Wine can be shipped to Maryland, but only when it comes directly from a licensed winery that holds a Maryland Direct Wine Shipper’s Permit. Retailers, wine clubs that resell other producers’ bottles, and online wine marketplaces cannot legally ship to a Maryland address, no matter how the checkout page looks.
Who Is Actually Allowed to Ship to You
The permit is limited to wineries that manufacture their own wine, and a permit holder may ship only the wines it produces.1Maryland Alcohol, Tobacco and Cannabis Commission. Direct Wine Shipper Permit Both in-state and out-of-state wineries can qualify. That means a California or Oregon winery selling its own label to your door is fine; a specialty shop or third-party marketplace offering that same bottle is not.
This is where most online wine purchases fall apart for Maryland residents. If the seller doesn’t make the wine, they can’t ship it to you here, even if their site accepts your address at checkout.
How Much Wine You Can Receive
Each winery can ship no more than 18 nine-liter cases per year to a single delivery address. That works out to roughly 216 standard 750ml bottles.2Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Alcoholic Beverages Code 2-148 – Duties of Shipper; Restrictions on Shipping
The cap is tied to the address, not the person. If two adults in the same household each order 12 cases from the same winery in a year, that winery has gone over the limit for the address. You can, however, receive shipments from multiple different wineries, each up to their own 18-case ceiling.
How the Delivery Itself Has to Work
Every box shipped to a Maryland consumer has to carry the winery’s name, your name and address, and the phrase “Contains Alcohol: Signature of Person at Least 21 Years of Age Required for Delivery.”3Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Alcoholic Beverages 2-148 – Duties of Shipper; Restrictions on Shipping Wine deliveries on Sundays are prohibited anywhere in the state.
The carrier bringing the box also needs its own Maryland Common Carrier Permit, separate from the winery’s shipper permit.4Maryland Alcohol, Tobacco and Cannabis Commission. Common Carrier Permit Application for Direct Wine Shipment At the door, the carrier must collect the signature and government-issued photo ID of someone at the address who is at least 21. If the person accepting the package looks underage or won’t show ID, the driver has to refuse delivery. Leaving wine on the porch is not allowed.
Taxes on Your Order
Two taxes apply to every direct wine shipment. Maryland’s wine excise tax is $0.40 per gallon, a flat rate regardless of alcohol content.5Maryland Alcohol, Tobacco and Cannabis Commission. What Is the Current Excise Tax for Alcohol? Maryland also applies a 9% sales and use tax on alcoholic beverages, which replaces the standard 6% rate rather than adding to it.6Maryland Alcohol, Tobacco and Cannabis Commission. What Is the Sales and Use Tax Rate on Sales of Alcoholic Beverages in Maryland? A legitimate permit holder will show both on the invoice.
What About Beer and Spirits
The Direct Wine Shipper’s Permit covers wine only. As of July 2024, licensed Maryland breweries and distilleries may deliver their own beer or spirits directly to Maryland consumers under separate permits.7Justia. Maryland Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis Code 2-168 Those permits are limited to in-state manufacturers shipping their own products. Out-of-state breweries and distilleries have no equivalent direct-to-consumer permit, so a spirits or craft beer order from another state cannot legally arrive at a Maryland address.
How to Tell If a Shipment Is Legal
Before you buy, look for two signs on the seller’s site: a Maryland permit number or clear statement that they ship to Maryland under a Direct Wine Shipper’s Permit, and an age-verification step at checkout. If a seller doesn’t ask you to confirm you’re 21 and can’t identify itself as the winery that made the wine, the shipment probably isn’t authorized.
The stakes for the sender are real. Under Section 6-327 of the Alcoholic Beverages Code, unlicensed out-of-state sale of alcoholic beverages is a felony carrying up to two years in prison, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.8Justia. Maryland Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis Code 6-327 – Unlicensed Out-of-State Sale of Alcoholic Beverages Unauthorized shipments can also be seized in transit, which means you paid for wine you’re never going to see.