Holding lizards in captivity
Holding any protected lizard species in captivity requires a Wildlife Act Authorisation. For certain native lizards this is covered under a General Authorisation.

General Authorisation update

We are currently improving the General Authorisation process for holding lizards in captivity to make it more efficient and user-friendly.

Applications will reopen later in 2026. Check this page for updates.

What you need to know

Under the Wildlife Act 1953 a Wildlife Act Authorisation is required for holding protected lizard species.

There are two categories of permit:

  • Conservation category lizards
  • General Authorisation lizards

Conservation category lizards

This is a fixed-term Wildlife Act Authority that involves more detailed application requirements and ongoing obligations than a General Authorisation.

See interacting with wildlife for more information and to apply for a Wildlife Act Authorisation.

General Authorisation lizards

A General Authorisation allows you to hold certain native lizard species in captivity.

As all native lizards are absolutely protected, this fixed-term permit is granted only to applicants who meet the eligibility criteria and comply with the ongoing requirements for the care and management of these species.

See the species list below for lizards covered under the General Authorisation.

General Authorisation term

The current term for General Authorisations runs until 31 October 2027.

Eligibility criteria

To apply for a General Authorisation, you must:

  • Be a resident or citizen of New Zealand.
  • Be 16 years of age or older.
  • Have a valid physical address where the lizards will be held.
  • Apply as an individual (not on behalf of a company, trust or incorporated society).

If you are applying on behalf of a company, trust or incorporated society you must follow the process for interacting with wildlife.

Species covered by a General Authorisation

A General Authorisation will allow you to keep the following species in captivity:

  • Naultinus grayii – Northland green gecko
  • Naultinus elegans – Elegant gecko
  • Naultinus punctatus – Barking gecko

  • Dactylocnemis pacificus – Pacific gecko
  • Dactylocnemis “North Cape” – Te Paki gecko/North Cape Pacific gecko
  • Dactylocnemis “Matapia Island” – Matapia gecko

  • Mokopirirakau granulatus – Forest gecko
  • Mokopirirakau “Southern North Island” – Ngahere gecko/Southern North Island forest gecko

  • Woodworthia maculata – Raukawa gecko/Common gecko
  • Woodworthia “Central Otago” – Schist gecko/Central Otago gecko
  • Woodworthia “Cromwell” – Kawarau gecko/Cromwell gecko
  • Woodworthia “Kaikouras”  – Kaikōuras gecko
  • Woodworthia “Marlborough Mini” – Minimac gecko/Marlborough mini gecko
  • Woodworthia “Mount Arthur” – Kahurangi gecko/Mount Arthur gecko
  • Woodworthia “Otago Southland” – Kōrero gecko/Large Otago gecko
  • Woodworthia “Southern Alps” – Southern Alps gecko
  • Woodworthia “Southern mini” – Short-toed gecko/Southern mini gecko
  • Woodworthia cf. brunnea – Waitaha gecko/Canterbury gecko

  • Hybrids of the species listed above

Your obligations as a General Authorisation holder

You must submit an annual return to DOC by the end of the first week of November each year.

This report includes detailed records of the lizards held including (but not limited to):

  • The number and species of lizards you hold
  • Any transfers of lizards to or from other authorised holders.
  • Location of the previous holding facility and holder details.
  • Ancestry information.
  • Any births or deaths.

If your permit is active but you are not holding any lizards, you must still submit a return indicating zero holdings.

Recommendations

We recommend that you:

Lizards are a long-term commitment

Lizards can live up to 40 years, making them a significant long-term responsibility.

Consider:

  • Whether you can provide care for their full life span.
  • Who will care for them if you are unable to (e.g. due to illness, travel).

Standards and guidelines

Proper lizard husbandry requires strict temperature, humidity, and UV lighting controls.

The Standards and Guidelines for Keeping Lizards in Captivity provides essential guidance to help you meet these requirements and your obligations.

This guide offers general advice – individual situations may vary, and expert assistance may sometimes be needed.

This guide will be reviewed and updated as needed to reflect updated information, resources, and best practices.

Other information

Process for dealing with deceased lizards

If your permit does not explicitly allow you to retain specimens or parts of dead specimens, you must not keep them.

Instead:

  • Bury the lizard/s.
  • Record the death/s in your annual return.

Recording this information helps DOC monitor the health of captive lizard populations.

Respectful handling of deceased lizards is important - native lizards may be considered taonga. If you cannot bury a lizard, contact your local DOC office.

Did you know

Annual returns provide information to help DOC:

  • Track captive lizard populations.
  • Detect illegal wildlife trade – a growing issue in New Zealand and internationally – by supporting the monitoring and tracking of protected species, their movement between authorised holders, and changes in captive populations.

Re-homing lizards

You are responsible for re-homing unwanted lizards. You must:

  • Not release your lizards into the wild.
  • Only transfer lizards to another authorised holder or DOC.

For support, contact New Zealand Herpetological Society for assistance in finding an authorised holder. If unsuccessful in re-homing lizards in your care, contact your local DOC office.

Preventing the problem of unwanted lizards in the first place is preferable, so make sure you are not allowing breeding to occur to levels you cannot manage.

Don’t forget to record re-homed lizards on your annual return.

Reporting bad husbandry standards or illegal activity

Notify DOC on our 24-hour hotline 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468) if you witness or suspect anyone of the following:

  • holding lizards in captivity without an Authorisation.
  • poor husbandry standards.
  • poaching from the wild.
  • interbreeding of species.
  • releasing captive lizards into the wild.

Contact

For General Authorisation permit enquiries, contact Permissions@doc.govt.nz.

All other Wildlife Act Authorisation enquiries, for example Conservation category lizard permits, contact AskPermissions@doc.govt.nz.