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California wine shipping & label registration basics

What an out-of-state winery needs to ship wine directly to consumers in California, and whether California requires label or brand registration. Regulator: California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC).

Last verified: Oct 23, 2026Sources: official agency sites and statutes (listed below)
General information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change; always confirm with California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) before you file.

Summary

Key facts

DTC permit for out-of-state wineries
Wine Direct Shipper Permit (ABC license Type 82)
Law
Business and Professions Code §23661.3
Application
Form ABC-248, with a copy of your current winery license and your federal basic permit
Fees
Non-refundable application fee plus the annual fee, per ABC’s fee schedules ($30 annual fee on the schedule effective Jan 1, 2026; check the current application fee on ABC’s schedule)
Volume limit
None stated in §23661.3
State label registration
Not required for wine, per the Wine Institute’s state summary (a trade-association source; confirm with ABC)

Direct-to-consumer shipping: getting the permit

Any winegrower licensed in California or another state may get a Wine Direct Shipper Permit to sell and ship wine to California residents who are 21 or older, for personal use and not for resale. Before the first shipment, the statute requires you to:

  1. File an application with ABC (Form ABC-248) and pay the fees.
  2. Provide a true copy of your current alcoholic beverage license issued by your home state.
  3. Get a seller’s permit (or register) with the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA).
  4. Register with CalRecycle as a beverage manufacturer and distributor (added effective January 1, 2023).

After you’re permitted: ongoing rules

  • Label every shipping container: “CONTAINS ALCOHOL: SIGNATURE OF PERSON AGE 21 YEARS OR OLDER REQUIRED FOR DELIVERY.”
  • Require the carrier to get the signature of someone 21 or older before delivery.
  • Out-of-state permit holders: report to ABC by January 31 each year the total wine shipped into California the previous calendar year.
  • Pay California sales and use tax and wine excise tax on these sales (administered by CDTFA).
  • Comply with CalRecycle beverage-container reporting and payments.
  • Renew annually by paying the annual fee and providing a current copy of your home-state license.

Label and brand registration

California does not run a general brand-label registration for wine, according to the Wine Institute’s state compliance summary. You still need a federal COLA for wine sold across state lines. California also has its own appellation rules for some California place names (for example, conjunctive-labeling rules for certain Napa County AVAs).

How Vintners Desk can help

We prepare the CA application from your intake ($239 for the first state, $199 for each additional state in the same order), list the tax registrations you need, submit, and add renewal and reporting dates to your calendar. State fees are paid by you to the state.

Get started

Confirm with the agency before you rely on these. We check these points again for every client before filing.
  • The current Type 82 application fee on ABC’s fee schedule.
  • That California requires no wine brand-label registration (our source is the Wine Institute’s state summary, not ABC).

Sources

  1. California Business and Professions Code §23661.3 (via CDTFA law guide)
  2. ABC Form ABC-248, Wine Direct Shipper Permit Application
  3. ABC application fee schedules
  4. ABC annual fee schedule (effective Jan 1, 2026)
  5. Wine Institute, California compliance summary (trade association; secondary source)