The New Zealand Police Museum specialises in police related objects and ephemera. Research enquiries regarding the Museum collection, Police personnel, and history should be submitted through the Official Information Act (OIA) request form. In the ‘What information do you require’ field, write MUSEUM first, then your enquiry.
Research fees may apply, for details please refer to Museum Enquiries at the bottom of this page.
Police Records and Personal Files
Archives New Zealand is the official repository for government archives. For access to Police records (including access to personal files for genealogical research) contact or visit Archives New Zealand.
Search Archives New Zealand online using Archway.
Access to Police records is restricted until 100 years from date of closure, or 70 years from date of closure for Police Gazettes.
Criminal Records
To find out about access to criminal records visit the Ministry of Justice website.
General Police History
Most districts of New Zealand have a book outlining the history of policing in their local area. To view a list of books about policing in New Zealand visit the Police history page.
Most of these titles will be available through your local library. Alternatively contact the Police Museum to purchase any of the books on the list via the Museum shop.
Mug Shots
As part of the online exhibition 'Suspicious Looking: 19th Century Mug Shots from the New Zealand Police Museum' we have made a number of previously unaccessible mug shots available online. The images provided online may be used for educational or non-commercial purposes. The Museum is not able to provide higher quality reproductions of the photographs, nor any additional information on the individuals in the mug shots. To learn more about the people in the images and the crimes they committed, you can try searching old newspapers online using the National Library of New Zealand's digitised archive 'Papers Past'.
Museum enquiries
T (04) 238 3141
E museum@police.govt.nz
New Zealand Police Museum charging schedule for research enquiries:Charging schedule (PDF 26KB)