Supreme Court Agrees to Review 1868 Ban on Home Distilling
The Supreme Court has agreed to review a Reconstruction-era law from 1868 that prohibits distilling spirits in private homes, a prohibition plaintiffs argue is an antiquated relic.
Peoria Bloomington, IL, October 19, 2026 —
The Supreme Court has agreed to review an 1868 law that prohibits distilling spirits in private homes, according to the available information. The law dates to the Reconstruction era. Plaintiffs challenging the prohibition argue that it is an antiquated relic.
The court’s decision to review the law puts the prohibition before the justices, but the information provided does not identify the case, the plaintiffs or the specific legal arguments they have raised beyond their characterization of the law. It also does not state when the court will hear the case or issue a decision.
The law’s stated scope is limited here to distilling spirits in private homes. No further details were provided about how the prohibition is enforced, the circumstances that led to the challenge or whether the plaintiffs are asking the court to invalidate the law in whole or in part.
The review concerns a law enacted in 1868, but no additional historical background or explanation of the law’s original purpose was provided. The court’s agreement to consider the dispute does not, on the information available, establish how the justices will rule. The outcome and any effect on the prohibition therefore remain unknown.
Further details, including the parties’ names, the case’s procedural history and the court’s schedule, were not provided.
Story summarized from the original created by MICHAEL KUNZELMAN, Associated Press on www.centralillinoisproud.com, see more information here.
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