Getting a wholesale liquor license requires several steps that need to be completed before you are granted your licenses. The first step is understanding the requirements at the state and federal levels. The second step is ensuring you follow procedures correctly so you do not lose your license.

When you send your application to the state, you will need to include non-refundable fees. It pays to know what is required before you submit an application. You do not want to risk disqualification and lose your fees because you did not understand what was needed.

The basic requirements are straight-forward. You must be 21 years of age, a US citizen and without criminal convictions. Contact the State liquor Authority (SLA) if you have a misdemeanor conviction to determine if it will be denied or not. You will need a separate license for operating your business. Your business must be within the state with one employee available during normal business hours. Your business must also be 200 ft. from schools and religious institutions. If the alcohol is stored off-site the same rules apply and you will need a warehouse permit too.

You need to decide what type of wholesale liquor license to apply for. The 4 types are the manufacture and sale of: Beer, Wine, Cider, and Liquor with or without wine. If you select a beer license for your location, you may also apply for a cider license for the same location. If you manufacture, you must have a brand label and receive certification of authenticity for your state. There are more rules for manufacturers too in terms of the amount that can be manufactured per year, and ingredients used to make the alcoholic beverage.

Every type of alcoholic beverage sold within the state has to be an approved brand registered by the SLA. This is important with micro breweries and micro distilleries. Recognized national brands that can be purchased anywhere are already federally approval and are automatically approved by the SLA. You need to send a wholesale and retail price schedule each month for all liquor and wine to the state. Your price
will be different for independent retailers, restaurants, bars, and chain retailers.

Once you meet all state and local criteria, you will apply with the federal government for a wholesale liquor license too. You will need an employee identification number (EIN) and register with the FDA as a food facility. If you will import alcohol, you will need a federal Certificate of Label Approval (COLA) issued for each specific product label your business imports from another country. The COLA’s need to stay on the same premises as the product labels they are issued for.You may feel overwhelmed by the process. This is understandable given you must work with state requirements for both your business and wholesale liquor license. The federal requirements from two separate agencies only add to the sense of being overwhelmed. Now that you understand the basic steps for getting your wholesale license you are better able to determine if you need additional guidance or not.

This is a lengthy process and mistakes can delay it further. Once you receive your wholesale liquor license you need to ensure you remain compliant on the state and federal levels. It makes good business sense to have legal representation to ensure your business is compliant. It is critical to have representation if you are found to be non-compliant. Before you begin the process of applying for your wholesale liquor license you should determine if you want to hire an attorney to help with the process and compliance or seek assistance if you encounter any barriers or are found to be non-compliant.