Wine Shipping to Texas

Depending on the type of permit they hold, wineries in and outside of Texas can ship wine directly to consumers 21 or older anywhere in the state. The businesses that aren’t allowed to do this are wholesalers, distributors, wineries outside of the U.S and retailers. 

A TABC-licensed common carrier must transport any wine being shipped into, out of or through Texas. See the specific requirements for wineries and package stores in the sections below.

Questions? Contact us.

If you’re winery is in Texas, you need a Winery Permit (G) from TABC to ship wine directly to consumers 21 and older. Visit our New Licenses and Permits page to learn more. 

You can ship no more than 9 gallons of wine within a calendar month or 36 gallons within a 12-month period to each consumer.

All shipped wine must be in a package that is clearly labeled and shows the package contains wine. It must be delivered by a business holding a Carrier’s Permit (C). Most major carriers already have this permit. The wine can be delivered to one of the following:

• The person who purchased it. 
• A recipient chosen in advance by the purchaser. 
• A person at the delivery address who is 21 or older after they present a valid ID and personally sign a receipt acknowledging delivery of the package. 

You can find these requirements for Texas wineries in Section 16.09 of the Alcoholic Beverage Code.

Wineries outside of Texas need an Out-of-State Winery Direct Shipper’s Permit (DS) to ship their product directly to consumers 21 or older anywhere in the state. To get this permit, you must: 

• Not hold a Winery Permit (G) in Texas. 
• Operate a winery in the U.S. that holds all the necessary state and federal permits to operate, including the federal winemaker’s and blender’s basic permit.
• Hold a Texas sales tax permit from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. This permit is free, and we will require you to include the permit number on your application for the Out-of-State Winery Direct Shipper’s Permit. 
• Expressly submit to personal jurisdiction in Texas state and federal courts. You must also agree that Travis County, Texas, will be the proper venue if any proceedings are initiated by or against TABC. 
• Have no direct or indirect financial interest in a Texas wholesaler or retailer, according to the definition of those terms in Section 102.01 of the Alcoholic Beverage Code.

The Out-of-State Winery Direct Shipper’s Permit costs $470 and is valid for two years. Visit our New Licenses and Permits page to learn more about applying.

Instructions for reporting and paying excise taxes will be forwarded to you after we issue the permit.

There are several other important things to know when applying:

• You will pay sales and excise taxes at the same rate as Texas wineries. There is no personal import tax for consumers. 
• Out-of-state wholesalers or retailers are not allowed to ship wine directly to Texas consumers. 
• The wine must be produced or bottled by the permit holder. 
• The imported wine may not be resold. 
• You do not need TABC’s label approval if you’ve met all federal label approval requirements for your brand of wine. 

The shipping and delivery requirements for out-of-state wineries is the same as for Texas wineries.

• You can ship no more than 9 gallons of wine within a calendar month or 36 gallons within a 12-month period to each consumer. 
• The wine must be delivered by a business holding a Carrier’s Permit. Most major carriers already have this permit.

All shipped wine must be in a package that is clearly labeled and shows the package contains wine. It may be delivered only to:

• The person who purchased the wine. 
• A recipient designated in advance by the purchaser. 
• A person at the delivery address who is 21 or older after they present a valid ID and personally sign a receipt acknowledging delivery of the package.

Out-of-State Winery Direct Shipper’s Permit (DS) holders need to maintain complete sales and delivery records for at least five years. After applying, TABC will provide more information about filing reports.

With this permit, you are responsible for submitting payment for two types of taxes.

• Sales Taxes — You will need a Texas sales tax permit to collect the required sales taxes from the consumer. Visit the State Comptroller’s website for more information.
• Excise Tax — You will pay these based on the total gallons of wine shipped. You also need to file an excise tax report even if you do not ship any wine during the reporting period. For more information, visit the Alcohol Excise Taxes page.

If your business holds a Package Store (P) or Wine-Only Package Store (Q) permit, you can make alcohol deliveries to consumers within the city or county where your store is located. If your city extends into an adjacent county, you may deliver into that county as long as you stay within 2 miles of the corporate limits of the city. Other requirements include:

• Your business must also hold a Local Cartage Permit. 
• You are not allowed to ship alcohol through a Carrier’s Permit holder to customers outside of your local delivery area. 
• You can deliver alcohol to a Carrier’s Permit holder to transport to consumers outside of Texas.