If you are curious to learn more about the liquor laws and regulations in Mississippi, this article is going to contain all the information that you need.

From what the licensing requirements are to the state fees and even the distillery regulations and laws. We are going to cover the basics of everything that you need to know about this state and its liquor laws.

Is Mississippi A Dry State?

Mississippi has recently changed the default on dry counties in this state. But it is not entirely a dry state. It does not allow its countries to vote and decide if they want to return to being dry. There are eighty-two counties in the state of Mississippi and of those, twenty-three are fully dry.

The counties that are totally dry in the state of Mississippi are as follows:

• Alcorn
• Benton
• Calhoun
• Chickasaw 1st District
• Choctaw
• Covington
• George
• Itawamba
• Lamar
• Leake
• Lincoln
• Monroe
• Neshoba
• Newton
• Pearl River
• Pontotoc
• Prentiss
• Scott
• Smith
• Tate
• Tippah
• Union
• Wayne
• Webster

The counties we have mentioned above are dry for both categories of alcohol. But there are other counties which are only partially dry. This means that they restrict either beer/light wine, or alcoholic beverages and not both.

Licensing Requirements

If any business wishes to sell liquor it is required by law for them to have a license to do so. The liquor laws in Mississippi are issued by the state. Once you have applied for your license you are then to issue a public notice of application on your place of business for thirty days.

There are some counties which may require you to notify your neighbors or even post a notice in the local newspaper. So, make sure to check your county to find out exactly what you are required by law to do at this point.

Of course you will also need to be checked that you are in the right zone for the sale of alcohol. Remember, there are several dry counties in Mississippi.

This whole process can take between thirty and ninety days to be approved. The amount of time it takes may be a result of the type of application you have made.

As such you need to take your time and make sure that the opening of your store matches up with the date you get your liquor license.

Bear in mind that your license will need to be renewed each year. This means that you will be required to pay for your renewal on time. If you are tardy, you may find that your license will expire until your fee has been paid in full.

You are going to want to know how much acquiring your liquor license will cost you. The price may vary but it usually ranges between $475 and $1000.

If you want to learn more about the permits and licenses in the state of Mississippi we recommend that you check out this site. It covers the basics on what you need to know about obtaining your liquor licenses.

State Fees

The Mississippi liquor laws and regulations state that alcohol cannot be sold to anyone that is under the age of twenty-one. Should this occur there can be a large fine as a penalty. This fine could be between $200 and $500.

You are also not allowed to use a fake ID, the fine of doing this can also range between $200 and $500. But that is not all, you can also be sentenced to thirty days of community service for breaking this law.

If you are found to be drinking under the influence, you can face a forty-eight-hour jail time sentence. On top of that you may be called to pay a fine which can range from $250 and $1000.

Your license may also be suspended for a minimum of ninety days. To get your license reinstated you may need to pay a fee.

DUI for a second offense can be a little more extreme with a prison sentence that could be between one and five years. You may also pay a fine which will be between $600 and $1000.

There may also be a license suspension issues which may last for two years. You can pay to get your license reinstated once your sentence time has elapsed.

For a third DUI offense you may be imprisoned for between one and five years. The finance you will need to pay may range from $2000 and $5000. Your license may also be suspended for five years, after which you will need to pay a reinstatement fee.

Distillery Restrictions And Laws

According to the universal citation it is unlawful for a person in the state of Mississippi, firm or corporation to have control of, own or possess any distillery or still.

That being said it is not unlawful to own or have possession of a distillery in the circumstances we have listed below:

• When distilleries or stills are used only for the distillation of rosin products.
• At times when stills are used only for the distillation of water.
• Stills which is kept and lawfully used in any laboratory.
• At times when distilleries are in the possession of any officers of the law, to be disposed of according to law.
• It is not unlawful to a distillery when the person or corporation can prove that the same is in his or her possession for the purpose of being delivered up to an officer of the law to be disposed of according to law.
• Stills which are used exclusively for the distillation of ethyl alcohol to be used solely for fuel purposes.

It is also mentioned that any person that is found guilty of violating these laws will be guilty of a felony. This means that they can be confined in the state penitentiary for between one and three years.

Should a person commit a second offense they will be confined in the state penitentiary for between five and ten years.

To learn more about these distillery laws and regulations, you can visit Justia under MS Code § 97-31-23 (2013).

Final Thoughts

We hope that you have enjoyed reading this article and learning about what the Mississippi liquor laws and regulations are. It is essential that you are careful about these laws as they can be different in each and every state. Aside from that, there can be a variety of differences in regulations per county.

If you have enjoyed reading this article, make sure to visit our website. We cover a wide range of related topics. You are bound to find something interesting and educational there.