Civil registration of births, deaths and marriages has been compulsory for Europeans from 1847, and for Maori from 1911.

We hold a few birth, marriage and death registers, but most of the birth records are restricted under the Adoption Act 1955, and researchers are advised to go directly to the Registrar of Births Deaths and Marriages for this information: www.bdm.govt.nz

Archives New Zealand (Wellington Office) holds Notices of Intention to Marry 1856 - 1956.

From 1854, one member of each couple was required to complete a notice of Intention to Marry for the local registrar before the marriage could take place. Information recorded on returns includes: the date on which the notice was registered, the full name, marital status, calling or profession and age of both parties, the dwelling place of both parties, length of residence in registration district; and the place where the marriage was to be held If one (or both) of the parties was a minor, the application also states the parents’ names. Applications do not state date or place of birth for either of the parties.

For more detailed information on finding an Intention to Marry Notice refer to our Personal Identity reference guide.

Divorce files can contain everything from legal documents such as the decree nisi (the provisional order of divorce), to reports by private investigators in cases where the divorce was contested. The files are held at the Archives office closest to the court that administered the case. Much of this material is restricted due to personal sensitivity.

For detailed information on how to find a Divorce File and the conditions of access, refer to our Personal Identity reference guide.

A coroner’s inquest is required for any person who died under suspicious circumstances. It results in a full investigation of the events surrounding the death and discovery of the body, and contains witness and pathologist statements, and a coroner’s certification of the cause of death. Registers, indexes and files from 1840 to 1992 are held in our Wellington office, however there are gaps in the surviving records. The Coroner’s indexes and registers are open for research, but access to the files is restricted for 50 years from the date of death.

For detailed information on how to find a Coroner’s Report and request access to restricted files, refer to our Personal Identity reference guide.

A probate record contains the legal documents surrounding the processing of a person's will through the court system. These are held at the Archives office closest to the court where the probate was granted, this was generally near the person's place of death.

For detailed information on how to find a Probate and the conditions of access, refer to our Personal Identity reference guide.