How to sell your spirits across the US without a shipping permit

Short answer: in most of the US, a distillery cannot ship spirits to consumers itself. Sovos ShipCompliant lists 39 states that do not allow direct-to-consumer spirits shipping from out-of-state producers. You can still reach shoppers in those states through ReserveBar.com. A licensed retailer in our network sells and ships each order, so you need no shipping permit, and the sale follows the three-tier system.

ReserveBar has sold spirits online since 2013. Our retail partners cover the majority of the United States, and the network we share with our sister company AccelPay includes 3,500+ licensed retail locations in 40+ states.

Only in a short list of states, and each one comes with conditions. Common ones are:

1. A direct shipper license from that state, with fees and renewals.

2. Per-person volume limits, monthly or yearly.

3. Production caps, so larger distilleries don't qualify.

4. Reciprocity. New York, for example, lets a distillery ship in only if the distillery's home state lets New York distilleries ship there.

5. Monthly or quarterly excise and sales tax returns in each state.

For a spirits brand, self-shipping covers a small part of the country. See AccelPay's state-by-state guide to distillery direct shipping for the license, fee and limit in each state that allows it.

California's Type 94 craft spirits direct shipper permit expires December 31, 2026. The legislature did not pass an extension, so the permits can't be renewed for 2027 (Sovos ShipCompliant, 2026 DtC Spirits Shipping Report). From January 1, 2027, a distillery can't ship spirits direct to California consumers unless a new law passes. Permits are issued by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

California shoppers can still buy your spirits on ReserveBar.com. Those orders are sold and delivered by licensed California retailers, so the change does not affect them.

For more, see our post on California's spirits shipping change.

US alcohol law, set state by state, splits sales into three tiers: producers sell to distributors, distributors sell to retailers, and only retailers sell to the public. ReserveBar works inside that system.

1. A shopper enters a delivery address on ReserveBar.com and sees what can ship there.

2. The order goes to a licensed retail partner that can sell to that address. The retailer is the seller and holds the license.

3. The retailer buys your spirits through your distributors, like any other account.

4. You set wholesale pricing. The retailer sets the final retail price, as beverage alcohol laws require.

5. ReserveBar collects sales tax at checkout. You do not register or file in each shipping state.

6. Most shipped orders leave the retailer in 1 to 2 business days by ground, and an adult 21 or older with a photo ID must accept the package.

7. Where a nearby retail partner stocks your bottle, shoppers can choose same-day delivery. Most local deliveries arrive in two hours or less.

1. Who sells the order. Your own permits: Your distillery. On ReserveBar.com: A licensed retailer near the shopper.

2. Licenses you hold. Your own permits: A direct shipper license in each state. On ReserveBar.com: None for ReserveBar orders.

3. Where you can sell. Your own permits: The few states that allow it, within their caps. On ReserveBar.com: Where our retail partners can ship or deliver, across most of the US.

4. California from 2027. Your own permits: Not available (Type 94 expires). On ReserveBar.com: Through licensed California retailers.

5. Tax returns. Your own permits: Excise and sales tax in each state. On ReserveBar.com: ReserveBar collects sales tax.

6. Same-day delivery. Your own permits: No. On ReserveBar.com: Where a nearby retail partner stocks your bottle.

7. Inventory. Your own permits: Your own. On ReserveBar.com: Retailer stock bought through your distributors.

1. Craft distilleries with distribution in some states that want online buyers beyond their tasting room.

2. Brands that ship to a few open states today and want the rest of the map.

3. Small distilleries in California planning for the end of the Type 94 permit.

4. Brands with limited releases, pre-sales or gift-season bottles. ReserveBar runs pre-orders with brand partners and offers bottle engraving to shoppers.

Yes. A marketplace listing brings shoppers who are browsing. Your own site converts the people your marketing already reaches. Two options in our family of companies put a licensed-retailer checkout on your site:

1. LiquidCommerce Elements, our white-label commerce software.

2. Our sister company AccelPay, with native Shopify apps and a cart for other site builders. See how AccelPay works.

Eligible brands can get a ReserveBar.com listing. Email [email protected] or start at Partner with us. Tell us where you have distribution today and which products you want listed.

Eligible brands can get introductory advertising credit on ReserveBar.com and Minibar, based on plan terms and product category.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Spirits shipping laws change often; check current rules with your compliance counsel.

Can a distillery ship spirits directly to consumers in other states?

Only in a few states. Sovos ShipCompliant lists 39 states that do not allow direct-to-consumer spirits shipping from out-of-state producers, and the states that allow it add licenses, volume limits and tax returns.

Do I need a shipping permit to sell spirits on ReserveBar?

No. A licensed retailer in the ReserveBar network sells and ships each order and holds the license. The retailer buys your spirits through your distributors.

Can distilleries ship spirits to California consumers in 2027?

Not under current law. California's Type 94 craft spirits direct shipper permit expires December 31, 2026 and was not extended, according to the Sovos ShipCompliant 2026 DtC Spirits Shipping Report. California shoppers can still buy on ReserveBar.com, where licensed California retailers sell and deliver the order.

Who sets the retail price of my spirits on ReserveBar?

You set wholesale pricing. The licensed retailer that fulfills the order sets the final retail price, as beverage alcohol laws require.

Does ReserveBar offer same-day delivery for spirits?

Yes, where a nearby retail partner stocks the product. Most local deliveries arrive in two hours or less. Shipped orders usually leave the retailer in 1 to 2 business days.

How do I get my spirits brand listed on ReserveBar?

Email [email protected] or use the Partner with us page. Eligible brands can get a ReserveBar.com listing, and eligible brands can get introductory advertising credit on ReserveBar.com and Minibar, based on plan terms and product category.

ReserveBar helps spirits, wine and beer brands sell online in three ways:

List on ReserveBar.com and the Minibar Delivery app. Eligible brands can get a listing, plus advertising to the shoppers already buying on both.

Sell on your own website. Our white-label ecommerce puts checkout directly on your site, with your branding.

Reach shoppers nationwide. Orders from every channel are filled by 3,500+ licensed retail locations across 40+ states, with shipping and same-day delivery.

To learn more about any of these, email [email protected].

1. ReserveBar Help Center: "How are online alcohol orders fulfilled?", "Where do you ship?", "How quickly are orders delivered?", "What kind of fees does ReserveBar charge?", "On-Site Pricing Changes & Errors" (fetched Oct 30, 2026)

2. Sovos ShipCompliant, DtC spirits shipping rules by state (state content reviewed Jan 1, 2026; fetched Oct 22, 2026)

3. Sovos ShipCompliant, 2026 Direct-to-Consumer Spirits Shipping Report (Oct 2026)

4. California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC)

5. AccelPay, Distillery direct shipping (live Oct 30, 2026)