HB9 Alabama 2013 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Mac McCutcheon

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2013

Title

Beer, cider, and wine, homebrewing in limited amounts by person 21 years of age or older for personal use, penalties, convicted felon prohibited from homebrewing, Sec. 28-3-1 am'd.

Summary

HB9 would allow adults 21 and older in Alabama to home-brew limited amounts of beer, mead, cider, and table wine for personal use, with specified limits and penalties, and would add mead and cider to the legal definitions.

What This Bill Does

It allows a 21+ person who has not been convicted of a felony to produce beer, mead, cider, and table wine at their home for personal use without taxes or licenses, up to 15 gallons per calendar quarter. The total kept at any residence cannot exceed 15 gallons at one time, and these beverages cannot be sold; up to 10 gallons may be removed at a time for transport to licensed homebrew events, which require a special events license that cannot be used to sell the beverages. Production is not allowed in dry municipalities or counties. The bill also prohibits anyone under 21 from purchasing, possessing, or transporting these beverages or the equipment to make them, and felons would be prohibited from home brewing. It updates definitions in the alcoholic beverage code to include mead and cider, and sets penalties for violations as Class B misdemeanors.

Who It Affects

• Adults 21 years of age or older in Alabama who may legally brew beer, mead, cider, and table wine at home for personal use under the stated limits (no taxes or license required).
• Convicted felons, who would be prohibited from home brewing under the bill.

Key Provisions

• Allows 21+ individuals who are not felons to produce beer, mead, cider, and table wine at home for personal use without taxes or licenses, up to 15 gallons per residence per calendar quarter.
• Total amount at a residence cannot exceed 15 gallons at any one time; beverages may not be sold, and removal from the residence is limited to 10 gallons per event for transport to licensed homebrew competition events with a special events license (which cannot be used to sell alcohol).
• Organized homebrew events may occur under a special events license, but the license cannot permit sale of beverages for this purpose; such events cannot be held on the premises of entities licensed under Title 28.
• Production is not permitted in dry municipalities or dry counties; minors under 21 are prohibited from purchasing, possessing, or transporting the beverages or the equipment to produce them.
• Mead and cider definitions are added to the existing alcohol definitions in 28-3-1; other existing definitions (e.g., beer, table wine) remain in place.
• Violations are treated as Class B misdemeanors.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Alcoholic Beverages