Alcohol

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Frequently Asked Questions

General Alcohol | Alcohol Labeling & Formulation | Organic Alcohol | Spirits | Wine | Beer | COLAsOnline

DISCLAIMER - The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) attempts to keep the answers to these questions current and accurate.  However, ATF does not guarantee that this information is 100 percent accurate.  In addition, the information may be modified, superseded, or made obsolete by recent changes in laws and regulations. 

If you want to know about recent changes in the law and regulations, you may visit the following websites:  http://thomas.loc.gov/ and http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/
aces140.html. If you are concerned with the accuracy of this information, please contact ATF. Also, you may contact your legal advisor.

GENERAL ALCOHOL

bullet G1: Can I produce beer, wine or spirits for my personal or family use without paying federal excise tax and filing federal paperwork?

bullet G2: What are the federal and state excise taxes imposed on alcohol (spirits, wine or beer)?

bullet G3: Who can I contact when I have a complaint or suspect illegal activity by a bar, club, liquor store, restaurant or other business selling alcoholic beverages (spirits, wine or beer)?

bullet G4: What must I do if I want to start a business that sells or imports alcoholic beverages (spirits, wine or beer)?

bullet G5: What is required to sell alcoholic beverages (spirits, wine or beer) on the Internet?

bullet G6: Does ATF have information or studies about the effects of consuming alcohol?

bullet G7: How does ATF inform people of proposed and final changes to the regulations?

bullet G8: Can a business get back the tax money from alcohol or tobacco if the product is destroyed in a disaster such as a fire, earthquake, flood, or tornado?

bullet G9: I do not run a bar or liquor store, but sometimes I include alcohol beverages with my product or service. Do I owe Special Occupational Tax (SOT) as a liquor dealer?

bullet G10: Have you heard about the science fair project or school project where a student builds a homemade still, lets leftover food scraps ferment and turn into alcohol, burns the alcohol in a lantern, and compares the alcohol to other sources of energy?

ALCOHOL LABELING & FORMULATION

bullet A1: I live in Pennsylvania and wish to send alcohol to my father in Arizona for his birthday. Can I send this package through the mail or does the distributor have to send the package?

bullet A2: Is there a fee for label approval? If so, how much does it cost?

bullet A3: I am a student at the University of Kansas. I am researching why alcohol beverages do not have a nutritional value label like all other foods including water. I would like to know the calorie content, etc. of my drink.

bullet A4: I am trying to determine what I need to do to commence production and sale of a naturally fermented apple cider with alcohol content between 4 and 7 percent by volume. FDA claims that this falls entirely within their jurisdiction. Does ATF also regulate these products?

bullet A5: How Long Does It Take To Get Label Approval?

bullet A6: Must I have an ATF permit before I can apply for label approval?

bullet A7: How do I secure an ATF permit or a brewers notice?

bullet A8: What does it mean when your labels are "approved?"

bullet A9: If I have an alcohol beverage with an etched or acetate label on the bottle how do I show that information on the COLA?

bullet A10: How do I request informal or preliminary comments on a proposed label?

bullet A11: If I am only adding my internet website address to a COLA do I need to get a new label approval?

bullet A12: How can I check the status of my label application?

bullet A13: Can I electronically submit my label application?

bullet A14: What is a statement of process?

bullet A15: What American Viticultural Areas are already approved?

ORGANIC ALCOHOL

bullet OA 1: I understand the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has finalized regulations relating to the National Organic Program (NOP) at 7 CFR Part 205. How do these regulations affect the organic alcohol I produce?

bullet OA 2: Will I have to change my label to comply with these new regulations?

bullet OA 3:When does my product have to comply with these new regulations?

bullet OA 4: ATF has approved my previously submitted organic Certificates of Label Approval (COLAs) with an expiration date of 10/21/02. Can I still use these labels after that date if they are being used for products containing non-NOP organic ingredients grown prior to October 21, 2002?

bullet OA 5: How will the labeling of my organic products differ under the NOP regulations?

bullet OA 6: Do I still submit my COLA applications to ATF?

bullet OA 7: Will USDA need to review my label?

bullet OA 8: When submitting an organic COLA application, is there anything else I should include with the labels?

bullet OA 9: Will it take longer to process organic COLA applications since they are being routed through USDA?

 

SPIRITS

bullet S1: How do I convert bottles of distilled spirits in metric sizes to U.S. gallons?

bullet S2: What is proof, and how do I figure the proof gallons of distilled spirits?

bullet S3: I've seen ads for home distilling equipment in catalogs ("turn wine into brandy," "make your own essential oils"). Is it legal to buy and use a still like that?

bullet S4: What requirements are there for people who sell stills?

bullet S5: How can I use distilled spirits in an industrial product or process without having to pay the excise tax?

bullet S6: How do I obtain a "student permit" to demonstrate alcohol production for a school science project?

WINE

bullet W1: How do I convert bottles of wine in metric sizes to U.S. gallons?

bullet W2: How do I apply to get a grape growing area designated as a viticultural area?

bullet W3: What American viticultural areas are already approved?

bullet W4: What are the federal guidelines for home winemakers' centers?

bullet W5: What are the rules covering on premises sales and tasting of wine?

bullet W6: What are the rules for computing and paying the tax on wine?

bullet W7: What are the rules for producing and selling fermented cider?

BEER

bullet B1: What are the guidelines if I want to use brew-on-premises facilities that are not connected to a brewery?

bullet B2: How do I determine the barrel equivalent of beer containers?

bullet B3: Must ATF approve my operations when I intend to make beer?

bullet B4: If ATF must approve my operations to make beer, how do I apply?

bullet B5: When I have applied, can I start to make beer?

bullet B6: Where can I find surety (insurance) companies who may provide a bond?

bullet B7: How much does it cost if ATF must approve my operations to make beer?

bullet B8: Does ATF have the regulations and forms for beer on the Internet?

COLAsOnline

bullet C1: What is a COLA?

bullet C2: What is COLAs Online?

bullet C3: When will COLAS Online be available?

bullet C4: What are the objectives of COLAS Online?

bullet C5: Will I be required to file COLAS electronically?

bullet C6: What are the advantages to filing COLAs electronically?

bullet C7: What programs will I need to install on my computer in order to use COLAs Online?

bullet C8: What is required to register for COLAs Online?

bullet C9: What are the steps for filing a label application electronically?

bullet C10: Will I be able to use third party filers to file label applications electronically?

bullet C11: Will users be able to check the status of their eApplications?

bullet C12: What is the difference between the status "needs correction" and "rejected"?

bullet C13: How do I submit additional information with my COLA application such as a formula or organic certifications?

bullet C14: Will ATF electronically notify the States and Customs of approved COLAs?

bullet C15: If I am required to submit a paper copy of the COLA to a State or Customs, will the efiled version have my signature and the signature of an ATF representative?

bullet C16: Will COLAs Online reduce the amount of time it takes to receive label approval?

bullet C17: Will I be able to file Formulas and Pre-Import approvals electronically?

bullet C18: Will COLAs Online improve the consistency of decisions made relating to
label applications?

bullet C19: How will COLAs Online affect customer service?