Can your winery ship wine to Vermont?

Vermont DTC wine shipping requirementsCan a winery ship wine directly to consumers in Vermont?Yes — Only for "vinous beverages", i.e. wine of not more than 16% ABV at 60°F. Wine at or above 16% ABV is a "fortified wine" and cannot be shipped DTC. A Out-of-State Consumer Shipping License (7 V.S.A. § 277(b)) — the statutory licence class is the "Malt, vinous, and ready-to-drink spirits beverage consumer shipping license"; DLL refers to it informally as a "Direct Ship" permit, Consumer is required. Volume limits apply; the exact cap is in the table below. Sales tax applies. Last verified 2026-08-01 against primary sources; next review due 2026-10-30.

DTC shipping

Generally permitted

Permit required

Yes

Licence

Out-of-State Consumer Shipping License (7 V.S.A. § 277(b)) — the statutory licence class is the "Malt, vinous, and ready-to-drink spirits beverage consumer shipping license"; DLL refers to it informally as a "Direct Ship" permit, Consumer

Application fee

$330.00 initial; $330.00 annual renewal (out-of-state consumer shipping license)

Bond required

Volume cap

Per Vermont resident per CALENDAR YEAR: not more than 12 cases of vinous beverages or ready-to-drink spirits beverages AND not more than 29 gallons of vinous beverages or RTD spirits beverages. (Separate parallel cap for malt beverages: 12 cases and not more than 36 gallons.)

Sales tax

Yes

State sales-tax rate

6% — Vermont Sales and Use Tax. The 10% Vermont Alcoholic Beverage Tax does NOT apply to DTC wine.

Excise tax

Yes — Malt and Vinous Beverage Tax under 7 V.S.A. § 421, paid to the Commissioner of Taxes (Dept. of Taxes), not to DLL

Excise rate

$0.55 per gallon for vinous beverages

Shipment reports

SEMI-ANNUAL to the Division of Liquor Control — due January 15 covering July 1 to December 31 of the preceding calendar year, and due July 15 covering January 1 to June 30 of the current calendar year

Record retention

5 years minimum, running from the DATE OF SHIPPING

Product registration

Not Required for wine shipped DTC — no Vermont brand or label registration applies to a § 277 consumer shipping licensee

Approved carriers

Any common carrier CERTIFIED by the Vermont Division of Liquor Control under 7 V.S.A. § 280, whose delivery employees have completed DLL-approved training under § 213(c). Vermont publishes no public named approved-carrier list.

Regulator

Vermont Department of Liquor and Lottery — Division of Liquor Control (licensing and shipment reports); Vermont Department of Taxes (excise, sales and local option tax)

Last verified

2026-08-01

Next review due

2026-10-30

Verified 2026-08-01 by primary-source audit against 35 primary sources; next review due 2026-10-30. How we verify.

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