{{Short description|Australian standard used to compute penalties for breaches of law}} {{Use Australian English|date=August 2020}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}}
thumb|Penalty units note in reg 256 of ROAD RULES 2014, New South Wales, Australia. A '''penalty unit''' ('''PU''') is a standard amount of money used to compute penalties for many breaches of law in Australia at both the federal, and state and territory level. Fines are calculated by multiplying the value of a penalty unit by the number of units prescribed for the offence. For example, if an offence was committed in New South Wales worth 100 units, the fine would be {{math|100 × $110 {{=}} $11,000}}.
Prior to the introduction of penalty units, fines and other charges were usually prescribed in terms of ordinary money. However, the effects of inflation meant that originally substantial penalties eventually lost their worth. Frequent amendment of the many laws and regulations dealing with pecuniary penalties would be a very time-consuming process. Penalty units provide a quick and simple way to adjust many different fees and charges.
==Values == The different jurisdictions that make up Australia each set their own value of a penalty unit. The value as well as the manner and frequency of adjusting that value differ between jurisdictions. {| class="wikitable sortable" !Jurisdiction !Penalty unit value !Last updated !Automatic indexation mechanism |- | rowspan="2" |Australian Capital Territory |{{AUD|160.00}} (individual)<ref name="act">{{Cite Legislation AU|ACT|act|la2001133|Legislation Act 2001|133}}</ref> | rowspan="2" |{{Date table sorting|8 November 2018}} | rowspan="2" |Reviewed every four years.<ref name="act" /> |- |{{AUD|810.00}} (companies)<ref name="act" /> |- |Commonwealth |{{AUD|330.00}}<ref>{{cite web | title=Wallets at the ready: CCA penalty units increasing from today | date=7 November 2024 | url=https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=5cc00ccc-dd47-43f5-8ede-68f3b847c9fa }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Fines and penalties | url=https://asic.gov.au/about-asic/asic-investigations-and-enforcement/fines-and-penalties/ }}</ref>{{update after|2026|7|1}} |7 {{Date table sorting|November 2024}} |{{ntsh|3}}Typically every three years on 1 July''',''' based on the All Groups Consumer Price Index, a weighted average of the CPI for all capital cities.<ref name="federal">{{cite web |date=6 October 2023 |title=Crimes Act 1914 (Cth), section 4AA (Penalty units) |url=https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2023C00279/Html/Volume_1#_Toc147495399 |accessdate=1 November 2023 |publisher=Federal Register of Legislation (Australia)}}</ref> |- |New South Wales |{{AUD|110.00}}<ref name="nsw">{{cite web|url=https://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/#/view/act/1999/92/part2/div4/sec17|title=Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 No 92, section 17 (Penalty units)|publisher=NSW Legislation|date=26 September 2019|accessdate=11 July 2020}}</ref> |{{Date table sorting|8 December 1999}} |{{ntsh|0}}None. {{As of|2019|9|26}}, the value remains unchanged from the original ''Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999''.<ref name="nsw-1999-version">{{cite web|url=https://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/#/view/act/1999/92/historical1999-12-08/part2/div4/sec17|title=Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 No 92, section 17 (Penalty units)|publisher=NSW Legislation|date=8 December 1999|accessdate=11 July 2020}}</ref> |- |Northern Territory |{{AUD|189.00}}<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2025-07-01 |title=Penalty units |url=https://agd.nt.gov.au/attorney-general-and-justice/units-and-amounts/penalty-units |access-date=2 February 2026 |website=Attorney-General’s Department (Northern Territory) |language=en}}</ref>{{update after|2026|7|1}} |{{Date table sorting|1 July 2025}} |{{ntsh|1}}Annual on 1 July, based on CPI for Darwin.<ref name=":0" /> |- |Queensland |{{AUD|166.90}}<ref name="qld">{{cite web |title=Sentencing fines and penalties for offences |url=https://www.qld.gov.au/law/fines-and-penalties/types-of-fines/sentencing-fines-and-penalties-for-offences |accessdate=5 February 2026 |publisher=Queensland Government}}</ref>{{update after|2026|7|1}} |{{Date table sorting|1 July 2025}} |{{ntsh|1}}Annual on 1 July.<ref name="qld" /> |- |South Australia |Not applicable |— |{{ntsh|0}}South Australia does not have a system of penalty units.<ref name="summary" /> Instead, legislation either lists specific fine amounts or maximum "divisional penalties" which form a standard scale.<ref name="sa">{{cite web|url=https://www.legislation.sa.gov.au/LZ/C/A/ACTS%20INTERPRETATION%20ACT%201915/CURRENT/1915.1215.AUTH.PDF#page=16|title=Acts Interpretation Act 1915, section 28A (Standard scales for penalties and expiation fees)|publisher=South Australian Legislation|date=3 October 2017|accessdate=11 July 2020}}</ref><ref name="sa-scale">{{cite web|url=https://www.legislation.sa.gov.au/Web/Information/Divisional%20penalties%20and%20fees/DivisionalPenaltiesAndFees.aspx|title=Divisional penalties and fees|publisher=Attorney-General's Department (South Australia)|accessdate=11 July 2020}}</ref> |- |Tasmania |{{AUD|205.00}}<ref name="tas">{{cite web |title=Value of Indexed Amounts in Legislation |url=http://www.justice.tas.gov.au/about/legislation/value_of_indexed_units_in_legislation |accessdate=5 February 2026 |publisher=Department of Justice (Tasmania)}}</ref>{{update after|2026|7|1}} |{{Date table sorting|1 July 2025}} |{{ntsh|1}}Annual on 1 July, based on CPI.<ref name="tas" /> |- |Victoria |{{AUD|203.51}}<ref name="vic">{{Cite web |title=Penalties and values |url=https://www.justice.vic.gov.au/justice-system/fines-and-penalties/penalties-and-values |access-date=5 February 2026 |publisher=Department of Justice and Community Safety Victoria |language=en}}</ref>{{update after|2026|7|1}} |{{Date table sorting|1 July 2025}} |{{ntsh|1}}Annual on 1 July.<ref name="vic" /> |- |Western Australia |Various |— |{{ntsh|0}}Penalty units are set for different categories of legislation.<ref name="summary">{{cite web|url=https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/bd/bd1617a/17bd082#_Toc478481888|last=McKay|first=Daniel|title=Crimes Amendment (Penalty Unit) Bill 2017|publisher=Parliament of Australia|date=28 March 2017|accessdate=11 July 2020}}</ref> Traffic offences generally incur a penalty unit of {{AUD|50}}.<ref name="wa">{{Cite web|url=https://www.transport.wa.gov.au/licensing/driving-offences-speeding-alcohol-and-traffic.asp|title=Driving offences (speeding, alcohol and traffic)|publisher=Department of Transport (Western Australia)|date=13 June 2019|accessdate=11 July 2020}}</ref> |}
== See also == * Standard scale
== References == {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Penalty Units}} Category:Australian criminal law