Permit
DTC Permit
- Required: Yes
- Fee: $300 initial permit, $50 for renewals
- Expiration:1 yr from issue date
Sales Tax
- Required: Yes
- State:5.50%
- Local:No
- Tax on Shipping:No
Excise Tax
- Required: Yes
- Table Wine: $.60/gal
- Sparkling Wine: $1.24/gal
- Fortified Wine: $1.24/gal
Volume Limit
Limits per Winery
- Calendar year:12 cases per recipient address
Reporting
- Required:Yes
- Sales Tax: Quarterly by the 15th
- Excise Tax: Quarterly by the 15th
- Direct Shipment: Quarterly by the 15th
Product Requirements
Product Reg. & Restrictions
- Submit list of labels to be shipped DTC
- ONLY wines produced by or for the licensee, owned by licensee or sold under the winery name of the licensee may be shipped
- “Wine coolers” may NOT be shipped DTC
- Containers < 250ml may NOT be shipped DTC
Bottle Bill Registration
- Required:Yes, effective 7/1/25
Additional Information
A Direct Shipper License is required for making on-site and off-site direct shipments to Maine consumers. The license fee for first-time applicants is $200, plus an additional one-time $100 registration fee with subsequent renewals costing $50. Wineries must have applied for and received a Retailers Certificate from the Maine Revenue Service to avoid any delay in the processing of their application and issuance of their liquor license. Limited Liability Companies, Limited Partnerships and Corporations must complete and submit the Supplementary Corporate Questionnaire with their license application and the application must be signed by the Owner or Corporate Officer.
- A direct shipper shall label each package to be shipped in accordance with this section so that it conspicuously reads “CONTAINS ALCOHOL: SIGNATURE OF A PERSON 21 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER IS REQUIRED FOR DELIVERY.
Effective July 1, 2025, wine containers shipped to consumers in Maine under a wine direct shipper license will be added into Maine’s bottle bill program. See linked DEP guidance under Statutes & Advisories and alert below for more details.
DTC Licensees Must Comply with Maine Bottle Bill Law by July 1
June 5, 2025Effective July 1, 2025, wine containers shipped to consumers in Maine under a wine direct shipper license will be added into Maine’s bottle bill program. Wine containers distributed through the three-tier system in Maine are already included in the bottle bill program. Further updates to Maine’s beverage container redemption were made with LD 1909 (2023 … Read More ⟶
CONTACT INFORMATION
Maine Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages & Lottery Operations
Division of Liquor Licensing and Enforcement
8 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0008
Phone: (207) 624-7220
Fax: (207) 287-3434
Division of Liquor Licensing and Enforcement
8 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0008
Phone: (207) 624-7220
Fax: (207) 287-3434
