You may have found yourself asking the question, “how can you ship alcohol?” It’s a likely scenario if you want to send a festive spirit package to a loved one or if you managed to come across a rare bottle of liquor that you want to mail to a friend or family member in another state.
Regardless of why you are interested in shipping alcohol, it is important that you go about it in the right way. While most states permit liquor shipping, you have to send your package via a licensed carrier. Mailing alcohol through the United States Postal Service (USPS) is illegal, and doing so can land you in hot water with federal authorities.
To help you ship liquor the right way, we created this guide centered on the nuances of shipping alcohol.
How Does Shipping Liquor Work?
It’s important to recap how liquor shipping works in general before we can answer the question, “what states can liquor be shipped to?”
The first step in shipping alcohol, or anything for that matter, is choosing a reputable shipping carrier. When selecting a carrier, you need to consider factors such as its reputation, the scope of services it provides, the costs of those services and the project delivery timetable. For instance, if you are shipping refrigerated goods, you need a cold shipping company.
If you are mailing alcohol, you will need to partner with a carrier that offers the necessary services. After you have found the right carrier, all that is left to do is to pack your items and arrange the pickup of your package.
In addition to choosing the right carrier, however, you must also be aware of laws regarding where liquor can and cannot be shipped, so when comparing liquor shipping services, make sure that the company you are considering is licensed to deliver in your state.
We further explore state-specific regulations and answer some frequently asked questions regarding liquor shipping below so that you can ship liquor safely and lawfully.
Some of the most commonly asked questions follow.
Can You Ship Alcohol Between States?
Yes, you can ship alcohol across state lines, provided that both the state of origin and the destination state allow for it. If either state does not, then you cannot ship alcohol to or from those jurisdictions.
What Are the Regulations for Shipping Liquor?
Every state has unique regulations in place that govern liquor shipping. If you would like more information on your state’s specific stance on shipping alcohol, this summary, provided by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), is a great place to start your research.
What is the Best Way to Pack Liquor for Shipping?
When preparing liquor for shipping, you should place your bottles in protective packaging. Most carriers recommend that shippers package their alcohol in corrugated containers with polystyrene inner packaging, as this combination of materials will protect the bottles from damage while also preventing the liquor from leaking onto other boxes should the bottle break.
Which States Are Illegal to Ship Alcohol To?
According to the NCSL liquor shipping law summary, three territories do not have any statutes that allow for the shipment of alcohol between consumers — the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam.
While these territories have not outright banned direct-to-consumer alcohol shipping, they do not expressly allow it either, which makes shipping alcohol to these areas risky.
Additionally, six states have expressly banned the direct shipping of alcohol. These states include:
- Mississippi: Mississippi’s laws do not include any exceptions that would make direct shipping of alcohol legal.
- Alabama: Consumers cannot receive direct shipments of alcohol from either a company or a private shipper; residents can submit a special request to the Alabama Alcohol Beverage Control Board, but there is no guarantee that their request will be approved.
- Utah: Like Mississippi, Utah’s laws do not include any exceptions, meaning shipping alcohol is illegal.
- Kentucky: Kentucky not only prohibits direct-to-consumer alcohol delivery, but many counties in the state are “dry,” meaning alcohol sales are completely prohibited.
- Delaware: In Delaware, restaurants or stores can ship alcohol directly to a consumer’s home, but consumer-to-consumer shipping is illegal.
- Rhode Island: Similar to Delaware, Rhode Island allows businesses to ship alcohol directly to residents, but consumer-to-consumer shipping is banned.
Carriers Who Allow Liquor Shipping
Currently, three major carriers give the green light to liquor shipping — FedEx, UPS and DHL — but none authorizes consumer-to-consumer alcohol shipping, and UPS, in particular, does not facilitate any form of direct-to-consumer alcohol delivery, even if the shipper is a business.
If you need to ship liquor directly to consumers, you will most likely need to partner with FedEx, but do keep in mind that FedEx still has strict policies in place regarding who can ship alcohol, where it can be delivered and how it must be packaged.
Like FedEx, DHL will ship alcohol provided you meet the company’s stringent requirements. Whereas FedEx specializes in domestic alcohol shipping, DHL offers international liquor shipping.
Shipping Alcohol is Challenging, But Not Impossible
As you can see, the answer to the question, “what states can liquor be shipped to?” is somewhat complex, especially if you live in a state that has specific regulations governing when and how you can send liquor across state lines.
If you’re looking into shipping alcohol to someone in another jurisdiction, you must familiarize yourself with the restrictions of your home state, as well as the recipient’s state of residence to help you avoid inadvertently violating any shipping laws.
It is still possible to safely and lawfully ship alcohol if you do your due diligence first.
FAQ
You can send alcohol to a friend, but you cannot mail it via the United States Postal Service. Instead, you will need to ship your alcohol using an approved carrier to avoid incurring fines or other penalties.
Yes, most states allow you to ship alcohol to or from them. However, a handful of states prohibit consumers from shipping alcohol at all.
No, UPS does not allow businesses or consumers to ship alcohol to other consumers using their services, and FedEx does not authorize consumer-to-consumer liquor shipping.