Industrial hemp licences

Industrial hemp production is regulated in the NT under the Hemp Industry Act 2019 and the Hemp Industry Regulations 2020.

All licence holders must follow the rules outlined in the Act.

Who is eligible

An applicant or any associate is ineligible if they have been convicted of a drug related offence or other offences as defined under the Act.

An applicant must:

• be of good repute with regard to their character, honesty and integrity
• have a lawful and genuine reason to require a licence
• ordinarily reside in Australia
• not be affected by bankruptcy action.

Licence conditions

Licence holders must meet the below conditions.

Other conditions may be imposed on a licence at any time by written notice to the licensee.

Licence holders must:

• notify the government of any changes to the information provided in the application
• notify the government of the start of cultivation process
• report annually on activities carried out under the licence
• use secure consignment notices to accompany material being supplied by the licensee
• only use industrial hemp material be supplied by a person authorised to do so under the NT Act or a corresponding law in another state or territory or under Commonwealth legislation.

Commercial licence holders

Additional commercial licence conditions under the regulations include:

• a cultivation area of at least 2 hectares
• restrictions on use of material for stock feed
• limitations on extraction or processing of hemp plant material.

Conditions that may apply to individual licences

Other conditions can be defined in the license as approved such as:

• ensuring adequate labelling of seed stored on the premises
• destroying crop residue and ‘volunteer’ plants
• providing records of industrial hemp sowing, harvest, processing and supply reports
• notifying the government and NT Police of any theft.

A commercial licence authorises the licencee to possess, cultivate, process or supply industrial hemp for commercial purposes.

Application fee

You will need to pay a non-refundable fee of $1,456 to apply for a 5-year commercial licence.

How to apply

Follow these steps:

Step 1. Check your eligibility

Read the regulations and licence conditions at the top of this page.

Step 2. Read the guidelines

Read the application guidelines.

Industrial hemp application guidelines PDF (257.5 KB)
Industrial hemp application guidelines DOCX (202.2 KB)

Step 3. Fill in application

Fill in the licence application.

Commercial licence application PDF (180.8 KB)
Commercial licence application DOCX (72.1 KB)

Step 4. Attach supporting documents

Attach the following:

• copy of applicant and all associates 100 points of identification documents
• completed application with declaration signed
• copy of proof of property ownership and land size such as a land title certificate
• signed property owner consent PDF (125.4 KB) to cultivate low THC hemp on property (if applicable)
• copy of business registration certificate with ABN and ACN number
• property sketch depicting area under cultivation and associated buildings used
  under the licence
• Google earth satellite map with GPS coordinates (if possible, not mandatory).

Step 5. Submit application

Submit your application and all supporting documentation by post or email.

There are two types of research licences:

• class A research licence - for the research of industrial hemp
• class B research licence - for the research of hemp.

These licences authorise the licencee to possess, cultivate, process or supply industrial hemp or hemp for one of the following scientific purposes:

• research
• instruction
• analysis
• study for the purpose of producing low THC hemp.

Application fee

Class A non-refundable application fee: $2,038.

Class B non-refundable application fee: $3,495.

How to apply

Follow these steps:

Step 1. Check your eligibility

Read the regulations and licence conditions at the top of this page.

Step 2. Read the guidelines

Read the application guidelines.

Industrial hemp application guidelines PDF (257.5 KB)
Industrial hemp application guidelines DOCX (202.2 KB)

Step 3. Fill in application

Fill in the relevant application:

• Class A:
  • class A research licence application PDF (162.1 KB)
  • class A research licence application DOCX (70.2 KB)
• Class B:
  • class B research licence application PDF (180.6 KB)
  • class B research licence application DOCX (70.5 KB).

Step 4. Attach supporting documents

Attach the following:

• copy of applicant and all associates 100 points of identification documents
• completed application form with declaration signed
• copy of proof of property ownership and land size such as a land title certificate
• signed property owner consent PDF (125.4 KB) to cultivate low THC hemp on property (if applicable)
• copy of business registration certificate with ABN and ACN number
• property sketch depicting area under cultivation and associated buildings used
  under the licence
• Google earth satellite map with GPS coordinates (if possible, not mandatory)
• comprehensive description of the research, instruction or study proposed including the objectives, research, instruction, analysis, proposed achievements, security measures and risk assessment plan
• education qualifications, experience of applicant and any associates and other relevant qualifications for conducting research.

Step 5. Submit application

Submit your application and all supporting documentation by post or email.

Find forms for reporting and compliance in the table below.