No matter whether you’re planning on paying a trip down to Alabama or you live there and want to become a licensee, you have a responsibility to make sure that you are following the laws and regulations in Alabama regarding liquor.

By failing to comply with the laws and regulations, you may face a variety of penalties and fines.

But, this is where we come in to lend you a helping hand. In this guide, you will find a breakdown of all the main liquor laws and regulations in Alabama.

From state fees for acquiring a liquor license all the way to the general liquor laws in Alabama right now, we’ve made sure to cover all bases. So, without further ado, just keep on reading!

General Alabama Liquor Laws

Kicking this guide off, we are first going to be taking a moment to breakdown all of the main Alabama laws surrounding liquor at the time of writing. When you’re ready, keep scrolling down to discover them all below:

The Legal Drinking Age

At the time of writing this guide, the legal drinking age in Alabama for the consumption of any type of alcoholic beverage is currently at least 21 years of age or older.

Along with this, unlike some of the other states in the USA, consuming or purchasing alcoholic beverages under the age of 21 is considered to be a first degree misdemeanor in the state of Alabama.

This also applies to minors who attempt to purchase or consume alcoholic beverages while in the presence of a legal guardian, parent or even a spouse who is over the age of 21.

Giving Alcohol To Underage Minors

In addition to the above, providing alcohol to a minor (that is, a person who is under the age of 21 at the time of being given the alcoholic beverage) then this is considered to be a first degree misdemeanor in Alabama.

Due to this, anyone who is giving alcohol to an underage person will be guilty of this offense, and can face a standard penalty of 6 months imprisonment, a hefty $1,000 fine or even both.

In some instances, the Alabama court might even decide to provide a heftier consequence, depending on the severity of the crime.

Serving Alcohol Underage

When it comes to serving alcohol in Alabama, minors who are under the age of 21 are allowed to serve alcohol when they are in a licensed establishment with a licensee or employee present at the time of serving that are at least 21 years of age or older.

However, at the time of writing, unlike some other states of the USA that allow minors under the age of 21 (but no younger than 18) to work as a bartender so long as there is a licensee or employee present at the time that is at the very least 21 or older, minors under the age of 21 are not allowed to bartend.

Alabama License Requirements And State Fees

If you currently reside in Alabama and you are thinking about getting into the business of alcohol distribution or otherwise, then you’ll need to make sure that you have secured a liquor license.

There are a variety of different licenses that you might be required to obtain in order to do this, and you can also expect to pay a state fee as well as renewal fees.

Currently, in Alabama the liquor license application process is currently run by the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board (which is often referred to as the ABC board) and it is located in Montgomery, Alabama.

So, in order to get yourself a liquor license, you’re going to need to go ahead and set up an appointment with the licensing division of the county of Alabama that you currently live in.

It is very important that you make sure to do this, as otherwise you will not be able to successfully apply for the license that you will need.

In addition to this, during the appointment with the licensing division of the county of Alabama you currently live in, you will also be given advice and guidance on which license(s) you will need in order to distribute, sell or manufacture alcohol legally.

As for the state fees that you can expect to pay? Well, the application process and the cost for the state fees that you might be required to pay will very much vary depending on which type of liquor license you will need.

As a general rule of thumb, though, you should expect to pay anywhere from $50 upwards of $10,000 and even potentially more.

Plus, along with the appointment, we recommend that you click here, which will direct you to an awesome checklist that will help walk you through all of the main paperwork and documents that you will need to successfully complete the application process, as well as provide you with access to a checklist that will point you in the right direction of which license(s) you might need.

Alabama Liquor Distillery Laws

At the time of writing this guide, it is currently a felony for any person, firm or corporation to distill, make or manufacture any malted or mixed liquors, alcoholic beverages, spirituous alcoholic liquors for personal or commercial use.

Due to this, it means that unlike some other states of the USA that allow for people to own their own distilleries, citizens who live in Alabama are not allowed to produce spirits for personal use or otherwise.

Along with this, just like with other states in the USA, it is also illegal to be in possession of moonshine.

The punishment for any person, firm or corporation who is found to be operating via a distillery to make any type of alcoholic beverage will be guilty of a first degree felony, which will mean that they will then be convicted and punished by imprisonment for a certain number of years decided by the Alabama court at the time of the conviction.

Wrapping Up

You’ve made it to the end of the guide! Now that you have taken the time to read through everything that we have talked you through above, we are hoping that you now have a much better understanding of what the main liquor license requirements and laws are in Alabama.

Thank you for taking the time to read through this guide, we hope that this has been helpful to you.