All states and the District of Columbia have laws regulating the production, sale, and distribution of alcohol within their borders. But in many states, the authority on these regulations is that state’s “Alcoholic Beverage Control” Board (or a similarly designated agency).
State and local laws regarding alcohol vary widely across the country, but an up-to-date permit from a state agency is required to produce, sell, and distribute alcohol in the state where you operate your business. Tennessee is no exception! Here’s a quick rundown on the ABC permit.
The Control States and Jurisdictions
17 states have adopted the “Control” model. These states control the sale of distilled spirits and, in some cases, wine and beer, through government agencies at the wholesale level. The 17 states are:
- Alabama
- Idaho
- Iowa
- Maine
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Montana
- New Hampshire
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
Jurisdictions in Alaska, Maryland, Minnesota, and South Dakota have adopted the Control model as well.
13 of these 21 jurisdictions exercise control over retail sales for the off-premises consumption of alcohol, either through government-operated package stores or designated agents.
As of 2019, these jurisdictions represent approximately 25.2% of the nation’s population and account for roughly 22% of distilled spirit sales and a significantly smaller percentage of beer and wine sales.
Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission
The Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission’s website has information about the state’s alcoholic beverage laws. The commission approves 7 different types of alcohol permits:
- Armed Forces Import
This permit allows any individual who has been stationed outside the United States while serving as an active member of the armed forces of the United States, or an active member of a reserve or Tennessee National Guard unit to ship any wine they acquired while living outside the United States into the State of Tennessee.
- Delivery Service Employee
This is a permit for an establishment that is retained by a licensed retailer to deliver alcoholic beverages and beer. - Designated Manager
This is a permit for an individual in actual control of the alcohol, wine, or beer operations of a retail package store or a retail food store wine license. - Server
An On-Premise Permit (Server Permit) allows any person to serve liquor, wine and high gravity beer at an establishment that holds an On-Premise Consumption License (Liquor By the Drink License). This permit is valid for 5 years from the date of issue. - Supplier Representative
A representative of any manufacturer, rectifier or importer must have a Supplier’s Representative permit from the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission before they can solicit orders from a licensed wholesaler in the State of Tennessee. This permit expires December 31st on the year of issue.
- Wholesaler Employee
Any person dispensing alcoholic beverages in a wholesaler’s place of business must have a wholesale employee permit from the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission. This permit is valid 5 years from the date of issue. - Wholesaler Representative
Each representative or salesperson of any wholesale license in Tennessee must obtain a wholesaler representative permit from the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission before soliciting orders from any retail licensee. No other person shall be allowed to solicit orders for alcoholic beverages from retail licensees, and retail licensees shall not give an order to anyone other than the holder of a wholesale representative permit. This permit is valid 5 years from the date of issue.
Get Your ABC Permit Today
If you are seeking on-premise or off-premise training to get your ABC permit, look no further than Aim To Serve. We ensure that you and your team have the training you need to safely serve in Tennessee. Click here to contact us today!