Under Section 25 of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Act 2021 No 31 (as at 20 December 2023), Public Act Contents – New Zealand Legislation, the Reserve Bank is the sole authority permitted to issue currency for New Zealand. Section 29 sets out the penalties for making or issuing any bank note or coin other than a banknote or coin issued under this Act. The penalties include: (a) in the case of an individual, imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or a fine not exceeding $100,000; (b) in the case of a body corporate, a fine not exceeding $300,000.

See Restrictions on reproducing currency under the Act - Reserve Bank of New Zealand - Te Pūtea Matua (rbnz.govt.nz)for more information.