UPS approved wine shipper
Contract application through UPS, packaging approved to the UPS Alcohol Shipping Guide, adult signature required. UPS then accepts the licensed winery's account tenders for Maine destinations.
Wine, Maine
Shipping wine to Maine
Maine admits direct-to-consumer wine, but only from wineries that have taken out a state direct shipper licence and only within statutory limits. Retailers, wine clubs and importers cannot ship. The winery pays an initial fee, remits sales and excise tax, uses a common carrier and hands the delivery over on the signature of an adult with ID. Every rule below is quoted from Maine Revised Statutes Title 28-A section 1403-A, read 2026-08-11.
Wineries only12 shipments/year capAdult signature required
One clean channel
Licensed winery in, adult signature out. Nothing else is legal.
Who is allowed to ship
Section 1403-A opens the door to “a small winery or other winery holding a federal basic wine manufacturing permit”, whether located inside or outside Maine, on application to the state Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations (BABLO). The licence is the vehicle; without it no shipment is legal.
- Retailers, wine clubs, brokers and importers are not on the list of eligible applicants. Shipments from any of them break the statute regardless of what the customer ordered.
- The winery may use a Maine winery licence or an out-of-state winery licence from the domicile state. Federal Basic Permit paperwork is required either way.
- Reporting is on the shipper: an annual filing with BABLO listing volume, taxes and destinations. Carriers are not required to file separately.
The consumer-side limits
| Rule | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum volume per shipment | 9,000 mL (12 bottles at 750 mL, or the equivalent volume in other bottle sizes) |
| Maximum shipments per household per year | 12 to a single recipient address |
| Use restriction | Personal use only; resale prohibited |
| Delivery to | Person named on the invoice, or an adult member of the household, on presentation of valid photo identification proving age 21 or older |
| Package label | CONTAINS ALCOHOL: SIGNATURE OF A PERSON 21 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER IS REQUIRED FOR DELIVERY (conspicuous on the outer container) |
Licence fees and tax
- Initial application fee up to $200, filed with BABLO alongside the federal permit and the list of wine labels.
- Annual renewal $50, with a current copy of the domicile-state winery licence.
- Registration with Maine Revenue Services for sales tax collection; excise tax on wine remitted per statute.
- The licence covers wine only. Cider, mead and beer under 8 percent alcohol have their own state pathways.
Choosing the carrier
Maine requires the shipment to move by a common carrier. UPS and FedEx both accept wine only under an approved shipper contract that names the licensed winery, and both require adult-signature service on every parcel. USPS does not carry alcohol at all.
FedEx wine shipping approval
Application through FedEx sales, alcohol account paperwork, adult signature required on every parcel. Maine-destination tenders route the same way.
USPS
Not an option. USPS Publication 52 lists intoxicating liquors as nonmailable and does not carve out state DTC channels.
A common misread
A Maine buyer ordering from a mainland retailer's website that happens to sell wine is not on a licensed direct-shipper path. The retailer breaks Maine law, the parcel breaks the carrier's contract, and BABLO can seize the shipment. If the wine is available only from a retailer, the legal option is a bricks-and-mortar purchase or a purchase by the buyer while physically in the seller's state. The winery route is the only DTC channel Maine has opened.
Where these rules come from
- Maine Legislature, Title 28-A Maine Revised Statutes, section 1403-A — Direct shipment of wine. Read 2026-08-11.
- Maine Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations, BABLO home — direct shipper licence application. Read 2026-08-11.
State liquor law changes every session. Confirm current statute text and current BABLO application forms before shipping.
Common questions
Is direct-to-consumer wine shipping legal in Maine?
Yes, from licensed wineries only. Maine Revised Statutes Title 28-A section 1403-A allows a small winery or federal-permit winery to obtain a direct shipper licence from BABLO and ship to a Maine resident subject to statutory limits.
Can an out-of-state wine retailer ship to Maine?
No. The statute names wineries with a federal Basic Permit. A retailer, wine club or importer is not eligible for a Maine direct shipper licence and shipments outside that channel are illegal.
How much wine can a Maine household receive per year?
No more than 9,000 millilitres per shipment (12 bottles at 750 mL) and no more than 12 shipments per year to a single recipient address. Wine received must be for personal use, not for resale.
Is an adult signature required?
Yes. Statute requires the common carrier to obtain the signature of a person 21 years of age or older with photo identification, and the package must carry the phrase CONTAINS ALCOHOL: SIGNATURE OF A PERSON 21 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER IS REQUIRED FOR DELIVERY.
What does the direct shipper licence cost?
Up to $200 for the initial application and $50 for annual renewal, plus a copy of the current winery licence issued in Maine or another state. Sales tax registration and excise tax remittance apply.