A penalty unit is the dollar figure Australian legislation uses to express fines, and the amount depends entirely on which government made the law you broke. Across Australia, penalty units currently range from $110 in New South Wales to $330 at the Commonwealth level for the 2025–26 financial year. South Australia does not use penalty units at all. To work out what a fine is actually worth in dollars, you multiply the number of units listed for the offense by the current value in the relevant jurisdiction.
Current Penalty Unit Values
Each state and territory sets its own value, and the Commonwealth sets a separate one for federal offenses such as customs, taxation, aviation, and corporate law breaches. Most jurisdictions update their rates on 1 July each year, so figures shift regularly.
Commonwealth: $330
One Commonwealth penalty unit is $330. That value took effect on 7 November 2024, replacing the previous $313 rate, and is set under the Crimes Act 1914. From 1 July 2026, the Commonwealth will move to automatic indexation every three years.1Australian Securities and Investments Commission. Fines and Penalties
New South Wales: $110
NSW fixes its penalty unit at $110 under section 17 of the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999. The figure is hard-coded in the statute and does not adjust automatically for inflation. It changes only when Parliament legislates a new amount.2Judicial Commission of New South Wales. Sentencing Bench Book – Fines
Victoria: $203.51
Victoria’s penalty unit for 2025–26 is $203.51, up from $197.59. The Monetary Units Act 2004 requires the Treasurer to recalculate the figure each year.3Department of Treasury and Finance Victoria. Indexation of Fees and Penalties
Queensland: $166.90
Queensland’s unit rose to $166.90 on 1 July 2025, up from $161.30. The indexation formula sits in section 5A of the Penalties and Sentences Act 1992.4Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers. Value of a Penalty Unit
Tasmania: $205
Tasmania sets its 2025–26 unit at $205, up from $202. The Penalty Units and Other Penalties Act 1987 provides for the annual adjustment.5Department of Justice. Penalty Units Indexed Amounts
Northern Territory: $189
The NT unit is $189 for 2025–26, up from $185 the previous year and $176 the year before that.6Northern Territory Government. Penalty Units
Australian Capital Territory: $160
The ACT’s penalty unit, set under the Legislation Act 2001, is most recently confirmed at $160. In some ACT legislation, the unit value itself differs between individuals and corporations rather than being applied through a separate multiplier.
Western Australia: Check the Statute
Western Australia does not operate a single centrally indexed penalty unit. Different WA Acts can prescribe their own unit values, so the dollar amount of one penalty unit depends on which legislation created the offense. If you receive a WA infringement notice, check the specific Act it cites.
South Australia: Divisions, Not Units
South Australia is the outlier. SA legislation does not use penalty units. Instead, offenses sit on a numbered “division” scale under the Legislation Interpretation Act 2021 (SA). Division 1 at the top carries fines up to $75,000 and imprisonment up to 15 years; Division 12 at the bottom carries fines up to $75. Expiation fees for on-the-spot offenses follow the same scale, from $30 at Division 12 to $315 at Division 6.7Legal Services Commission of South Australia. Law Handbook – Standard Scales for Penalties and Fees
Turning Units Into Dollars
The arithmetic is straightforward. Multiply the number of penalty units listed for the offense by the current unit value in the correct jurisdiction. The statute or infringement notice gives you the number of units; the figures above give you the rate.
A 10-unit offense in Queensland comes to $1,669 at the current $166.90 rate. The same 10-unit offense under Commonwealth law comes to $3,300. The jurisdiction matters as much as the offense itself.4Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers. Value of a Penalty Unit
Two details worth knowing. First, courts apply the penalty unit value in force when the offense was committed, not when sentence is passed. If the value rises in between, you still pay the lower figure. Second, the penalty unit figure sets a maximum, not a fixed amount. A judge keeps discretion to impose less based on the circumstances.
Why the Values Keep Changing
Most jurisdictions index their penalty unit so fines keep pace with inflation, usually by reference to the Consumer Price Index. Without indexation, a fine set in 2005 would lose much of its bite by 2026 as money loses value.
Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, and the Northern Territory adjust annually on 1 July, with the new rate published in the Government Gazette under the statutory formula. The Commonwealth works differently: section 4AA of the Crimes Act 1914 contains the formula, and from 1 July 2026 the rate adjusts automatically every three years under the Crimes and Other Legislation Amendment (Omnibus No. 1) Act 2024.1Australian Securities and Investments Commission. Fines and Penalties
NSW is the deliberate exception. Its $110 figure is written into legislation and only changes when Parliament amends the Act, which means NSW fines gradually shrink in real terms between updates.
Companies Pay More
If a corporation commits the offense, the dollar figures above are only the starting point. Section 4B(3) of the Crimes Act 1914 lets a court impose a fine on a company of up to five times the maximum available for an individual. A 100-unit federal offense that would cost an individual up to $33,000 can cost a corporation up to $165,000. Several states adopt the same five-times multiplier in their own sentencing legislation.
For the most serious regulatory breaches, the standard multiplier is a floor rather than a ceiling. Under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010, corporations that engage in anti-competitive conduct or breach Australian Consumer Law face the greatest of three figures: $100 million, three times the benefit gained from the conduct, or 30 percent of adjusted turnover during the breach period. These enhanced maximums apply to contravening conduct on or after 28 March 2026.8Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Fines and Penalties
Environmental law takes a similar line. Under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, a body corporate can face civil penalties of up to 50,000 penalty units for certain breaches, which at $330 per unit works out to $16.5 million before any turnover-based calculation.
If You Don’t Pay On Time
The penalty unit calculation gives you the headline fine, but it rarely represents the final cost. Every state and territory has an enforcement regime that escalates the longer a fine sits unpaid.
NSW is typical. Once the due date passes, a reminder notice gives you 28 days. If the fine then becomes overdue, a $65 fee is added ($25 for minors). Enforcement can include suspending or cancelling your driver licence, directing the Sheriff to seize and sell property, issuing garnishee orders against your wages or bank account, and registering an interest against real property you own. Each enforcement step can add another fee of up to $65, so a modest original fine can grow substantially.9NSW Government. What Happens If You Don’t Pay Your Fine
You cannot be sent straight to prison for failing to pay a fine, but driving on a licence suspended for unpaid fines is itself a criminal offense that can lead to imprisonment. If you cannot afford the amount, most jurisdictions offer payment plans, hardship reductions, or community service in lieu of money, provided you apply before enforcement starts. Infringement notices also carry their own free internal review process with the issuing agency, separate from any later court appeal.
Court filing fees, victim compensation levies where a conviction is recorded, legal costs, and collection surcharges once the matter reaches an enforcement agency all sit on top of the penalty unit calculation. Dealing with a fine early almost always costs less than letting it escalate.