Quarantine has many of us wondering how to order whiskey online. Some of us are stuck inside for long periods and trying to have fun while we learn to cope, while others want to expand the ability to avoid the public.
Despite the hardships many faced this last year, there are several new habits worth carrying forward. The ability to have everyday items delivered is fantastic and one of those new tricks worth keeping around.
However, not every state or city allows for the delivery of whiskey or alcohol.
Is It Legal to Order and Ship Whiskey Online?
The most direct answer to the question of if you can order whiskey online and it be completely legal is “it depends.”
There are federal laws about the subject. Also, there are rules and regulations in individual states, cities, and even counties.
Therefore, you might have a state that allows people to order alcohol unless you live in a dry county that prohibits alcohol sales.
Also, there are different rules for whether the alcohol originates in-state compared to out-of-state. Furthermore, towns and municipalities have their own rules.
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Usually, those who ship alcohol understand the various laws.
Order Whiskey Online: So Many Rules…
There are several considerations when you wonder how to order whiskey online.
First, there are local deliveries and direct shipments from out-of-state manufactures.
Typically, states have rules in place for out-of-state manufacturers to ship alcohol directly to customers. Although, this ability is generally related only to wine. Also, some states forbid the direct delivery of alcohol to citizens.
In some cases, a customer can order alcohol in other states, but the manufacturer must send it to a wholesaler with a license to sell alcohol by the state.
You are out of luck for direct shipments from other states
If you live in Delaware, Rhode Island, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Utah, or Alabama, you cannot have any type of direct-to-your-home shipment of alcohol.
Also, while Kentucky does allow direct-to-consumer deliveries, they penalize those who ship to dry counties. Therefore, a lot of companies avoid the trouble and do not ship to Kentucky.
Order whiskey online: You can receive all alcoholic beverages as a direct shipment
New Hampshire, Florida, Kentucky, Hawaii, Nebraska, and Rhode Island all have no issues with private citizens ordering and receiving alcohol.
This includes whiskey, other hard liqueur, beer, and wine.
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What about beer, wine, cider, and mead?
If you want to join a beer or wine of the month club, you are in luck if you live in Delaware, Massachusetts, Montana, Ohio, Oregon, North Dakota, Virginia, and Vermont.
If your drink list includes mead, cider, and wine and you live in Connecticut or New Jersey, you are good to go.
New Mexico is cool with wine and cider, and Oregon permits beer, cider, and wine
What about wine from a winery?
Most states allow delivery direct from a winery.
There are, however, a few states with a few restrictions.
For instance, Minnesota will allow a winery to ship to consumers, but they limit the amount throughout the year. Also, Alaska and Florida have similar limitations and restrictions.
If you live in Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, or Utah, you are out of luck for wine from a winery.
If you live in a state that allows the delivery of wine, be prepared to show your identification at the time of delivery. One company that does direct wine deliveries is the Wine of the Month Club, and another is NapaCabs.
What About Food Delivery Services?
COVID-19 and social distancing have damaged the business of many bars and restaurants. In many states, governors signed temporary waivers to allow establishments to sell alcohol directly to customers when they order through delivery services or by a curbside pickup.
Also, in some cases, those rules expired, while in others, the new rules are still going strong or made permanent.
In all cases, however, there are some restrictions. For instance, the delivery person will look to ensure you are not intoxicated and that you have a valid form of identification to show your age.
Also, you cannot receive alcohol delivery at a school or college, prison, state grounds, a liquor store, or a storage facility.
Also, you cannot order just alcohol from a restaurant. Your alcohol order must be along with a food order.
What About Grocery Delivery Services?
In some cases, your local grocery delivery service, like InstaCart, will allow you to order whiskey online.
However, the availability of this service is very dependent on local laws.
For example, the following states generally allow for the delivery of alcohol from a grocery store:
- Connecticut
- California
- Florida
- Kentucky
- Illinois
- Minnesota
- Massachusetts
- Missouri
- North Carolina
- Oregon
- Ohio
- Texas
- Virginia
- Washington, D.C.
- Washington
However, not every part of those states allows for the delivery.
For example, you might live in a town in Texas that is divided between two different counties. If you live in the part of town that prohibits grocery delivery services from bringing you alcohol with your groceries, you are out of luck.
If you are curious, pull up your grocery delivery app and check out what options are available through the app for delivery. Typically, the app will only show you what is available.
If you go to a direct grocery store’s app, be mindful it will allow you to put alcohol in your cart, but you will receive a notification when you check out.
In that case, you will have to do curbside pickup. In other words, you can order alcohol online but not necessarily have it delivered to your door.
State-by-State Breakdown
In some states, you can order whiskey online, but other states allow wine or beer only.
To make it easier, we summarized state by state.
Also, due to some states relaxing the rules because of COVID, know that the rules may still fluctuate.
Therefore, it is vital to check your local rules.
Alabama
Alabama prohibits the direct sale and shipment of any alcoholic beverage directly to customers. All shipments must go to a warehouse or a wholesaler with the proper license.
Alaska
There are several dry zip codes for Alaska, so local laws govern the sale of alcohol.
If you live ina “wet” zip code, you must sign for the wine and it must be clearly labeled as wine.
Arizona
If you live in Arizona, you may order wine from wineries in the United States that have a specific license.
Arkansas
Arkansas requires the customer to be present at the time of purchase. However, small wineries can ship direct.
California
If you live in California, you likely trip over wineries.
California residents can receive shipments from state wineries.
Wineries from out of the state need a special license.
Colorado
If a winery has a special direct-shipment permit, they can send wine to customers directly.
The customers must be 21 years old, at a minimum.
Connecticut
Connecticut residents can order and receive delivery of wine, mead, and cider to their homes.
Delaware
All shipments of alcohol must first go to a wholesaler and then be delivered to the customer.
Florida
Customers can order all kinds of alcohol for direct shipment in Florida.
However, there are three dry counties in Florida, so check your local rules, just in case.
Georgia
While Georgia limits the volume, you can order wine from a winery.
The state uses an online age verification system, and packages are clearly marked as containing alcohol.
Hawaii
In Hawaii, customers can order all kinds of alcohol for direct shipment to their homes.
Idaho
Idaho permits the direct shipping and delivery of wine to customers.
Illinois
If you live in Illinois and order from a state-approved winery, you can have your wine delivered directly to you.
Indiana
It used to be in Indiana that customers had to be face-to-face customers of a winery before ordering direct to their home.
However, this is no longer the case, and residents can order their wine for delivery.
Iowa
If you live in Iowa and order from a winery with a direct shipment permit, you can order for direct delivery to your home.
Kansas
If the winery has a special license for making off-site sales, you can order as a Kansas resident.
Kentucky
Customers can order all kinds of alcohol for direct shipment if they live in Kentucky.
Louisiana
The state of Louisiana requires wineries to register with the department of revenue. However, if they do, you can order for direct shipment.
Maine
If you live in Maine, you can order wine for direct shipment if the shipper has the correct license.
Maryland
Residents of Maryland are in luck with direct shipments of wine. You can order up to 18 cases a year.
Massachusetts
If you live in Massachusetts, you may order the direct shipment and delivery of both beer and wine.
Michigan
Michigan residents may order wine for direct shipment to their homes.
Minnesota
While Minnesota residents may order wine for direct shipment to their homes, they cannot order more than two cases of wine in any calendar year.
Also, an adult signature is necessary.
Mississippi
The state of Mississippi requires customers to purchase at a winery. From there, they can have the shipment sent to a package retailer located within the state.
Missouri
If a winery has a direct shipper’s permit, they may deliver direct to a customer’s home. However, a signature is necessary and the box is well noted as having alcohol.
Montana
Montana allows for the direct shipment and delivery of both beer and wine.
Nebraska
Customers can order all kinds of alcohol for direct shipment if they reside in Nebraska.
Nevada
Wineries in compliance with Nevada’s laws may ship wine to customers’ homes.
New Hampshire
With the proper permit, wineries may directly ship wine to their New Hampshire customer’s homes.
New Jersey
In New Jersey, residents may order and receive delivery of wine, mead, and cider to their homes.
New Mexico
If you live in New Mexico, feel free to order both wine and cider to ship directly to your home.
New York
While there is a limit of 36 cases of wine per year for each customer, New York residents may order wine for delivery.
North Carolina
As long as the wineries have a permit, North Carolina residents may order direct shipments of wine.
North Dakota
If you live in North Dakota, you may order the direct shipment and delivery of both beer and wine.
Ohio
Ohio permits residents to order beer and wine for direct shipment and delivery to their homes.
Oklahoma
Residents of Oklahoma may order wine from wineries that are properly registered with the state.
Oregon
If you live in Oregon, you may order the direct shipment and delivery of beer, wine, and cider.
Pennsylvania
Residents of Pennsylvania may order up to 36 cases of wine each year.
Rhode Island
Customers can order all kinds of alcohol for direct shipment and home delivery if they live in Rhode Island.
South Carolina
Residents of South Carolina may order up to two cases of wine each month.
South Dakota
Residents of South Dakota may order up to 12 cases of wine each year.
Tennessee
Residents of Tennessee may order up to one case of wine each month, but no more than three cases in a calendar year.
Texas
Texas allows the direct shipment of wine to residents as long as the wineries have the proper permits.
Utah
Utah allows for a wine subscription as long as the shipment goes to a state store or other approved agent for the customer’s pickup.
Vermont
Vermont allows residents to direct order and recieve delivery of both beer and wine.
Virginia
Those who live in Virginia may order the direct shipment and delivery of both beer and wine.
Washington
Residents of Washington can have as much wine as they wish directly delivered to their homes.
West Virginia
Residents of West Virginia may order up to two cases of wine each month.
There are dry areas of West Virginia. Therefore, you must review your local laws.
Wisconsin
If you live in Wisconsin, you may order, for direct shipment, up to 12 cases a year.
Wyoming
If you live in Wyoming, you may order up to 36 liters of wine each year for each address.
District of Columbia (D.C.)
Those who reside in D.C can order all kinds of alcohol for direct shipment to their homes.
Whiskey Demands Appreciation
If you want to order whiskey online, there are only a few states that allow it. However, if you are looking for whiskey delivery from inside your state, there are several places you can contact to find out if you can use their services:
However, the rules for beer and wine are a little more relaxed.
Also, you might find you can order alcohol directly with your to-go food delivery order, but you will want to check with your local rules about to-go alcohol.
How did you order whiskey online? Answer in the comments.
A teacher by trade, Victoria Caine splits her free time between freelance writing, her camping blog, and (frantically) guiding her teenagers into becoming functional adults.
