While it’s fun to enjoy responsibly, alcohol doesn’t come without its dark sides. Excessive consumption can lead to chemical dependency, which can be devastating for individuals, their families, and wider societies. U.S. control states aim to educate and restrict the sales of alcohol, and The National Alcohol Beverage Control Association (NABCA) is here to support them.

In this article, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know about NABCA, including how they work with control jurisdictions, their financial funding, membership, resources, and more.

What Is The National Alcohol Beverage Control Association?

The National Alcohol Beverage Control Association (NABCA) was founded in 1938. The organization aims to represent the jurisdictions that control the sale and distribution of alcohol in their respective areas.

The organization is located in Arlington, VA and it offers a forum for other organizations, such as government agencies, the media, suppliers and others in the alcohol industry to communicate and collaborate.

It also provides these organizations with analytics and research, and liaises with research groups, the media, public health organizations, and more, to help influence alcohol policy.

NABCA’s mission is to help promote the responsible distribution and sale of alcohol and protect public health.

What Are Control Jurisdictions?

The most important thing to know about NABCA is that it works with the seventeen control states in the US, including several others, which are known as control jurisdictions.

These areas control the distribution and sale of distilled spirits, and sometimes wine.

Essentially, in control states, the state owns the product at wholesale. Some also own and operate retail. In open or license states, private businesses can buy and sell alcohol in conjunction with state laws.

In control states, the price of each alcoholic product is decided by the state, which is why the cost remains consistent regardless of where you buy it within the state. In license states product variety, availability and cost varies as it is controlled by private entities. It is important to note that state legislators decide how to regulate alcohol, regardless of control or license. The respective alcohol beverage control agency follows these regulations.

Control systems offer competitive pricing for products when compared to license states. Depending on the product or brand, it may be more or less expensive in a control state. An added benefit of a control system is that the revenues go back to the state and used toward supporting local municipalities, alcohol education programs, and building infrastructure, to list a few.

Control jurisdictions can give their citizens a greater range of policy options for drinking responsibly, and reducing the abuse of alcohol.

Why Do Control States Exist?

Control states exist to alleviate public health concerns, particularly alcoholism. Control states will have no initiatives to encourage the sale or consumption of cheap alcohol, and this aims to reduce citizens’ chemical dependency on alcohol.

As previously noted, the revenue of alcohol sales can also be used to fund state and government educational operations to support treatment for alcoholism.

Although control states can have great benefits for their citizens, it can be challenging for new distilleries to meet the strict requirements.

Obtaining the appropriate liquor licenses  can be challenging, and because of the restrictions on alcohol sales, business may not be as successful as it would be in an open state.  Yet, in a control system, if you are able to get your product included, it will be available in all retail stores, with one delivery stop as they manage distribution to the stores.

What Are NABCA Awards?

NABCA Awards are one of the organization’s most notable achievements. NABCA gives member jurisdictions the chance to apply for an Education or Supplemental award which enhances their activities related to public health and safety and can help them build more efficient systems to facilitate alcohol sales. Please note that these awards are only for NABCA control jurisdiction, not all, members.

Most jurisdictions that have applied for the awards have received approximately $10,000 as an educational award, and between $25-$50,000 as a supplemental award. NABCA members that have applied for awards include:

1. Oregon
2. Idaho
3. Montana
4. Wyoming
5. Utah
6. Iowa
7. Mississippi
8. Alabama
9. Michigan
10. Ohio
11. Pennsylvania
12. Virginia
13. West Virginia
14. North Carolina
15. Maine
16. Vermont
17. New Hampshire
18. Montgomery County, Maryland

These awards are often divided into mini-grants that are awarded to a variety of local organizations throughout the state to support community events, create educational resources, and more.

The NABCA awards support several projects around data collection and technology, regulation and enforcement, education and awareness, and collaboration.

These projects allow member states to partner with stakeholders, increase compliance efforts, raise awareness of the harms of alcohol, and more.

This gives more organizations a chance to promote alcohol awareness and fund smaller projects that can help treat alcoholism.

What is NABCA Data?

NABCA collects a variety of data from its control jurisdictions  to create and publish reports that can be used by its supplier, broker and investment firm members for greater insight and transparency about where their sales are coming from.

NABCA members can also use their database to pull out individual reports depending on their own interests.

NABCA also offers access to the Statistics for Alcohol Management (SAM), a database that updates daily and monthly with details of state warehouse activities. NABCA also recently launched an app called, Gateway™, that can provide subscribers to real time account level information from anywhere on the road.

Businesses can use this information to assess current and historical trends in the market, which can be extremely beneficial for success.

How To Apply For NABCA Membership

When businesses apply for NABCA membership, they’ll have greater opportunities to network, and access to more in-depth resources surrounding alcohol regulation and enforcement.

However, you’ll have to apply for a NABCA membership as a business, not an individual. All employees who work at member organizations will have access to the membership benefits, but will not need to apply for individual memberships.

Those who can apply for membership include:

1. Government associations and local governments
2. Industry members such as retailers, wholesalers, suppliers, and importers
3. Public health and academic associations; e.g. any organization that conducts research into alcohol policy, or is engaged in alcohol-related initiatives
4. Allied organizations that are not defined as any of the above

When you sign up for a NABCA membership, you’ll also have exclusive access to a variety of annual conferences, administrative conferences, and other meetings that give businesses the chance to network and build relationships.

You’ll also get regular access to publications about the beverage industry, an online contacts directory, legislative updates, and discount pricing for subscriptions to sales data.

Please note: Registration fees may vary and are pro-rated on a monthly basis, and can range anywhere from $500 to $1,500. Contact NABCA directly for more information.

The Bottom Line

For doing business in control jurisdictions, a NABCA membership is a must. NABCA membership provides access to a wealth of resources and networking opportunities that are vital for ensuring the continued success of its members. Find NABCA’s “About Us” page here.