State Law: Legal Amounts of Homemade Wine
New Jersey law regarding homemade wine amends federal law. A person who is 21 years of age or older may manufacture within a home or other noncommercial premises wines or malt alcoholic beverages in quantities not exceeding 200 gallons per calendar year for the person’s personal or household use or consumption.
State Alcoholic Beverages Control Agency
Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control
140 East Front Street, 5th Floor
P.O. Box 087
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0087
Phone: 609.984.2830
Phone: 866.713.8392 – to report illegal activity
Fax: 609.633.6078 – Enforcement
Statute Title & Description
Title 33
Chapter 1 Section 1. Definitions
“Alcohol.” Ethyl alcohol, hydrated oxide of ethyl or neutral spirits from whatever source or by whatever process produced.
“Alcoholic beverage.” Any fluid or solid capable of being converted into a fluid, suitable for human consumption, and having an alcohol content of more than one-half of one per centum (1/2 of 1%) by volume, including alcohol, beer, lager beer, ale, porter, naturally fermented wine, treated wine, blended wine, fortified wine, sparkling wine, distilled liquors, blended distilled liquors and any brewed, fermented or distilled liquors fit for use for beverage purposes or any mixture of the same, and fruit juices.
“Illicit beverage.” Any alcoholic beverage manufactured, distributed, bought, sold, bottled, rectified, blended, treated, fortified, mixed, processed, warehoused, possessed or transported in violation of this chapter, or on which any federal tax or tax imposed by the laws of this State has not been paid; and any alcoholic beverage possessed, kept, stored, owned or imported with intent to manufacture, sell, distribute, bottle, rectify, blend, treat, fortify, mix, process, warehouse or transport in violation of the provisions of this chapter.
“Unlawful alcoholic beverage activity.” The manufacture, sale, distribution, bottling, rectifying, blending, treating, fortifying, mixing, processing, warehousing or transportation of any alcoholic beverage in violation of this chapter, or the importing, owning, possessing, keeping or storing in this State of alcoholic beverages with intent to manufacture, sell, distribute, bottle, rectify, blend, treat, fortify, mix, process, warehouse or transport alcoholic beverages in violation of this chapter, or the owning, possessing, keeping or storing in this State of any implement or paraphernalia for the manufacture, sale, distribution, bottling, rectifying, blending, treating, fortifying, mixing, processing, warehousing or transportation of alcoholic beverages with intent to use the same in the manufacture, sale, distribution, bottling, rectifying, blending, treating, fortifying, mixing, processing, warehousing or transportation of alcoholic beverages in violation of this chapter, or to aid or abet another in the manufacture, sale, distribution, bottling, rectifying, blending, treating, fortifying, mixing, processing, warehousing or transportation of alcoholic beverages in violation of this chapter, or the aiding or abetting of another in any of the foregoing activities.
A person who is 21 years of age or older may manufacture within a home or other noncommercial premises wines or malt alcoholic beverages in quantities not exceeding 200 gallons per calendar year for the person’s personal or household use or consumption.
A special permit shall not be required to manufacture wines or malt alcoholic beverages pursuant to this section.
A person manufacturing malt alcoholic beverages pursuant to this section shall not be liable for any tax imposed under the “Alcoholic beverage tax law,” R.S.54:41-1 et seq.
NOTE: The information presented here is not a substitute for legal advice. For detailed information regarding the laws of your state please contact the state’s governing agency and/or a lawyer licensed to practice in your state.