If you wish to purchase taonga tūturu or become a Ministry appointed custodian of Crown owned taonga tūturu, you must become a Registered Collector of Taonga Tūturu.
Individuals and groups can apply to the Ministry to become a Registered Collector of Taonga Tūturu. To become a registered collector, the person or group must:
- ordinarily reside in New Zealand; and
- not have been convicted of an offence against the Protected Objects Act (previously the Antiquities Act) or the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Act 2014 (previously the Historic Places Act).
Registered collectors can purchase only privately owned taonga tūturu and must notify the Ministry of any changes to the collection and the location of their collection within 14 days. The Act also requires registered collectors to make their collections available for examination by the Ministry or any person authorised by the Chief Executive.
Conditions of registration as a collector can be found in section 14 of the Protected Objects Act.
Section 14 of the Protected Objects Act.
Online Registered Collector of Taonga Tūturu application form.
Printable Registered Collector of Taonga Tūturu application form (PDF 324 KB)
Updated on 21st June 2023