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About licences for psychoactive substances
All people and businesses who want to retail/wholesale approved products, import, research, manufacture, or sell unapproved psychoactive substances must hold a licence. Licences are granted by the Psychoactive Substances Regulatory Authority under section 16 of the Psychoactive Substances Act 2013.
Licences ensure there is a level of regulatory control and traceability over these functions.
Application form
Applications for licences must be made to the Authority on the form. Please read the form carefully and be aware that there will be no refund of fees if your application is rejected due to incompleteness or incorrect information. The application requests your written consent allowing a Police vet.
If you need to change your licence details, please use the following form:
Licence guideline
The Psychoactive Substances Licensing Scheme Guideline is designed to provide detail in addition to the legislation to prospective applicants on how to get a relevant licence granted. The guideline represents the Authority’s expectations for how an application should be collated and submitted along with the information required by the relevant applications.
Psychoactive Substances Licensing Scheme Guideline (docx, 207 KB)
Psychoactive Substances Licensing Scheme Guideline (pdf, 258 KB)
Before making an application
It is strongly recommended that all prospective applicants read the guideline before submitting an application. No fees will be refunded if the application is refused.
Retail licence applicants
Prospective retail sites must comply with the local approved products policy (LAPP) put in place by the territorial authority (city or district council) in which the site is located. You should check and make sure your retail site complies with the relevant LAPP before applying for a licence because application fees are unlikely to be refunded for failing to meet the LAPP.
Manufacture licence applicants
In order to be granted a manufacturing licence, you must prove that you are compliant with the Code of Manufacturing Practice.
It is strongly advised that you contact an experienced regulatory affairs consultant to ensure that your manufacturing site, procedures and processes meet the Code.
Fees and levies
Do not send money with your application. You will be invoiced for the amount after acceptance of your application.
| Licence fees | |
|---|---|
| Application for a licence to import psychoactive substances | $2,500 |
| Application for a licence to manufacture psychoactive substances | $19,000 |
| Application for a licence to research psychoactive substances | $2,000 |
| Application for a licence to sell psychoactive substances that are not approved products | $2,000 |
| Application for a licence to sell approved products by retail | $12,000 |
| Application for a licence to sell approved products by wholesale | $7,000 |
| Annual levies | |
|---|---|
| Licence to import psychoactive substances | $7,500 |
| Licence to manufacture psychoactive substances | $42,000 |
| Licence to research psychoactive substances | $3,000 |
| Licence to sell psychoactive substances that are not approved products | $2,000 |
| Licence to sell approved products by retail | $7,000 |
| Licence to sell approved products by wholesale | $6,000 |
How to comply with a licence
All licence holders must record the actual stock of all psychoactive substances in their possession at the close of 30 June and 31 December in any year. The stocktake report must be provided to the Authority within 21 days after the date on which the stocktake was undertaken.
The stocktake record must record the actual stock of each psychoactive substance, including the name of the psychoactive substance, the quantity of the substance, and the psychoactive product or products for which the substance is intended to be used.
This information must be recorded on a register kept in one or more of the following forms:
- a system for recording and keeping the information electronically
- a book for recording and keeping the information in writing
- some other system for recording and keeping the information approved by the Authority (either generally or in any particular case).
The licence holder must, within 14 days after the date on which the stocktake was undertaken:
- prepare a stocktake report covering the period since the date of the stocktake and any previous stocktake undertaken by the person; and
- give an explanation in the report of any variation between the calculated balance of stock and the actual stock as at the date of the stocktake.
Export
Before each exportation of a psychoactive substance, the exporter must advise the Authority of the exportation; and provide to the Authority particulars of the name and quantity of the psychoactive substance to be exported; and the intended date of the exportation.
Import
The New Zealand Customs Service stops all psychoactive substances at the border. A condition of an import licence is that the importer must inform the Authority of the importation prior to the import, and provide the Authority with the name and quantity of the psychoactive substances to be imported, and the intended date of importation.
This will allow the Authority and the New Zealand Customs Service to work together to ensure that only licensed importers are importing psychoactive substances and to track where the substance goes once it enters New Zealand.
Manufacture
A manufacturer must comply with the Code of Manufacturing Practice at all times
Sell psychoactive substances that are not approved products
Psychoactive substances that are not approved products must only be sold in New Zealand to a person who holds a licence to manufacture psychoactive substances, or a licence to research psychoactive substances.
