Only 14 States Legally Allow Buyers To Have Wine Shipped From Retailers In Other States
The once largely-ignored regulations for interstate wine shipping have seen their enforcement ramped up in recent years.
The internet has changed commerce in innumerable ways. Look no further than major retailer compared to brick-and-mortar decline. But just as some companies are ahead of the curve and some are behind, the law and law enforcement have also struggled to keep up with the ramifications of changing technology, creatingor alteringlegal gray areas. Interstate wine shipments fit into this category. At first, being able to buy wine from across the country at the click of a button seemed like a wine drinkers dream, but as the New York Times recently discussed, for now, the opening of that Pandoras box has actually made interstate wine sales more difficult than ever before.
Alaska, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Virginia, Washington, D.C., West Virginia and Wyoming: Those are the only 14 states that allow wine to be shipped to consumers from out-of-state retailers, according to the Times. .
Wholesalers have been looking at this issue for quite some time, Daniel Posner, president of the National Association of Wine Retailers, told the paper. They went to state liquor authorities and said, People arent following the laws. Now its all coming to a brutal end.
The Privileged States That Can Buy Wine From Amazon
Amazon has launched an over the Internet wine sales operation, but don’t get too excited yet, most states still don’t allow shipping of alcohol to one’s front door.
This article is from the archive of our partner .
Though certain states can maybe expect Amazon to expand shipments to their area, others will never-ever see shipments because of strict laws that prohibit wines being shipped from certain places and to certain other places. As you can see in that map to the right from the Wine Institute, the states in red prohibit the shipment of wine in some way or another. In Utah and Kentucky it is a felony, notes The Wall Street Journal‘s Greg Bensinger. People in Alabama need if they want to get wine, otherwise it’s illegal. But even in those blue states, there are some restrictions that might turn Amazon off from starting up business there. In West Virginia, for example, the winery has to get a letter of approval from its own state as well as West Virginia. Furthermore, advertising the shipment of wine to residents is illegal. However, there is some hope in other places.
How To Ship Whiskey
Shipping whiskey is no different than shipping wine or liquor. You will need a license, a special contract with UPS or FedEx, and you will only be able to ship it to people in states where it is legal to ship it to.
If you are shipping to a retailer, you may be required to pay some taxes or duties on it as well. Everything depends on where you are shipping the whiskey.
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Do Any Volume Limits Apply To Dtc Shipments In Tennessee
Wineries producing less than 270,000 liters per year may ship up to 54 liters in total per individual per year in Tennessee. Larger-scale wineries are limited to shipping no more than 27 liters in total per individual per year. All wineries are also limited to no more than nine liters per individual per month.
New York Has Additional Regulations
New York regulations prohibit wine and food from being shipped in the same package. Gifts and Baskets ordered that include both food and wine will be sent in two separate packages. Your gift message will be included in both packages and your Order Confirmation will show two order numbers that will also be given to separate tracking numbers once they are shipped.
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What Warning Notice Is Required To Appear On Packages Containing Alcohol Being Dtc Shipped Into Pennsylvania
“Contains Alcohol: Signature of person 21 years or older required for delivery” is required to appear on packages of alcohol being shipped DtC to Pennsylvania.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island permits DtC shipping of wine only to fulfill sales that were made when a Rhode Island resident was physically present at the winery’s premises at the time of purchase . All such packages must be labeled to identify the contents include alcohol, but other general DtC requirements, such as licensing, taxation, and volume limits do not apply.
South Carolina
What Sales Tax Rates Are Applied To Dtc Shipments In Hawaii
Hawaii imposes a sales tax on all shipments of wine sold into the state, with a state rate of 4% and local rates ranging from 0-0.5%. However, Hawaii further states that the tax revenue collected from customers is itself part of the basis for the sale, meaning the General Excise Tax must also be assessed on all such customer collected taxes.
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What Sales Tax Rates Are Applied To Dtc Shipments In South Dakota
South Dakota imposes a tax on all sales of wine in the state at a state rate of 6.5% with local rates ranging from 0-8%. In addition, South Dakota requires wine shippers to collect and remit the state’s 2% Occupational Tax, which may be collected from consumers like sales tax, but should be remitted along with the state’s excise tax.
Is Product Registration Required For Dtc Shippers In Virginia
Applicants for a DtC license must submit a list of brands they will sell DtC, and update this list if there are any changes. Further, all brands sold in Virginia must be registered with the state. Brands that have been registered for sale through a wholesaler do not need to be re-registered , but all wholesalers authorized to distribute a brand must be notified if that brand will also be sold DtC.
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What Warning Notice Is Required To Appear On Packages Containing Alcohol Being Dtc Shipped Into Texas
“Contains Alcohol: Signature of person 21 years or older required for delivery” is required to appear on packages of alcohol being shipped DtC to Texas.
Utah
Utah does not permit the DtC shipping of any alcoholic beverages. Utah residents may may special orders of products not otherwise distributed in the state by getting pre-approval from the state Alcohol Control Board and submitting a specific form to a producer. The producer must ship the ordered products to a designated Utah retail store for the customer to pick it up. The Utah customer is personally responsible for any taxes or fees that may apply.
Vermont
There Are A Few Zip Code Restrictions
Local laws prevent us from shipping to certain zip codes that are considered “dry zip codes” in Alaska, Florida, Idaho and New Hampshire. We do ship to most of the zip codes in these states, but our system will tell you if the zip code you enter is one that is excluded by law at the time the order is placed, after the shipping address and zip code is entered.
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What Are The Benefits Of Selling Wine Online
There are many advantages of selling wine online, such as:
- Its open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- It has advanced personalization both of your site and your online store
- It has a professional image
- Theres a greater availability of handicraft products that are difficult to find elsewhere
- You can process direct sales to your customers
Selecting A Delivery Date
We offer date-specific deliveries for most items purchased. A calendar with all available delivery dates will be presented to you after you enter your shipping address. You can select a delivery date up to six months out by clicking on the calendar arrow to move forward months. Note that we cannot select a specific block of time for your delivery, only a specific date. The carrier will make three delivery attempts before the item is returned to our warehouse.
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What States Do Not Allow Alcohol To Be Shipped
There are a majority of states in the US that allow the delivery of alcohol. Alabama, Mississippi, Utah, and Kentucky are the only states not to allow delivery, and Rhode Island and Delaware have some restrictions as well. There are no exceptions or rules specific to these states, but other states accept alcohol delivery with some exceptions.
How Much Does A Dtc Shipping License Cost In New Jersey
The license fee in New Jersey varies depending on the shipper’s annual production: $63 for producing less than 1,000 gallons per year $125 for 1-2,500 gallons $250 for 2.5-30,000 gallons $375 for 30-50,000 gallons $938 for 50-250,000 gallons. In addition, applicants must hold a bond guaranteeing future tax payments.
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Shipping Beer Liquor And Wine With Fedex
allowsFedEx Delivery Resources
FedEx alcohol shipment rules include:
- You have a FedEx account number
- You have signed an alcohol shipping agreement contact with FedEx through your account manager
- You must use inner packaging of EPS foam or molded fiber tray
- You must package the alcohol in the center of the shipment, away from the packages sides
- Your package must be deemed sturdy by FedEx
- You must clearly label the shipment and meet FedEx guidelines
- You must clearly label the package as containing alcohol
- You must receive a signature upon delivery from an adult that is 21 or older
Is It All Good News
A 2017 New York Times article sent nation-wide ripples across the wine connoisseur community with a conclusion that only 14 states allowed for cross-state wine shipping. However, the legislators have amended some of the regulations by late 2018.
For example, direct shipping has been legal in Oklahoma since October 2018. The carriers and wineries need to follow in-state reporting procedures and pay special taxes. The New York state legislation is unique in that it requires a winerys home state to have similar direct shipping laws as the state of New York itself.
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Digital Wine Routes Revisited
When all is said and done, direct shipping regulation is to remain subject to state legislation. Some progress has been made to allow online retailers and wineries to ship without too much of a hassle. The important thing is that the wine shipping regulations are improving across the board.
You might be required to conduct some research and most online wine clubs and shops provide detailed information about their wine shipping rules. So theres no need to worry your wine collection is in jeopardy.
How Much Does A Dtc Shipping License Cost In Illinois
An Illinois Winery Shipper’s License costs vary depending on the size of the winery applying. A class 1 license, for wineries producing less than 250,000 gallons per year, with an initial cost of $350, and $250 for renewals a class 2, for wineries producing 250 to 500,000 gallons per year, with a $1,000 initial cost, and $750 renewal cost and a class 3, for wineries producing more than 500,000 gallons per year, with a $1,500 initial cost, and a $1200 renewal cost.
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How To Ship Alcohol In
Shipping alcohol in-state is the simplest alcohol shipping method but is still convoluted and confusing.
Since you wont be crossing state lines, youll only need to meet the alcohol shipping requirements of the state youre located in. However, you will need to be familiar with the local city laws for the different towns and municipalities in your state. Luckily, alcohol distributors should already be familiar with their local laws regarding alcohol production, distribution, and sales.
Consumers can also use one of the many alcohol e-commerce and delivery app companies such as Drizly or WineDirect to order alcohol directly to their home or to send beer, wine, or spirits to a friend.
Shipping Beer Liquor And Wine With Ups
UPS allows direct-to-consumer alcohol shipment, with a number of strict rules. You can find all the UPS rules and regulations on the UPS Wine & Alcoholic Beverage Program page.
UPS alcohol shipment rules include:
- You have a UPS account number
- You have signed an alcohol shipping agreement contact with UPS
- You have a federal license to ship alcohol
- You have the correct permits to ship alcohol in the states your sending to
- You must follow the guidelines set in both the sending and receivers state
- You must use inner packaging of EPS foam or molded fiber tray
- You must package the alcohol in the center of the shipment, away from the packages sides
- Your package must be deemed sturdy by UPS
- You must clearly label the shipment and meet UPS, origin state, and destination state guidelines
- You must clearly label the package as containing alcohol
- You must receive a signature upon delivery from an adult that is 21 or older
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How To Import Alcohol To The Us
You will find that the import of alcohol beverages into the U.S. is regulated by four federal agencies: the Food and Drug Administration , the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau , the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Customs and Border Protection . There are several forms to complete before you can import alcohol.
You can apply for the basic permit online. The process is simple. To file online:
- Visit the TTB website.
- Register for an account. You will have to provide information including your name, contact information and more.
- Log in to Permits Online.
You can also use this tool to check the status of your permit application. You will need to create your own user account. It is prohibited by law to use anyone elseâs Permits Online account. You can also submit a paper form. It can take up to six weeks to receive the needed permit.
To obtain the basic permit, you must have a business in the U.S. If you do not do business in the U.S., you must contract with an importer with a current license. Making an arrangement with an currently licensed importer gets rid of the need to get an importerâs permit.
You can also register for a Standard Wholesalerâs Permit through Permits Online. This is necessary if you plan to wholesale your imported alcohol. There is no fee to apply for any permit.
Work with a specialist to make importing and exporting to the USA a hassle-free process.
- A packing list including details of your imports.
Know Your Friends Or Family Members Wine Preferences
From varietal and sweetness to alcohol percentage and tannins, there are many different characteristics that go into a persons wine taste preferences. These preferences are important to keep in mind when selecting that perfect bottle for your friend or family member. Some ways to make sure youve got their preferences down, besides asking them, is to take note of the type of wine they order when out to dinner or the bottles they keep on-hand in their home. If in doubt, its perfectly fine to send them a quick note asking about their favorite type or take a look at their states most popular wineits better to be sure youre shipping wine theyll love, and they can anticipate the arrival of their favorite bottle!
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How To Pack Liquids For Shipping
Alcoholic beverages often come in glass bottles which are significantly more delicate than their plastic counterparts. For this reason, you need to be especially careful when you are shipping glass wine bottles, beer bottles, or liquor bottles, or shipping liquids in other delicate containers.
To safely ship alcoholic beverages, you should use strong cardboard boxes that have trays inside of them that provide sections for each bottle.
This will keep the bottles separate and prevent them from smashing into one another. You can also wrap the bottles in bubble wrap for additional safety. You may want to do this if you are shipping very expensive wine.
After that, you can put packing peanuts into the box and then close the top of the box and tape it shut. Then carefully stack the boxes into the truck.
Shipping Alcohol To The Us
You may not ship alcohol through the U.S. Postal Service. Those seeking to import alcoholic beverages will need to find alternative methods. Other major shipping companies do ship alcohol internationally but with specific guidelines. Working with Your Licensed Customs Broker can make this process streamlined and simple.
Alcohol must be shipped in its original container with the original label. Additionally, the FDA must receive notice of any food product shipped into the U.S. The Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 mandates the that FDA receives prior notice of food products shipped into the U.S. This mandate includes alcohol beverages. According to the FDA, this rule is in place to protect the nation against public health emergencies and terrorist acts related to the food supply. The FDA will assign a prior notice number, which must be provided to the shipper.
Alcohol must also only be shipped to individuals 21 years of age or older. Many shippers require a statement and signature from an adult over 21 for delivery.
Forty-four states allow direct-to-consumer alcohol shipments. States that do not allow alcohol shipments directly to consumers include:
- Alabama
- Rhode Island
- Utah
If you are shipping alcohol for personal use, it might be wise to let your vendor or distributor handle shipping.
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