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Home-brew bans

Call 1300 789 000
for more information about the alcohol limits.

Home-brew and home-brew equipment is banned in communities with a zero alcohol carriage limit. It may also be banned by regulation in other communities as in the case of Doomadgee.

Where home-brew is banned, it is an offence:

  • have a home-brew kit or parts of a home-brew kit (a 'home-brew kit' is defined as a kit that includes a fermenter, an airlock and a thermometer)
  • have anything that is being used or was used to brew alcohol
  • have home-brew concentrate
  • have any homemade alcohol
  • give home-made alcohol to anyone else

The law covers things that are not mainly used for making home-brew but are being used for that purpose. Everyday house-hold items, such as buckets, that aren't mainly used for making home-brew but are being used to do that can be kept and used for their primary purpose. However, it can be an offence to have items that can be shown to have been used for home-brew.

Everyday food stuffs, such as yeast or cooking essences, aren't a problem unless it can be shown these items are being used to brew alcohol.

Penalties for having home-brew

The maximum penalty for possession of homemade alcohol in communities with a zero carriage limit is:

  • 500 penalty units (currently $37,500) for a first offence
  • 700 penalty units (currently $52,500) or 6 months imprisonment for a second offence
  • 1000 penalty units (currently $75,000) or 18 months imprisonment for a third or later offence

For communities that have do not have a zero carriage limit but where home-brew is banned by regulation, the maximum penalty for possessing homemade alcohol is 250 penalty units ($19,000).

For all communities where home-brew is banned, a maximum penalty of 250 penalty units applies for offenders who:

  • possess a home-brew kit or a component of a home-brew kit
  • possess equipment or a component of equipment that is being used or has been used to brew alcohol
  • possess home-brew concentrate
  • supply homemade alcohol to someone else

More information

You can also call the alcohol limits information line on 1300 789 000.

Last reviewed: 21 January 2009