Iowa

Effective July 1, 2023, the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division (ABD) is a part of Iowa’s Department of Revenue. Prior to July 1, 2024, ABC was under the Department of Commerce. Iowa holds control of spirits at the wholesale level.

State law prohibits dry localities.

Definition: “Wine” means any beverage containing more than 6.25% alcohol by volume, but not more than 21.25% of alcohol by volume obtained by the fermentation of the natural sugar content of fruits or other agricultural products by excluding any product containing alcohol derived from malt or by the distillation process from grain cereal, molasses, or cactus.  (SF 618, effective July 1, 2019, amends Iowa Code §123.3 Definitions.)

Laws & Rules:

• Alcohol Statutes (Ch. 123)
• Administrative Code – Chapter 185 –  The Department rescinded all existing agency procedure rules under the Lottery Authority, Alcoholic Beverages Division, and IDR and replaced them with a new set of rules under agency number 701, effective May 7, 2025.
• Revenue Department [701] Rules effective on May 7, 2025
  • Chapter 1000, General Requirements
  • Chapter 1001, Alcohol Product Management and Warehousing
  • Chapter 1002, Personal Importation of Alcoholic Beverages 
  • Chapter 1003, Trade Practices

• IA Liquor Law Summary
• Rulemaking

Required: Yes

Name: Vintner’s Certificate of Compliance (CV) – Vintners, manufacturers, importers of wine

Fee: $200

Expiration: 1 year from issue date

A Vintner’s Certificate of Compliance (CV) allows a manufacturer, vintner, bottler, importer or vendor to ship wine into Iowa for resale by licensed wine wholesalers. Applicants must sign into the new in 2021 Electronic Licensing and Permitting System (eLAPS).

Legislation (SF 2324) enacted in 2022 increases the annual fee from $100 to $200. In addition, the new law simplifies the renewal process by allowing for automatic renewal of the license upon payment of the $200 fee.

Resources:

• Sign Into eLAPS
• eLAPS Resources
• Automatic Renewal Program

Required: No

Price Posting: Not Required

The administrative rule requiring wine labels of products sold in Iowa to be submitted to the Division has been rescinded (see ARC 8730C, rescinding 185–Chapter 14).  This change became effective on May 7, 2025.

Resources:

• Beverage Deposit Law
• Wine Institute Iowa Bottle Bill Resource 

Franchise Law: No

Exclusive Territories: Not Required

Iowa does not have a franchise law for wine.

Required: Yes

Name: Report Of Shipments Of Wine

Due Date: Monthly, by the 15th

Suppliers must file monthly shipment reports through the eLAPS portal on the ABD website. A report must be filed even if no shipments were made during the reporting period.

Resources:

• eLAPS Resources

Available: No

The holder of a vintner’s certificate of compliance is not required to register or obtain permits for employees in Iowa.  Only Class “A” permit holders (wholesalers) are required to register sales representatives with the division.

Resources:

• IC §123.180(3) Vintner’s certificate of compliance — wholesale and retail restrictions —penalty
• License Classifications

License: Not Allowed

Interstate self-distribution is not permitted.

• Bulletins
  • Tastings by Industry Members Bulletin
  • Tastings by Retailers Bulletin
  • Sampling Bulletin
  • Trade Spending Bulletin
• Alcohol FAQs
• License Classifications