Regulators
- TTB (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau) — federal wine regulator
- State liquor authorities — each shipping state enforces its own license, volume cap and tax rules
Why DTC compliance is complex
Direct-to-consumer (DTC) wine shipping in the United States is a 50-state patchwork. Each state sets its own rules: license type, annual volume cap, age verification, label registration, excise tax and sales tax. After the 2018 South Dakota v. Wayfair Supreme Court decision, every shipping state can require sales tax collection from out-of-state shippers, regardless of physical presence. Cepaos keeps the matrix current so you ship only where you're authorized and remit every required tax.
Prerequisites
- TTB Basic Permit active.
- Home state winery license (typically Type 02 Winegrower in California).
- DTC license in each ship-to state where required.
- Sales tax registration in each economic nexus state.
- Common carrier account with FedEx, UPS or a licensed wine logistics provider that supports adult signature on delivery.
DTC state matrix overview
As of the latest update, 47 states plus the District of Columbia allow some form of DTC wine shipping. The five states that remain closed or highly restricted are:
- Alabama (felony shipping)
- Delaware (no DTC)
- Mississippi (no DTC)
- Rhode Island (on-premise only)
- Utah (state-controlled)
The remaining states fall into three buckets:
| Bucket | States | Key requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Open / permit-based | 38 states | DTC permit, volume cap, tax remittance |
| Limited / reciprocal | 4 states | Special carrier or reciprocal agreement |
| Capped | 5 states | Annual case cap per winery or per consumer |
Step by step
1. Configure your licenses
Go to Settings > Compliance > DTC Licenses. Add every state where you hold an active license. For each one, enter:
- License number and issue/expiry dates.
- Volume cap (cases per year, per consumer or per winery).
- Tax rate (excise + sales tax).
- Whether age verification is required at point of sale or at delivery.
2. Validate an order
When a DTC order comes in, Cepaos runs the address through the matrix and returns a ship/hold decision:
- Ship: license valid, volume cap available, taxes calculated.
- Hold — over cap: the order would push you past the annual cap for that state or that consumer.
- Hold — no license: you don't hold a DTC license in the destination state.
- Reject: the destination state prohibits DTC shipping.
3. Apply taxes
For every shippable order, Cepaos applies the exact tax mix:
- Federal excise tax: calculated by wine class and alcohol level.
- State excise tax: per-gallon rate set by the destination state.
- State and local sales tax: based on the delivery ZIP code, using TaxJar or Avalara behind the scenes.
4. Generate shipping documents
Cepaos produces a packing slip with the carrier-required statements, an adult-signature label and any state-specific declaration (such as Florida's wine shipper report). All required documents print together so the warehouse team can pack and ship without manual steps.
5. File monthly state reports
Most DTC states require a monthly or quarterly report. Cepaos generates each filing in the state-specific format:
- Texas TABC report.
- California ABC-269.
- New York SLA report.
- Florida ABT-6011.
- And the rest, refreshed when state forms change.
Submit through each state's portal or by mail when electronic filing isn't available.
Volume cap tracking
Cepaos tracks two cap dimensions in real time:
- Per-winery annual cap (for example, Massachusetts limits each winery to specific tiers).
- Per-consumer annual cap (for example, Maryland caps consumers at 18 cases per year).
When a customer approaches a cap, the order checkout flow surfaces a warning so you can decide whether to short-ship or contact the customer.
FAQ
Does the matrix update automatically?
The Cepaos team maintains the matrix and pushes updates when state laws change. You'll see a banner in the DTC dashboard whenever a rule shifts.
Do I need a sales tax permit in every shipping state?
If you cross the state's economic nexus threshold (commonly $100K in sales or 200 transactions), yes. Cepaos tracks nexus and alerts you before you cross.
Can I ship to a state where I don't hold a DTC license?
No. Shipping without a license carries severe penalties, including loss of your home-state license. Cepaos blocks the order at checkout to prevent the mistake.