Based on the Ministry for Regulation · May 2026 Report

New Zealand has 267 regulators.Now you can find them all.

One regulator for every town the size of Feilding — spanning government departments, local councils, statutory bodies, tribunals and charities across every facet of daily life. For the first time, mapped in one searchable directory.

95

Government Departments & Crown Entities

79

Local Government (TAs & Regional Councils)

57

Statutory Bodies, Committees & Tribunals

36

Incorporated Societies, Crown Companies & Charities

The scale of the problem

Every regulation, one cycle.

Whether you want to dig a drain, fly a drone, own a dog, or build an apartment block — the regulatory process is the same: identify your regulator, gather information, apply, pay, wait, interact, comply.

267

Total regulators

One regulator for every town the size of Feilding — spanning government departments, local councils, statutory bodies, tribunals, incorporated societies, crown-owned companies and charities.

95

Government departments & Crown entities

The inner ring closest to Parliament — encompassing central government's regulatory functions across health, transport, finance, environment, education and more.

79

Local government entities

Territorial authorities and regional councils — the frontline of building consents, resource consents, liquor licensing, dog registration and food premises approval.

57

Statutory bodies & tribunals

Independent bodies exercising regulatory functions — professional licensing boards, specialist tribunals, and sector regulators.

36

Incorporated societies & crown companies

The outer ring — industry bodies, crown-owned companies and even charities with delegated regulatory oversight of how New Zealanders conduct their affairs.

11

Acts governing dog control alone

Dog control involves 5 regulators and 11 Acts of Parliament. This single example illustrates the complexity multiplied across 267 organisations and every domain of daily life.

“I think a fair and logical goal should be that any New Zealander wanting to do something should only have to knock on one regulator's door.

— David Seymour, Minister for Regulation · May 2026

How it works

Find your regulator in seconds

01

Identify your activity

Building, employing, exporting, healthcare, financial services — every regulated activity has one or more responsible regulators.

02

Find the right regulator

Search our directory of all 267 NZ regulators. Filter by sector, type, or keyword to find exactly who governs your activity.

03

Get contact details & forms

Every entry includes verified contact details, application portals, key forms, and escalation paths sourced from official government pages.

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Case study

Dog control: a “simple” example

Dog control involves 5 regulators (Internal Affairs, Primary Industries, Health, Conservation, and Justice) and 11 Acts of Parliament. Day-to-day enforcement is split between central and local government and delegated to at least a dozen different groups — rangers, authorised officers, police, SPCA, DOC staff, and public health — depending on where you are and what the dogs are doing.

“This is just dogs. We picked a relatively simple example.” — David Seymour

Dog Control Act 1996Animal Products ActBiosecurity ActConservation ActHealth Act+6 more Acts

Find the right regulator
for your situation

Our searchable directory covers all 267 NZ regulators — verified contact details, phone numbers, email addresses, application portals, and key forms.