Police release guidance for officers dealing with ‘sovereign citizens’ who consider themselves immune from legal obligations
Advice to officers on dealing with sovereign citizens is found in a police manual chapter. “They often assert that they are ‘sovereign’ from the government and, therefore, immune to legal obligations such as holding a driver licence, paying taxes, or registering vehicles. This is “where a SovCit or group of SovCits bombard a target with fake legal or similar documentation”. The guidance said, “not all SovCits are a threat to national security themselves, or others”, but some may “hold attitudes or beliefs that align with violent extremism or terrorism”. “This will require relevant information about the individual to be referred to the National Security Group.
Source: New Zealand Herald February 25, 2026 05:03 UTC
