Dry places
Make your house a dry place
A 'dry place' is a house where no alcohol is allowed. If you are a tenant, an owner-occupier or a lessee-occupier you can apply to make your house a dry place. All tenants, owner-occupiers or lessee-occupiers of the residence must agree to become a dry place.
Dry place declarations are available in all discrete Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, as well as Mossman Gorge and Coen. This includes communities with a zero-alcohol carriage limit.
If your house is made a 'dry place', anyone who drinks or has alcohol in your house will be breaking the law. They could be fined up to $3,064.
Dry place declarations can be suspended for up to 7 days (e.g. for a wedding) or cancelled.
How to apply
If you want to make your house a dry place you need to fill out a dry place declaration application form and submit it to the Magistrates Court. There are no fees. You just need proof you are a tenant, owner-occupier or lessee-occupier.
Who can help you apply?
Your community justice group (CJG) and the local police have application forms and can help with submitting it to the Magistrates Court. The CJG can also help with filling out the form.
The Magistrates Court checks and approves applications.
Download the application form
'Dry place declaration' signs
Once the house is dry place, you must display a sign at each entrance. Signs are available from the local police station.
When the signs are up, your house is a dry place and anyone who has alcohol in your house can be fined. This includes homebrew.