Distillery Direct Shipping

Ship Your Own Spirits Direct to Consumers

  • Sell DTC in every market that allows distillery self-shipping

A handful of states let a licensed distillery ship its own spirits straight to consumers — no three-tier middleman required. AccelPay turns that patchwork of licenses, limits, and tax filings into a single, compliant checkout on your own site.

Schedule a Demo See the State Guide

11 + DC

Markets that allow distillery self-shipping

$50–$600

Typical direct-shipper license fees

21+

Adult-signature delivery on every order

How It Works

Self-distribution, without the compliance headache

Most states route spirits through the three-tier system. But a growing set of markets now lets a licensed distillery ship its own bottles directly to consumers — often with production caps, volume limits, reciprocity rules, or pilot-program expiration dates attached. Getting it wrong means fines or a paused program.

AccelPay manages the moving parts so you can sell with confidence.

01

Licenses & permits

We help guide you to the right direct-shipper permit in each eligible state and keep renewals on track.

02

Carrier agreements

FedEx and UPS alcohol shipping agreements are easy to set up and easily integrated with the AccelPay fulfillment platform — USPS doesn't ship alcohol.

03

Tax filings

Excise and sales-tax returns are calculated, scheduled, and filed on each state's cadence — monthly, quarterly, or annual.

04

Limits & age checks

Dry-jurisdiction blocks are enforced at checkout, and 21+ adult-signature ensured at delivery.

State Guide

Where licensed distilleries can ship spirits DTC

The license, fees, limits, and ongoing tax filings for each market that currently permits supplier/brand direct-to-consumer spirits shipping.

District of Columbia

Open
License & Fee
No shipper license required — None
Limits
1 case per person per month
Tax Filings
Sales tax (10.25%) only if economic nexus is met; excise not collected from the shipper

Arizona

Open
License & Fee
Series 02D Microdistillery License — $600 initial / $370 renewal
Limits
Producer under 20,000 gallons/year
Tax Filings
Online Transaction Privilege Tax (TPT); $3.00/gal excise plus 5.6% state sales tax

Nebraska

Open
License & Fee
Type S1 Direct-to-Consumer Shipper License — $500
Limits
108 L per person per month
Tax Filings
Form 35-7140 Direct Shipper Tax (monthly) and Form 10 sales/use; $3.75/gal excise

North Dakota

Open
License & Fee
Direct Shipping License — $50
Limits
9 L per person per month
Tax Filings
Schedule H excise (annual) and ST sales return; $2.50/gal excise

New Hampshire

Open · Control state
License & Fee
Direct Shipper's License — $500
Limits
~60 one-liter bottles per person per year; no shipping to dry communities
Tax Filings
8% markup in lieu of excise/sales tax; monthly Direct Shipping Report

Kentucky

Open
License & Fee
License to Direct Ship to Consumers — ~$100
Limits
10 gallons per person per month
Tax Filings
Form 73A550 (quarterly) with shipment schedules; $1.92/gal excise; 6% sales tax plus 11% wholesale tax on 70% of retail price

California

Open · Pilot (sunsets Jan 1, 2027)
License & Fee
Type 94 Distilled Spirits Direct Shipper Permit (must qualify under Type 74 Craft Distiller) — $30 permit plus ~$125 application
Limits
2.25–2.5 L per person per day; producer under 150,000 gallons/year; 65% manufactured in-house
Tax Filings
CDTFA-401-A2 (sales) and CDTFA-240-DS (excise). Pilot program expires January 1, 2027

New York

Conditional · Reciprocity required
License & Fee
Direct Shipper's License — $125
Limits
36 cases per person per year (up to 9 L per case); producer under 75,000 proof gallons/year; reciprocity required — your home state must allow NY distilleries to ship in
Tax Filings
MT-456 excise (monthly initially); sales tax via NY Tax portal

Alaska

Allowed · Not recommended
License & Fee
Manufacturer Direct Shipment License — $200
Limits
4.5 L per person per year; 1.5 L per transaction; producer under 50,000 proof gallons/year; no shipping to dry or damp jurisdictions
Tax Filings
Form 500 excise return (monthly), $12.80/gal; local sales tax if nexus exists

Vermont

Limited · RTD only
License & Fee
Direct Ship to Consumer License — $330
Limits
12 cases per person per year; RTD cocktails under 12% ABV only (not full-proof spirits)
Tax Filings
SU-451 (sales) and MVB-612 excise (semi-annual)

Rhode Island

Limited · On-site only
License & Fee
No license; on-site purchases only — None
Limits
Consumer must be physically present at the distillery at the time of purchase
Tax Filings
Not applicable to off-site DTC

This is a compliance reference, not legal advice. Spirits shipping laws change frequently — AccelPay confirms current requirements with each state's alcohol beverage authority before you ship.

Where to Start

A clear-eyed read on the map

Prioritize

Open markets, full-proof, no blockers

Arizona, Nebraska, North Dakota, New Hampshire, DC, and Kentucky are the cleanest places to launch. California is open too if you qualify as a craft distiller — just plan around the January 2027 pilot sunset.

Watch

Conditional or case-by-case

New York requires reciprocity and enforces a production cap — confirm eligibility first. Alaska is legal but, between low volume caps and dry-jurisdiction rules, AccelPay does not recommend shipping there.

Effectively closed

Not viable for full-proof DTC

Rhode Island only allows on-site purchases, and Vermont limits shipping to RTD cocktails under 12% ABV — neither works for shipping full-proof spirits to consumers.

Before You Ship

What every market expects

A few requirements are common across nearly every state. AccelPay verifies each one as part of onboarding.

A federal TTB Basic Permit held by the producing distillery

A licensed distillery/manufacturer license in your home state

A carrier alcohol shipping agreement with FedEx or UPS

Age-21 adult-signature delivery and "Contains Alcohol" labeling

Turn on compliant spirits DTC

Tell us where you're licensed and we'll map your fastest path to shipping your own spirits direct to consumers.