---
title: SB 194. Alcoholic Beverages and Motor Vehicles and Traffic; production of distilled spirits by a person in his or her private residence; authorize
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sb194
cite_as: SB 194, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb194
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb194.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb194/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70432
date: 2026-01-12
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md
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next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb195.md
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 240
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb194.md?full=1
bill_number: SB 194
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-02-18
last_action: Senate Recommitted
sponsors:
  - Chuck Hufstetler
  - John Albers
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB194/2025
upstream_id: 1974302
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - alcohol law
  - home distilling
  - open container law
  - liquor regulation
---

# SB 194. Alcoholic Beverages and Motor Vehicles and Traffic; production of distilled spirits by a person in his or her private residence; authorize

## Text

25 LC 55 0473
Senate Bill 194
By: Senators Hufstetler of the 52nd and Albers of the 56th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Titles 3 and 40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to alcoholic1
beverages and motor vehicles and traffic, respectively, so as to authorize the production of2
distilled spirits by a person in his or her private residence; to provide limitations on such3
production of distilled spirits; to provide for the limited transportation and delivery of such4
distilled spirits; to prohibit the sale of such distilled spirits; to exempt such distilled spirits5
from excise taxes; to revise the definition of an open alcoholic beverage container; to provide6
for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.7
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:8
SECTION 1.9
Title 3 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to alcoholic beverages, is10
amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:11
"3-4-4.12
(a)(1) Distilled spirits may be produced by a person in his or her private residence13
subject to the limitations provided in this Code section.14
(2) The total quantity of distilled spirits that may be produced in any private residence15
shall be as follows:16
S. B. 194
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25 LC 55 0473
(A) Not more than 5 gallons per calendar year if there is only one person of legal17
drinking age living in such residence; or18
(B) Not more than 10 gallons per calendar year if there are tw o or more persons of19
legal drinking age living in such residence;20
provided, however, that no more than 2.5 gallons shall be produced in a 90 day period.21
(b) Except as provided for in subsection (c) of this Code section, distilled spirits produced22
in compliance with this Code section may only be consumed at th e residence where23
produced. Such distilled spirits may only be consumed by persons of legal drinking age.24
(c) Distilled spirits produced under the provisions of this Code section may be removed25
from the residence where produced for transportation and delive ry by the producer to a26
location not licensed under this title; provided that not more than 60 ounces of distilled27
spirits produced in the same residence shall be transported at one time; and provided,28
further, that such distilled spirits shall be securely sealed i n one or more containers and29
clearly labeled with the following information:30
(1) The name of the producer; and31
(2) The address of the residence at which it was produced.32
If transported in a motor vehicle, the securely sealed containers shall be placed in a locked33
glove compartment, a locked trunk, or the area behind the last upright seat of a motor34
vehicle that is not equipped with a trunk.35
(d) Distilled spirits produced pursuant to this Code section shall not be sold, offered for36
sale, or made available for consumption by the general public and shall not be subject to37
any excise tax imposed by this chapter."38
SECTION 2.39
Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to motor vehicles and traffic, is40
amended in Code Section 40-6-253, relating to consumption of al coholic beverages or41
S. B. 194
- 2 -
25 LC 55 0473
possession of open container of alcoholic beverage in passenger area, by revising42
paragraph (2) as follows:43
"(2) 'Open alcoholic beverage container' means any bottle, can, or other receptacle that:44
(A) Contains any amount of alcoholic beverage; and45
(B)(i) Is open or has a broken seal; or46
(ii) The contents of which are partially removed.47
A container that has been sealed or resealed pursuant to Code S ection 3-4-4, 3-5-4, or48
3-6-4 shall not constitute an open alcoholic beverage container for purposes of this Code49
section."50
SECTION 3.51
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.52
S. B. 194
- 3 -

## Summaries written by Georgia Commons

The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.

A Georgia Senate bill would let people legally distill spirits at home for personal use, within strict volume limits, and allow limited transport of those spirits to other locations without a license.

### Plain-language summary

Under current Georgia law, home distillation of spirits is not authorized the way home beer and wine making is. This bill would add a new section to Georgia's alcoholic beverage code (O.C.G.A. Title 3) allowing a person to produce distilled spirits in their private residence, capped at 5 gallons per year for a one-adult household or 10 gallons per year for a household with two or more adults, with no more than 2.5 gallons made in any 90-day period.
The spirits generally must be consumed at the residence where made, but the bill allows the producer to transport up to 60 ounces at a time to another, unlicensed location, as long as the containers are sealed, labeled with the producer's name and address, and secured in a locked trunk, glove compartment, or similar area of a vehicle. The spirits cannot be sold or offered to the public and are exempt from the state's alcohol excise tax. The bill also updates Georgia's open-container law (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-253) so a properly sealed home-distilled container does not count as an open container in a vehicle.

### What it does

- Creates a new Georgia Code section (O.C.G.A. § 3-4-4) allowing home production of distilled spirits, something not previously authorized in state law.
- Limits home distillation to 5 gallons a year for one adult in a residence or 10 gallons a year for two or more adults, with a 2.5 gallon cap per 90 days.
- Restricts consumption of home-distilled spirits to the residence where made, except when transported under specific rules.
- Allows transport of up to 60 ounces at a time to an unlicensed location if sealed, labeled with the producer's name and address, and secured in a locked vehicle compartment.
- Bans any sale or public offering of home-distilled spirits and exempts them from the state's alcohol excise tax.
- Amends the open-container law (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-253) so a properly sealed home-distilled container is not treated as an open container in a vehicle.

### Who it affects

Georgia residents who want to distill spirits at home, households with one or more adults of legal drinking age, drivers transporting home-distilled spirits, and law enforcement officers who enforce the state's open-container and alcohol tax laws.

### Why it matters

People who currently cannot legally distill liquor at home would gain a lawful, limited way to do so, similar to home beer and wine brewing. Drivers would also get clarity that a sealed, labeled container of home-made spirits does not violate the open-container law during transport.

### Key provisions

- Section 1 adds O.C.G.A. § 3-4-4, authorizing home production of distilled spirits subject to household size based annual volume caps and a 90-day production limit.
- Section 1 requires that home-distilled spirits generally be consumed only at the residence where produced, unless transported under the bill's rules.
- Section 1 permits transporting up to 60 ounces at a time to an unlicensed location if sealed, labeled with the producer's name and residence address, and secured in a locked compartment of a vehicle.
- Section 1 prohibits sale or public offering of home-distilled spirits and exempts them from the state's alcohol excise tax.
- Section 2 revises the definition of 'open alcoholic beverage container' in O.C.G.A. § 40-6-253 to exclude properly sealed or resealed containers under the new home-production rules.
- Section 3 repeals conflicting laws.

## Status

- Status: Introduced (2025-02-18)
- Last action: Senate Recommitted (2026-01-12)
- Sponsors: Chuck Hufstetler, John Albers
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70432

> The history, votes, and amendments (240 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb194.md?full=1