Criminal Records (Clean Slate) (Additional Eligibility) Amendment Bill
This bill changes the rules about who can hide old criminal records from employers and others. Right now, people who served a prison sentence or had their driver's licence taken away multiple times can never qualify to have their record hidden. This bill would let those people qualify too, as long as they have stayed out of trouble for at least 10 years since finishing their sentence or disqualification. In practice, it means more people with old convictions could apply for better jobs without their past being held against them.
What this affects
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More people with old criminal records — including those who served a short prison sentence or lost their licence repeatedly — could have those records hidden from employers after 10 years of staying out of trouble.
An individual who would be eligible under section 7(1) but for the application of section 7(1)(b), is eligible under the clean slate scheme if any custodial sentence imposed on the individual was of less than 12 months duration… and they have completed a rehabilitation period of not less than 10 consecutive years since the date on which their last custodial sentence was completed.
An individual who would be eligible under section 7(1) but for the application of section 7(1)(g), is eligible under the clean slate scheme if they have completed a rehabilitation period of not less than 10 consecutive years since the date on which the last order made under section 65 of the Land Transport Act 1998… ceases to have effect.
Progress through Parliament
Have your say
This bill is open for public submissions to the Justice Committee. Anyone can tell the committee what they think, and you don’t need to be an expert. Submissions close 2 September 2026.
Bill text sourced from legislation.govt.nz (Parliamentary Counsel Office). Arapono’s summary and breakdown are drafted with AI grounded in that official text and reviewed by an Arapono editor for accuracy and neutrality before publishing. Arapono is non-partisan and takes no position on this bill.