(f) of the OIA as they cannot be
made available without substantial col ation or research.
Any references within that correspondence to roadside drug testing, oral-fluid
testing, biological sampling, or public concern about these processes.
The
Sovereign Citizens chapter does not address roadside drug testing and was not
developed in response to, or alongside, the rol out of oral fluid testing. Where multiple
chapters are relevant to a given circumstance, those relevant chapters should be read in
conjunction with one another. This part of your request is therefore refused under section
18(e) of the OIA as the document(s) assumed to contain the information does not exist.
Any references to public posts, public commentary, or social-media discussions
relating to roadside drug testing or Police handling of rights-assertive behaviour.
No requests have been made to update or re-circulate the
Sovereign Citizens chapter
due to public posts, commentary or social media discussions on roadside drug testing.
This part of your request is therefore similarly refused under section 18(e) of the OIA.
3. Application to roadside drug testing
Any risk assessments, operational analyses, or internal discussions that link
behavioural-risk classifications to the rol out of oral-fluid testing.
No risk assessments, operational analyses, or internal discussions linking behaviour risk
classifications to roadside drug testing have been produced. It fol ows that this part of
your request is also refused under section 18(e) of the OIA.
Any instructions given to frontline staff on how to interpret questioning,
rights-assertive behaviour, or safety concerns during oral-fluid testing.
Police has not issued instructions specific to roadside drug testing that direct staff on how
to interpret rights-assertive questioning or ideological claims. General operational
frameworks such as TENR and the Graduated Response Model apply to all interactions,
including roadside drug testing. Accordingly, section 18(e) of the OIA again applies.
4. Monitoring of public concern
Any internal reports, summaries, or monitoring notes that refer to public concern,
public commentary, or social-media discussion about the safety, legality, or
operational conduct of roadside drug testing since 1 January 2023.
Police is aware of some concerns regarding the perceived safety and legality of roadside
drug testing. This awareness comes from requests for information and no reporting,
summarising, or monitoring notes have been made regarding these concerns. Section
18(e) of the OIA once again applies, as there are no relevant documents to supply you.
Whilst it has been possible to address some of your areas of interest, and I trust you find
this reply informative, if you are not satisfied with how I have responded to your request,
section 28(3) of the OIA confirms your right to seek a review by the Ombudsman.
Information on how to do this is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz.
Yours sincerely
Superintendent Steve Greally
Director: Road Policing
New Zealand Police
