We are aware of a high number of scam texts and emails about fines being sent (from 18 August 2026). We do not send direct payment links via text message or email. If you receive a message about a fine and are unsure whether it is genuine, please contact our call centre on 0800 4 FINES (0800 434 637) before making any payment. Read more about identifying scams.
The Ministry of Justice contracts services from community law centres throughout New Zealand. Community legal services play a vital role in helping people avoid legal problems or resolve those problems early.
The Ministry works with community law centres to ensure community legal services are accessible, of reasonable quality and provide value for money.
National performance standards for community law centres
In 2011, national performance standards were introduced for community law centres to ensure national consistency in the quality and type of services provided.
In 2013, the Ministry adopted results based outcome agreement for all community law centres as part of the Government’s Streamlined Contracting Framework.