Is it legal to have security cameras in New Zealand?

Yes — security cameras are legal in New Zealand for both residential and commercial use. The Privacy Act 2020 governs how footage may be collected, stored, and used. On your own property, you are generally permitted to record your own driveway, gardens, and exterior areas. The restrictions apply when cameras capture areas beyond your property boundary — including neighbours' properties, public spaces, and shared areas.

Do I need to tell neighbours about my security cameras?

You are not legally required to notify neighbours that you have security cameras, provided those cameras are primarily aimed at your own property. However, if your camera captures a significant amount of a neighbour's property — particularly their living areas, driveway, or garden — this may constitute a privacy breach under the Privacy Act 2020. It is good practice to discuss camera placement with neighbours if there is any reasonable overlap, and to angle cameras to minimise capture of neighbouring properties.

Do I need CCTV signage in NZ?

For residential properties, CCTV signage is not legally required but is strongly recommended. For businesses, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) recommends clearly visible signage whenever CCTV is in use, particularly where the public may be recorded. The Privacy Act 2020 requires that people are not deceived about the collection of their personal information — visible signage helps demonstrate transparency and reduce risk of complaints.

Can my security camera record audio in New Zealand?

Audio recording is significantly more restricted than video under NZ law. The Crimes Act 1961 (section 216B) makes it an offence to intercept private communications without the consent of the parties involved. Recording audio of conversations on your own property — such as at your front door — may be lawful if the recording is not of 'private communications.' However, recording audio of neighbours or people in areas where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy is likely unlawful. Many NZ homeowners disable audio recording on their cameras for this reason.

What can I do if a neighbour's camera is pointed at my property?

First, attempt a direct conversation with your neighbour — many camera placement issues are resolved informally. If that fails, you can make a complaint to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) at www.privacy.org.nz. The OPC can investigate and mediate disputes. In cases of serious or repeated harassment using cameras, the Harassment Act 1997 may also apply. Councils do not generally have jurisdiction over private CCTV disputes.

How long can I legally keep security camera footage in NZ?

The Privacy Act 2020 requires that personal information is not kept longer than necessary for the purpose it was collected. For residential security cameras, most privacy lawyers suggest a retention period of 30–90 days is reasonable. Many NVR systems overwrite footage automatically when storage is full. If footage captures an incident and may be needed as evidence, retain it until the matter is resolved and delete it promptly after.

Security Camera Laws NZ 2026: What You're Allowed to Do | Get Secure NZ

New Zealand's privacy law is broadly permissive for home security cameras — but there are real boundaries that catch NZ homeowners out, particularly around audio recording, neighbour disputes, and footage retention.

This guide is written specifically for NZ conditions. It covers the Privacy Act 2020, audio recording rules, signage requirements, and what to do if a dispute arises. It is general guidance only — not legal advice. For specific situations, consult a New Zealand lawyer or the Office of the Privacy Commissioner.

The governing law: Privacy Act 2020

New Zealand's primary law governing security cameras is the Privacy Act 2020, which came into force on 1 December 2020, replacing the 1993 Act.

The Act establishes 13 Information Privacy Principles (IPPs) that govern how personal information — including CCTV footage — is collected, stored, used, and disclosed.

For residential security cameras, the most relevant principles are:

IPP 1 — Purpose of collection: Only collect footage for a lawful purpose (home security is a legitimate purpose), and only collect what is necessary for that purpose.

IPP 2 — Source of collection: Where practicable, collect information directly from the individual. For CCTV this effectively means: use visible cameras rather than hidden ones where possible.

IPP 4 — Manner of collection: Don't collect information in a way that is unfair, or by deception. Hidden cameras in areas where people have a reasonable expectation of privacy are problematic.

IPP 5 — Storage and security: Keep footage secure. Don't leave NVR systems accessible without password protection.

IPP 9 — Retention: Don't keep footage longer than necessary.

IPP 11 — Disclosure: Don't share footage with third parties (including posting online) without good reason.

What you can legally record

Your own property

You are generally free to record:

Your own driveway, front path, and garage
Your front door and entry areas
Your garden, deck, and backyard
The exterior of your home

The key principle is that these are areas you have a legitimate interest in monitoring for security purposes.

The street and public areas

Cameras that also capture the footpath or street in front of your property are generally acceptable, provided the primary purpose is monitoring your own property. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) has confirmed that incidental capture of public areas is not typically a breach of the Privacy Act.

However, a camera positioned primarily to monitor the street, neighbours' properties, or public spaces — rather than your own property — is more difficult to justify and more likely to generate complaints.

What you cannot do

Record inside neighbours' homes

A camera that captures inside a neighbouring property — particularly living areas, bedrooms, or backyards where people have a reasonable expectation of privacy — is likely a breach of the Privacy Act regardless of where the camera is physically located.

This matters for camera placement: a wide-angle camera on your front fence may capture more of your neighbour's driveway than you intend. Review the field of view carefully and adjust angle or use privacy zones in your camera app to exclude neighbouring properties.

Hidden cameras in shared or private spaces

Hidden cameras in areas where people have a reasonable expectation of privacy — bathrooms, changing rooms, or inside an Airbnb without disclosure — are illegal and can constitute a criminal offence under the Crimes Act 1961.

For Airbnb and rental properties, Airbnb's own policy requires disclosure of all cameras. Undisclosed cameras in rental properties are both a privacy breach and potentially a Residential Tenancies Act violation.

Record audio of private conversations

This is the area where NZ homeowners most commonly overstep. Section 216B of the Crimes Act 1961 makes it an offence to intentionally intercept a private communication without the consent of a party to that communication.

A "private communication" is one made under circumstances where parties reasonably expect it will not be intercepted. A conversation between two people at your front gate, or between your neighbours in their garden, is likely a private communication.

Practical guidance:

Disable audio recording on cameras pointed at neighbour-adjacent areas
Front door doorbells that capture audio of conversations at your own door are generally lower risk — the person is on your property and interacting with you
Cameras pointed at your driveway or street should have audio disabled
Never post video online that includes audio of identifiable third parties without consent

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Audio recording is the highest-risk area of NZ camera law. Many NZ homeowners leave audio enabled by default without realising this creates legal exposure. Check your camera settings and disable audio recording unless you specifically need it.

CCTV signage in NZ

Residential properties

Signage is not legally required for residential CCTV under the Privacy Act 2020. However, the OPC recommends it as best practice because:

It demonstrates transparency (relevant to IPP 4)
It deters potential offenders (the practical point of signage)
It reduces neighbour complaints by setting expectations

A simple "CCTV in operation" sign near your main entry point is sufficient. Bunnings, Jaycar, and most security retailers stock these for under NZ$15.

Businesses and rental properties

For businesses where staff or customers may be recorded, signage is effectively required as a matter of good practice under the Privacy Act — failing to notify people that they are being recorded is likely inconsistent with IPP 4 (manner of collection). The OPC has investigated businesses that operated CCTV without adequate notice.

For short-term rental properties (Airbnb, Bookabach), disclosure of all exterior cameras is required by the platforms' terms of service, and failure to disclose cameras is a breach of the Privacy Act.

Workplace cameras: additional rules

Employers have specific obligations when using CCTV to monitor staff:

Consultation: Employees should be consulted before CCTV is introduced in a workplace, particularly where cameras will monitor work areas.

Purpose limitation: Cameras must be used for the stated purpose (security) and not repurposed for performance monitoring without agreement.

Health and Safety at Work Act 2015: Worker surveillance must be proportionate and not create an unreasonably stressful work environment.

Employment agreements: It is best practice to include CCTV policies in employment agreements or workplace policies.

The Employment Relations Authority has found against employers who used covert or undisclosed surveillance as a basis for disciplinary action.

Neighbours and disputes

If you have concerns about a neighbour's camera

Talk to your neighbour first. Many disputes are resolved by a direct, friendly conversation. Your neighbour may not realise their camera is capturing your property, or may be willing to adjust the angle.
Request footage be masked. Most camera systems allow "privacy zones" — areas of the image that are permanently blurred or blacked out. Ask your neighbour if they can set a privacy zone covering your property.
Contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner. If informal resolution fails, you can make a complaint at www.privacy.org.nz. The OPC can investigate and mediate. The process is free and doesn't require a lawyer.
Consider the Harassment Act. If cameras are being used to deliberately harass or monitor you — particularly combined with other harassing behaviour — the Harassment Act 1997 may apply. Contact Police.

If your neighbour complains about your camera

Take the complaint seriously. Review your camera's field of view and consider:

Adjusting the camera angle
Adding a privacy zone to exclude the neighbouring property
Moving the camera to a different mounting position

Documenting that you responded to the complaint and made reasonable adjustments is important if the matter escalates to the OPC.

Sharing and using footage

Providing footage to Police

You can voluntarily provide footage to Police investigating a crime. Police can also request footage as part of an investigation. There is no obligation to proactively hand over footage unless served with a formal production order.

If you capture footage of a serious incident (assault, burglary), preserve the footage immediately — overwrite cycles on NVR systems can delete it quickly — and contact Police.

Sharing footage publicly (social media)

Posting CCTV footage online of identifiable individuals without their consent is a serious privacy risk and potentially unlawful under the Privacy Act. Even if the incident occurred on your property, publishing footage of a person's face or identifying information without reason is likely to breach IPP 11 (limits on disclosure).

Neighbourhood watch groups and community Facebook pages sometimes share CCTV footage. While this is common practice, it creates legal exposure for the person who posts it. Blur faces before posting and consult Police if the matter relates to a crime.

Insurance claims

Most NZ insurers accept CCTV footage as evidence for burglary or damage claims. Retain footage until the claim is resolved. Some insurers offer premium discounts for properties with verified security camera installations — worth asking your insurer directly.

Footage retention: how long to keep recordings

The Privacy Act requires footage not be kept longer than necessary. Guidance from the OPC suggests:

| Situation | Recommended retention | |---|---| | Routine monitoring, no incident | 30–90 days (overwrite automatically) | | Incident recorded, matter unresolved | Retain until resolved | | Evidence provided to Police | Retain until advised by Police | | Insurance claim underway | Retain until claim resolved |

Most NVR and cloud systems overwrite footage automatically when storage is full — this is compliant with the Act provided the retention period is reasonable.

Key contacts

Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC): www.privacy.org.nz — for complaints and guidance
NZ Police: 105 (non-emergency) or 111 (emergency) — for footage relating to crimes
Citizens Advice Bureau: www.cab.org.nz — free legal guidance

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This guide reflects NZ law as at April 2026. Privacy law is an evolving area — check the OPC website for updates. This is general information, not legal advice. For specific situations, consult a New Zealand lawyer.

Security Camera Laws NZ 2026: What You Can and Can't Do