Use our online form to ask for personal information in records about you from any organisation in New Zealand.
Learn about the records request process.
Do you know who may hold your records? Find out who holds records about places where people were in the guardianship or care of others.
Once you have completed this form, this tool will send an email to the organisation(s) you said you want records from, with a request for your personal information.
The email will include a note about what the organisation needs to do to respond to you, and when they need to respond to you.
You will get to check your request before it is sent. You will be emailed a confirmation that you have completed the form, and copies of the email(s) sent to the organisation(s).
Before an organisation provides you with any personal information, they will want to confirm your identity with you.
If your request involves highly personal or very sensitive information, we suggest you call or write to the organisation directly, rather than having your request emailed.
To help improve the performance of this form we keep track of:
We do not keep any information from your request and we will not see the reply you receive.
You do not have to use this form to ask for your personal information. You can contact the organisation directly.
Find out how to contact organisations that may hold records about people who spent time in the guardianship or care of others.
This tool will email your request to the organisation or organisations you choose.
The organisation has to respond to you within 20 working days after they receive your request (this does not include weekends, public holidays, and any days between 25 December and 15 January).
Before an organisation provides you with any personal information, they will want to confirm your identity. They might also ask more questions about your request.
If an organisation tells you they are going to provide you with your personal information, but do not include it with their response to you, they must provide it without unreasonable delays.
If they tell you they are not going to provide your records, they must explain why they are refusing your request. You can ask the Privacy Commissioner to review their decision.
If your request is to a public sector agency (like a government agency), there should be no costs to you.
If your request is to a private sector business or organisation, they might impose a cost but it must be reasonable.
If there is a cost involved, the organisation should tell you beforehand.
If you are not happy with any costs you are asked to pay, you can make a complaint to the Privacy Commissioneropen_in_new.