Manufacturing explosives

It is illegal to manufacture explosives, including fireworks, unless you hold a licence. The type of explosives licence required, depends on your manufacturing activities.

What is the definition of explosives manufacturing?

Explosives manufacturing includes any activity where the nature of the substance or article is changed. It includes processes where explosive substances are reprocessed or adapted, or explosive articles are unmade or disassembled.

Manufacturing explosives includes the:

• repair, modification, disassembly or unmaking of explosive articles
• reprocessing, modification or adaptation of explosive substances

To carry out these explosives manufacturing activities you need to obtain a licence from the Department of Justice (DOJ).

You may also need a licence or certificate of registration from DOJ to store explosives as part of the manufacturing process.

Activities not considered explosives manufacturing

You do not require a licence to carry out the following activities:

• packing explosives
• unpacking explosives 
• re-packing explosives
• labelling explosives
• testing explosives

Where these activities alone are undertaken, there is no requirement to hold a licence.

Other activities not classed as explosives manufacturing and may not need a licence include:

• manufacturing 100 grams or less of explosives for laboratory analysis, testing, demonstration or experimentation
• manufacturing certain ammunitions to be used at historical re-enactment events
• preparing and assembling fireworks at the place of intended use
• preparing and assembling explosives for use in theatrical, television or cinematic special effects
• mixing for immediate use certain substances at a mine or quarry, to produce an explosive which is not cap-sensitive
• using desensitised explosives in the manufacture of products which are not in themselves explosive