Winery Shipper's License, s. 561.222
Available to in-state and out-of-state wineries. The applicant must appoint a Florida registered agent and post a surety bond. The state's production cap eliminates large commercial operations from the program.
Alcohol
Can you ship alcohol in Florida
Not as a private sender. Florida writes the prohibition into statute and gives it teeth on repeat: a felony of the third degree after a cease-and-desist order or a prior conviction. A licensed winery can ship wine to a Florida address under a specific state license and a stack of conditions, and beer and spirits have no direct-to-consumer path at all. Florida Statutes 561.545 and 561.222, read 2026-08-11.
License, or no shipment
Florida's rule is written the short way. Private shipping is out.
What Statute 561.545 actually says
The statute is short. Anyone in the business of selling alcoholic beverages who knowingly ships from out of state directly to a Florida consumer, without holding the proper Florida license, is prohibited from doing so. Carriers are prohibited from transporting such shipments. The exceptions are narrow: sacramental beverages to authorized religious organizations, and personal possession under s. 562.15(2).
The enforcement path is graduated. A first violation draws a notice to show cause for a cease-and-desist order. A violation within two years of a cease-and-desist order, or after a prior conviction, is a felony of the third degree. That penalty applies to the sender; the carrier that knowingly transports the shipment faces its own liability under the same statute.
The narrow path that does exist
Florida allows one direct-to-consumer route for alcohol, and it is wine only. Section 561.222 creates the Winery Shipper's License, and only wineries meeting the state's conditions may hold it.
Age verification at delivery
Every shipment demands proof of age at delivery to a person 21 or older, and licensees must retain records for the state's audit period. A carrier that will not perform age verification cannot be used.
Tax collection is on the shipper
The license carries an obligation to collect and remit Florida sales tax and file returns. That is a program to operate, not a form to file once.
Beer and spirits do not have an equivalent license. A manufacturer of either can ship to Florida wholesalers under the three-tier system, but a direct consumer shipment from that manufacturer is prohibited.
Why the carrier programs do not save a private sender
The carrier alcohol programs each carry the same starting requirement: the sender is a licensed alcohol business that has signed an alcohol shipping agreement with the carrier. A consumer walking into a store with a bottle cannot buy a label under any of them, and none of the carriers will make an exception for a Florida address. USPS refuses alcohol outright from any shipper, at any origin, to any destination.
Practically, that means the person asking “how do I ship a bottle to my brother in Florida” is asking a question that does not have an answer inside the law. The wine club that offers to send a case to Florida is either operating under s. 561.222 as a licensed winery shipper, or operating outside the statute.
Where these rules come from
- Florida Statutes, s. 561.545 — Shipments of alcoholic beverages; prohibitions; penalties. Read 2026-08-11.
- Florida Statutes, s. 561.222 — Winery Shipper's License — registered agent, surety bond, age-verification and reporting duties. Read 2026-08-11.
- Florida Senate Interim Work Program, Direct Shipment of Wine to Florida Consumers — legislative history of the current program. Read 2026-08-11.
Florida amends the Beverage Law from time to time. The statutory language above is what appeared on the flsenate.gov copy on the date shown; a licensed operator should read the current session's chapter before opening a Florida program.
Common questions
Can a private person ship alcohol to a Florida home?
No. Florida Statute 561.545 prohibits shipping alcoholic beverages from outside the state directly to a Florida consumer by anyone in the business of selling alcohol without a state license. Individuals have no permit path either.
Can a winery ship wine directly to Florida?
Yes, but only under a Winery Shipper's License issued under s. 561.222. The winery must appoint a Florida registered agent, post a surety bond, verify age at delivery and keep production under state caps.
Are beer and spirits shipments to Florida consumers allowed?
No. Florida law limits its direct-to-consumer path to wine from a licensed winery shipper. Beer and spirits are handled through the three-tier system and cannot be sent directly by a manufacturer to an individual.
What is the penalty for shipping alcohol into Florida illegally?
A first violation draws a notice to show cause for a cease-and-desist order. A repeat violation within two years of a cease-and-desist order or a prior conviction is a felony of the third degree under s. 561.545.
Do UPS and FedEx even accept alcohol shipments to Florida?
Only from account holders under their alcohol shipping programs, and only to states where the sender is a licensed shipper. USPS refuses alcohol from any sender. A private Floridian cannot buy a label to ship alcohol under any of those programs.