MoJ criminal check vs NZ Police vetting — which do you need?
The two main criminal-history checks available in New Zealand serve different purposes. Here is how to decide which one applies to your role — or whether you need both.
The short answer
If you are an employer running a standard background check, a Ministry of Justice criminal record check is what you want. If you are a children's-workforce employer covered by the Children's Act 2014 — schools, ECE providers, sports clubs working with under-18s — you must also run NZ Police vetting through the Police Vetting Service.
What MoJ returns
An MoJ criminal record check returns convictions and currently pending charges. It is subject to the Clean Slate Act, so eligible historic convictions are concealed. It is the right tool for almost all general employment use cases.
What Police vetting returns
Police vetting returns a wider information set including non-conviction information (such as charges that did not lead to conviction, or restraining orders) that the Police judge to be relevant to the role. Access to it is restricted — you must be a registered agency and the role must qualify.
When you need both
Children's-workforce roles typically run both. Police vetting is required by law for the safeguarding picture; MoJ provides the standard conviction history with faster turnaround.