Can you mail alcohol UPS? (all you must know)
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When you’re looking for an easy, delightful gift for a friend or loved one, wine or other alcoholic beverages are almost always the winner.
But can you use UPS to gift wine to a distant friend? Do you need to understand this process? If you’re wondering, read on to see what I’ve learned!
Can you mail alcohol with UPS in 2022?
In 2022, you can only ship alcohol via UPS in limited circumstances. UPS only allows alcohol to be shipped if you are properly licensed, which means you must be a government-approved business entity that manufactures, distributes, or retails alcohol in order for UPS to ship it. Local/state laws must also be considered when shipping alcohol.
If you’re interested in trying liquor shipping via UPS, or just want to better understand how liquor shipping works, be sure to keep reading to learn more!
Is it illegal to use UPS to ship alcohol?
Using UPS to ship alcohol is not illegal as long as you meet all the necessary requirements – however, unfortunately, there are quite a few.
The main requirements for shipping beer, wine or spirits with UPS are as follows:
- Shippers must have a UPS Approved Spirit Shippers Agreement
- Shipper must provide UPS with all required state alcohol licenses for shipping
- All shipments must meet UPS packaging requirements for spirits
- The sender must send the package using a signature service that requires an adult 21 years of age or older to sign for confirmation upon delivery
- All packages must contain a special alcoholic beverage shipping label for domestic shipping
So, in layman’s terms, you can only legally ship alcohol through UPS if you are a licensed business entity; as a consumer, it is illegal to use UPS to ship alcohol.
UPS also has additional requirements for shipping alcohol, depending on the type of shipment the package is classified as.
For wine, there are five types of permitted shipments:
- License-to-license: One licensed commercial entity ships alcohol to another licensed commercial entity
- Direct to On-Site Consumer: The consumer purchases wine at the winery’s physical location, but it is shipped to the consumer’s out-of-state address as long as the following conditions are met:
- The winery holds all required licenses or permits in the destination state
- Wine is purchased at the winery’s physical location (not via mail, internet, etc.)
- The winery verifies that the buyer is of legal age to buy wine
- This wine is for personal use only and not for resale
- The winery lists the buyer as the consignee
- Direct to Consumer – Winery Direct: Wine is purchased directly from the winery by mail or online order and shipped to the consumer’s address
- Retailer-to-consumer: Consumers buy wine from a retailer (not necessarily a winery), whether online, by mail, or in person, and have it shipped directly to the consumer’s address
To learn more about additional requirements, you can visit the “How to Ship Wine” page of the UPS website here.
Similar rules apply to shipping liquor or spirits, and you can read more about this on this page of the UPS website.
When you ship with UPS, you must also consider all local and state legislation regarding the shipping of alcohol.
That’s because the 21st Amendment was passed shortly after the end of Prohibition in America to undo the 18th Amendment, which banned alcohol.
The 21st Amendment legalized the sale and consumption of alcohol again.
However, it makes each state responsible for all laws regarding the production, distribution and sale of alcohol.
Thankfully, though, UPS has two lists on its website to help you with interstate/intrastate alcohol shipping.
One list is for wine and beer, which can be found here, and one is for spirits, which you can access via this link.
Can you ship alcohol to friends via UPS?
Wine is a great gift for almost any occasion, whether it’s a good bottle of wine or someone’s favorite spirit.
However, wine delivery can be a lot more difficult for distant friends and family.
As you might have guessed from the previous section, shipping alcohol in general is a lot of hassle, especially if you plan to ship across state lines.
While it’s not technically illegal to ship alcohol using UPS, you can legally ship alcohol only if you have all the required state and federal licenses.
This means you need to be a business entity that manufactures, retails or distributes alcohol.
long story short, it Yes It is illegal for a consumer to ship to another consumer.
However, that doesn’t mean you can’t give alcohol gifts remotely!
If you’re going to send that fine bottle of wine or whisky, there are plenty of ways to go about it.
One way is to order alcohol directly from the manufacturer and ship it to your friends or loved ones.
If you choose to ship directly from the winery or distillery, you may save money on an afterthought from retailers such as liquor stores.
However, you need to be familiar with all state legislation regarding purchases.
Another way to send the bottle of wine is to use a third-party wine e-commerce site, such as Drizly or Minibar.
These sites are responsible for worrying about legislation, licensing, and all other legalities, while giving you a wide selection of wines, beers, and spirits.
Plus, you don’t have to go back and forth from brewery to distillery because the choices are integrated for you.
The only downside is that they can be a bit pricey, so be prepared to spend a little more in exchange for the peace of mind that you can enjoy delivering wine with ease!
To learn more, you can also read our posts on UPS Delivery, Clothes UPS, and Frozen Food UPS Available at Staples.
in conclusion
It is completely legal to ship alcohol with UPS, provided you are a licensed alcohol retailer, distributor or seller and comply with all UPS listed regulations and all state legislation.
Using UPS to ship alcohol as a private citizen/consumer is illegal and can be considered a felony in some states. However, you can still give alcohol as a gift to a friend, as long as it complies with state law.
