This blog was last updated on February 13, 2026

Key Highlights:

• 2025 saw major changes to DtC alcohol shipping laws, especially for wine
• Mississippi and Delaware opened new markets but with restrictive provisions
• Several states are expected to revisit flawed or incomplete legislation in 2026
• Spirits and beer DtC shipping laws continue to expand
• Consumer demand remains strong, putting pressure on states to remove barriers

For the direct-to-consumer (DtC) alcohol shipping market, 2025 ended up being rather active in terms of new and amended laws. As the 2026 legislative calendar comes into focus, however, there remains much more for states to do, either to remove ongoing barriers or to establish new DtC shipping privileges where they are currently not available. As a result, DtC alcohol shipping laws are expected to remain a major focus for regulators, producers, and consumers alike.

Fixing Issues from 2025 DtC Wine Shipping Legislation

Making laws is a complicated process, and so it is not uncommon for state legislatures to need to pass follow-up bills to correct issues (both foreseeable and surprising) that resulted from past law changes. This dynamic has become especially apparent as states continue to refine and revisit DtC alcohol shipping laws enacted in recent sessions.

In 2025, both Mississippi  and Delaware passed new DtC wine shipping laws, creating entirely new markets to service their wine-loving residents (Mississippi opened last July; Delaware is set to make its law effective some time in 2026). However, both bills included provisions that restrain the ability of wineries to fully engage in their state markets and that ultimately work to limit consumer choice.

The central issue with both states’ new DtC wine shipping laws is that they restrict wineries from both DtC shipping their products and selling them at wholesale in the state.

Mississippi DtC Wine Shipping Law Challenges

In Mississippi, this comes down to prohibiting a DtC shipper from shipping wines that have been listed for sale through the Mississippi Alcohol Beverage Control Board. While this is far from a complete ban, it does present a challenge for wineries to track which of their wines are sold in which channel—and, of course, it severely limits the ability of a winery with an active DtC shipping program from expanding their wholesale presence in the state.

Delaware DtC Wine Shipping Law Restrictions

Delaware presents a far greater problem. At present its law bans any winery that has, or is part of a larger organization that has, a relationship with a Delaware distributor from even applying for a DtC license. Indeed, there are many problems with the bill that passed in Delaware last year, including its exorbitant license fee and very limited shipping volume caps, so it is no wonder that a fix bill is a key priority for advocates of DtC wine shipping.

Ongoing State-Level Barriers to DtC Wine Shipping

While there was significant effort in 2025 to finally filling the DtC wine shipping map, there are still several states with long-lasting restrictive laws that come up regularly as a target for change.

New Jersey Production Caps on DtC Wine Shipping

New Jersey is the last state to maintain a production cap on DtC wine shippers, banning wineries that produce more than 250,000 gallons a year. While, as the latest Sovos ShipCompliant/WineBusiness Analytics Direct-to-Consumer Wine Shipping Report shows, it is small, very small and limited production wineries that make up the majority of DtC wine shippers, the industry has unified against production caps, finding them both a threat to potential growth by a winery and a provision that only creates unnecessary division within businesses that otherwise should work together to improve their collective positions. As such, you should expect New Jersey to be a focus of legislative change, to remove this last barrier.

Rhode Island’s Onsite Purchase Requirement

Similarly, with Arkansas adopting a proper DtC shipping law last year, Rhode Island is now the last state to require that DtC wine shipments happen only after the consumer has made an onsite purchase from the winery, effectively blocking online, phone, and club sales. The other 48 states, plus D.C., that do allow wineries to make and fulfill remote sales to their residents show how needless and problematic Rhode Island’s ongoing restriction is.

Utah’s Continued Prohibition on DtC Wine Shipping

And indeed, 2026 could be the year to remove a lot of “final restrictions,” as Utah is now the only state with no allowance for any kind of DtC wine shipping (though, of course, even with its new law, Delaware retains its “do not ship” warning from Wine Institute). Utah legislators are not unaware of the broad public interest behind DtC wine shipping, as they have made motions in recent years to open their state by creating (ultimately extremely restrictive) special order options. While it is very unlikely that Utah will pass a proper DtC shipping law in 2026, we cannot entirely say it would be impossible—and nothing will change there if we don’t first think it could, so here’s hoping.

Expansion of DtC Shipping Beyond Wine

While wine shipping naturally gets lots of attention, both the spirits and beer industries are increasing their efforts to enable their own DtC shipping privileges.

DtC Spirits Shipping Law Updates

Indeed, there was a huge update in 2026 when California finally passed a proper spirits shipping law that created a new license available to distilleries in all states. Of course, there are still a few noticeable issues with the California bill that require a subsequent fix. For one, the law is set to expire on December 31, 2026, which means that California consumers currently have less than a year to enjoy this market. The law also includes a bizarre daily shipping limit (which allows a distillery to ship a large total amount per year, as long as they make constant shipments) and a production cap (which have so far been unfortunately common with DtC spirits shipping laws). So, while it is fully expected that the law will be extended (if not made permanent), it would be a truly positive sign for the state to correct everything.

States Likely to Introduce DtC Spirits Shipping Laws

Nevertheless, the passage of the California DtC spirits law was tremendous news and something that every other state should pay attention to. Indeed, DtC spirits shipping remains extremely popular among both consumers and the general public and so it is heartening to hear that several states—Iowa, Colorado, Missouri—are likely to introduce legislation to make that available to their residents.

The Future of DtC Beer Shipping Laws

And, of course, there remains ample availability to expand DtC beer shipping in 2026 as well.

Despite recent market challenges, DtC shipping remains popular and something that consumers will continue to seek out when looking for their favorite wines, ciders, spirits, and beer. And so state legislators should do what they can to enable consumer choice by removing these unnecessary barriers.

FAQ

Which states allow wine, beer, and spirits to be shipped direct to consumers?

Wine can be shipped DtC in 49 states and D.C., while beer shipping is permitted in 11 states plus D.C., and spirits can be shipped to 10 states plus D.C.

What common requirements do states place on DtC alcohol shipping?

Common requirements and restrictions include licensing, volume limits, distributor relationship prohibitions, and brand registration.

What should producers watch for in 2026?

Producers should monitor legislative sessions for fix bills, expansion efforts beyond wine, and states revisiting outdated restrictions. As consumer demand remains strong, momentum is likely to continue building around modernizing DtC alcohol shipping laws.

What were the major DtC wine shipping law changes in 2025?

Arkansas, Mississippi, and Delaware passed new laws, while Maine added container redemption requirements, and California updated distilled spirits shipping rules.