Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed HB 1476 on April 16, 2025, essentially Wine Institute’s model direct shipping bill. Wineries will be able to ship up to 24 cases per year to any consumer without the requirement (currently) of being on the premises of the winery. The direct shipping permit will cost $50 initially and then can be renewed for $25 each year. Rulemaking should begin within the next several weeks and will provide for the particulars of the application process. Arkansas’s native wineries have opposed expanding direct shipping, but we were able to overcome that opposition this year and are pleased to add Arkansas to the list of states truly open to direct-to-consumer sales.
