It costs money to sell. This is even more true in the alcoholic beverage industry. In addition to license fees, bonds, and taxes, there are even more “hidden” fees alcohol manufacturers must take into account. One of these additional fees is the cost of state label registrations.
State Label Registration
In many states, it’s not enough to just have your label approved by the TTB, you must also register the label with the state alcohol control division. Some states (Georgia, Michigan, and New York, among others) do not charge for registration. Other states are not so generous.
Fees
Ohio requires a registration fee of $50 per label, Florida $30. Connecticut charges $200 per label, and requires renewal of the registration every three years if the product is still being sold in the state.
These are per label fees. If you sell five different wines, beers, or spirits, you must pay the fee five times. If you want to sell a seasonal product, you must pay the label registration fee.
State Approval
While most states rely on the TTB label approval, some states (like Alabama and North Carolina) require that any label for an alcoholic beverage product sold in that state be approved by the state alcoholic beverage division.
State Approval
While most states rely on the TTB label approval, some states (like Alabama and North Carolina) require that any label for an alcoholic beverage product sold in that state be approved by the state alcoholic beverage division.
Just because the TTB has approved a label, does not guarantee that the state will. The Alabama ABC Board recently pulled bottles of wine off of shelves because it did not approve a label it deemed pornographic (even though the TTB had approved the label and the wine is sold in other states).
Crossing State Lines
If you operate in a state that does not charge for label registration, you are still not free of these fees. Brand and label registration is required for every alcoholic beverage sold in label registration states, whether it was made in that state or not.
Crossing State Lines
If you operate in a state that does not charge for label registration, you are still not free of these fees. Brand and label registration is required for every alcoholic beverage sold in label registration states, whether it was made in that state or not.
So, unless you never plan to distribute your product to a state that requires registration, you will need to figure out what the requirements are, and what the fees are, if any. A alcoholic beverage label for national distribution, like a national ad campaign, cannot be implemented until the laws of each state are reviewed.
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