On April 25, 2006, Bob Governor Ehrlich signed legislation that was passed in response to a legal challenge of the existing self-distribution laws in Maryland. Under the new statute, Maryland wineries under 27,500 gallons may continue to self-distribute by obtaining a “Class 6 Limited Wine Wholesaler’s License” for their winery premise, or for another premise […]
New Direct Shipping Tax Software Available for Members
Wine Institute has a new Sales and Excise Tax Tool available for members. The Tax Tool was developed by ShipCompliant and it is a direct response to member requests for help in complying with the increasingly complex direct shipping requirements. Members can access the Tax Tool via a password protected web site. The software allows […]
Direct Shipping Permit Applications for Hawaii Available
Effective January 1, 2007 wineries will need an approved Direct Wine Shipper’s Permit to ship directly to consumers in Hawaii. Each of the 4 counties (Kauai, Maui, Honolulu and Hawaii) in the state of Hawaii has a separate application, application fee and reporting requirements. The annual permit fee for the County of Kauai, County of […]
Rhode Island Launches New Online Compliance System
Rhode Island has launched a new online label and brand registration renewal system which enables wineries to renew their alcohol beverage label registration and apply for a Certificate of Compliance for the transport of alcohol beverage into the state of Rhode Island. (The website expedites compliance for winery/distributor transactions, not direct-to-consumer sales.) Wineries will soon […]
FedEx Expands Direct Shipping in Vermont and Sitka, Alaska
Effective November 1, 2006, Vermont will allow for “Direct or Permit” shipping into, out of, or within the state. FedEx Express and FedEx Ground will accept wine shipments from Approved Wine Shippers as of this date. Also, FedEx Express service is now available to Sitka, Alaska (zip code 99835). If you have any questions please […]
Clarifications of Direct Shipping Laws
The enforcement and interpretation of various state laws for direct-to-consumer wine shipments continue to evolve. Following are four recent changes and rule clarifications members should be aware of. Connecticut: Wineries of any size are eligible to apply for an Out-of- State Shippers Permit in CT. The cost of the permit is $250 and there is […]
FedEx Approves Arizona for Direct Shipping for Qualifying Wineries
Effective September 21, 2006, Arizona will allow direct shipping of off-site purchases through a permit system for both instate and out-of-state wineries. Only wineries producing no more than 20,000 gallons annually are eligible to apply for this direct shipping permit. FedEx Express and FedEx Ground will accept wine shipments from approved wine shippers as of […]
Montana Reviews Direct Shipping Laws
Wine Institute representatives recently met with Dan Bucks, the Director of the Montana Department of Revenue and Shauna Helfert, the new Administrator of the Liquor Control Division of the DOR. They raised concerns regarding recent reports of Montana retailers purchasing wine directly from out-of-state wineries, which is currently not permissible under Montana law. They noted […]
Colorado’s New Permit Law
Colorado’s new legislation effecting wine shipments will become effective July 1, 2006. The new permit application is available on Wine Institute’s direct shipping website. Wineries that have been shipping to Colorado under the reciprocity law DO NOT have to complete a new application. The annual renewal fee for applications will remain $50.00. Wineries must pay […]
Kansas’ Limited Direct-to-Consumer Shipping Law
Governor Kathleen Sebelius on May 23, 2006 signed a DTC shipping bill in KANSAS that gives us only half of what we were seeking. This was an extremely hard-fought battle in a state that had previously banned all DTC shipments. Unfortunately, the success Chuck McGrigg and our local lobbyists had in passing our version of […]
