If you have been in any Bourbon Facebook groups or even a few of my posts, you have seen that people always have questions about shipping bourbon in the mail. I’ve even wondered about this a few times myself and I figured I would put together a quick post about the topic.
Important note: This is not legal advice and should not be taken as such. This information is from my research online and my own personal experiences. I’m not a lawyer, but I do enjoy a good glass of bourbon from time to time.
Can You Ship Bourbon In The Mail?
The real answer is it is NOT legal to ship bourbon in the mail unless you have a license to ship alcohol. And almost every consumer out there does not have a license to ship alcohol. Now businesses out there can legally ship alcohol as long as they follow state and carrier rules.
But we all know that you didn’t come to this blog post to hear the word no. You came to see if you “could” ship bourbon in the mail. And that is an entirely different question with a different answer.
The short answer to that question is:
It depends (as a former economics student, I had to slip this in here – It depends is the answer to almost every economics question out there).
It depends on a few different things:
- Your shipping carrier
- Your tolerance for risk
We’ll go into a little more detail about each of these, but those are the three main areas that determine if you can or cannot ship booze in the mail.
Shipping Carriers
United Postal Service
The United States Postal Service (USPS) prohibits the shipment of alcohol, including bourbon, through its services. This means that you cannot use USPS to ship bourbon to another person or to yourself. If you’re caught shipping alcohol through USPS, your package may be seized and you may face legal consequences.
So if you are going to ship bourbon, I would not ship it through USPS. There is no reason to test your fate with a federally backed shipping service. That’s just not bright.
FedEx and UPS
Private carriers such as FedEx and UPS do allow the shipment of alcohol, but there are some important rules and restrictions to keep in mind. And they aren’t friendly to individuals looking to ship bourbon.
For example, you must be at least 21 years old to ship or receive alcohol. Additionally, you must have a license to ship alcohol, and you must comply with all state and federal laws regarding the sale and shipment of alcohol.
So when you look at this, you can see that most people are not going to have the license to ship alcohol, but they do allow it. It’s limited to businesses.
Regardless of the shipping service, it’s not a great idea to be shipping bourbon. That’s where the next part comes in: Risk tolerance.
Risk Tolerance
If you have made it this far, you have probably decided that you might still want to give it a try.
And that means you have a different risk tolerance than other people.
But when it comes to doing something like shipping bourbon, here would be some things to think about:
- Are you willing to deal with the consequences if you are caught?
- Are you willing to lose the bourbon if the box is confiscated?
- Can you be sure the package will make it from A to B without damage?
- What happens if you never see that box again?
As you think through those questions, you are going to start to see your risk tolerance. And you’ll have your answer if you “can” ship bourbon or not.
You will find that most people who ship bourbon are shipping samples and they are using UPS or FedEx to make those shipments. It’s not legal, but it happens.
Side Note – States Also Have Rules
It’s also important to note that some states have their own laws and regulations regarding the shipment of alcohol. For example, some states prohibit the shipment of alcohol altogether, while others have restrictions on the amount of alcohol that can be shipped. If you’re unsure about the laws in your state, it’s a good idea to check with your state’s alcohol control board or regulatory agency.
But again – most of these laws and regulations are directly related to the business side. So you might be able to receive bourbon from a distillery in one state or a liquor store in another, but who knows about another state.
Conclusion
As much as I wanted to say it is legal to ship bourbon to other people, I can’t say that. It’s not legal to ship without the proper license.
I can’t stop you from shipping bourbon, but if you do, I would recommend using FedEx or UPS and shipping small amounts. If the package gets confiscated, you won’t be out a full bottle of bourbon and you won’t be messing with the federal shipping service USPS.
Again – This is not legal advice. Do your own research and make your own choices.
Cheers!