Maine alcohol laws

What Maine has enacted on alcohol, what each law requires, and what the bills still moving would do. Maine is one of 47 states that enacted an alcohol law in the 2025 and 2026 sessions.

Bills in scope
18bills in scope
Past committee
8past committee
Most recent action
29 April 2026most recent action

Alcohol laws enacted in Maine

8 alcohol laws enacted in the Maine Legislature in the 2025 and 2026 sessions, newest first. Each links to the legislature's own page.

  • LD 2155An Act To Clarify Certain Laws Governing Licenses For The Sale Of Liquor By ManufacturersEnacted 25 April 2026

    What it requires: Persons or entities holding majority ownership interest in one manufacturing licensee may hold no less than majority ownership interest in up to 12 on-premises retail licensees licensed under chapter 43. Persons holding majority ownership in at least 2 manufacturing licensees collectively manufacturing at least 1,000 barrels per year may hold no less than majority ownership in up to 12 on-premises retail licensees. Licensees issued licenses on or before May 23, 2025 are exempt from these ownership restrictions.

    Licensing and retail permits

  • LD 1033An Act To Regulate Alcoholic Beverage CompetitionsEnacted 15 June 2025

    What it requires: Certificate of approval holders that are manufacturers may apply for a permit to host liquor judging competition events by submitting a written application to the bureau no later than 15 calendar days before the event. Only judges and stewards may taste liquor at such events. Homemade spirits and minors are prohibited from the events.

  • LD 631An Act To Allow A Home Distiller To Distill And Share Homemade Spirituous LiquorEnacted 15 June 2025

    What it does: This committee amendment removes the provision allowing home distillers to ship homemade spirituous liquor to family members and friends, limiting the sharing of such products.

    Licensing and retail permits

  • LD 494An Act To Update And Clarify Certain Provisions Of State Liquor And Lottery LawsEnacted 10 June 2025

    What it requires: Beginning January 1, 2026, licensees and license applicants may not receive cash or gift cards in any amount from persons engaged in liquor manufacture, distribution, wholesale sale, storage, or transportation. Wholesale licensees and certificate of approval holders may enter into written advertising and sponsorship agreements with venue licensees under specified conditions including written agreements, reporting to the bureau, and safeguards preventing product exclusion.

    Licensing and retail permits

  • LD 1551An Act To Support Maine Eating And Drinking Establishments By Allowing Vendors To Operate On The Premises Of An Establishment With A Liquor LicenseEnacted 9 June 2025

    What it requires: Host licensees must ensure vendors operating on their premises comply with food, health, and safety rules. Vendors must collect and remit applicable sales taxes. Vendor employees serving alcohol must provide affidavits regarding prior convictions and be authorized to serve liquor. Host licensees must maintain records of vendor operations for one year.

    Licensing and retail permits

  • LD 1456An Act To Expand The Number Of On-Premises Retail Liquor Licenses A Liquor Manufacturer May Be IssuedEnacted 23 May 2025

    What it requires: Liquor manufacturers may be issued one or more on-premises retail licenses under chapter 43 per licensed manufacturing facility. A person holding majority ownership in one manufacturing licensee may hold majority ownership in up to three retail licensees; if holding majority ownership in at least two manufacturing licensees collectively producing at least 1,000 barrels annually, up to six retail licensees; maximum six retail licensees total.

    Licensing and retail permits

  • LD 683An Act To Clarify The Law Governing The Minimum Indirect Financial Interest Disclosure Requirement For Liquor LicensesEnacted 11 April 2025

    What it requires: An applicant for a liquor license or certificate of approval must disclose any person that holds an indirect financial interest equal to or greater than 10% in the applicant. Indirect financial interest includes options, warrants, or rights to acquire equity interests, and rights to payment based on revenues, profits, losses, profit sharing, revenue sharing, or royalty payments.

    Three-tier, distribution and franchise, Licensing and retail permits

  • LD 262An Act To Amend The Laws Governing The Taste Testing Of Wine And Malt Liquor To Facilitate Marketing By WholesalersEnacted 21 March 2025

    What it requires: Wholesale licensees may rent or lease an area or room from an on-premises retail licensee or any unlicensed venue to hold taste-testing events for wine or malt liquor products with the bureau's written permission. After the event concludes, the wholesale licensee must remove all products supplied for the taste-testing event from the premises.

    Three-tier, distribution and franchise

Alcohol in Maine, by topic

Alcohol bills in Maine

The bills not yet law, furthest along first, with what each would do.

8Enacted

10Introduced or inactive

18 bills in scope

Introduced or inactive

10

LD 1855An Act To Impose An Excise Tax On Spirits-Based Cocktails Containing No More Than 12 Percent AlcoholDead

What it would do: Repeals the existing tax on low-alcohol spirits products that required certificate of approval holders manufacturing low-alcohol spirits products to pay 30 cents per gallon sold to wholesale licensees.

LD 2160An Act To Modify Provisions Of Law Affecting Small DistilleriesDead

What it would do: Prohibits charging small distilleries spirits administration and marketing fees, limits inspections to once every 3 years and reporting to quarterly basis, allows direct sales to retailers and out-of-state customers, extends licenses to 3 years, and permits selling other craft beverages without additional licensing.

LD 1582An Act To Clarify The Prohibition On The Sale Of Beverages In Plastic ContainersDead

What it would do: Amends Maine's beverage container law to exclude plastic cans containing 200 milliliters or less of alcoholic beverage from the prohibition on selling beverages in plastic containers, and clarifies that plastic cans are not defined as beverage containers.

LD 1754An Act To Provide For The Direct Shipment Of Spirits To ConsumersDead

What it would do: Allows distilleries, small distilleries, rectifiers, and out-of-state spirits manufacturers holding federal permits to directly ship spirits to Maine consumers aged 21 and older, subject to licensing, shipment limits of one case equivalent per recipient per three months and four case equivalents per recipient per calendar year, and quarterly reporting requirements.

LD 1376An Act To Increase The Acceptable Level Of Alcohol In A Low-Alcohol Spirits Product And To Increase Availability Of Those ProductsDead

What it would do: Increases the maximum alcohol content for low-alcohol spirits products from 8% to 15% by volume. Allows malt liquor and wine licensees to sell low-alcohol spirits products and permits in-state wholesalers of malt liquor to distribute them.

LD 1354An Act Regarding Liquor Licensing In Outdoor Stadiums And Exclusivity In Licensee AgreementsDead

What it would do: Prohibits exclusivity provisions in agreements between liquor licensees and manufacturers, distributors, or brands involving monetary exchanges. Allows outdoor stadium licensees to sell spirits in original containers in club suites and removes restrictions on sales by the glass.

LD 1334An Act To Require Retailers To Place Any Liquor That Is Accessible To Customers At Least 48 Inches From The Payment TerminalDead

What it would do: Requires retailers to display liquor that is not in a display case or behind the counter at least 48 inches from a cash register or payment terminal.

LD 1092An Act To Ensure That Dual Distribution Prohibitions Are Not Violated By Direct Shippers Of WineDead

What it would do: Prohibits a winery or small winery from obtaining a wine direct shipper license if the winery has an agreement with a wholesale licensee under Maine law chapter 57.

LD 636An Act To Remove The Limit On Free Promotional Merchandise Bars And Restaurants May Accept From VendorsDead

What it would do: Removes the limit on free promotional merchandise that manufacturers, wholesalers, and certificate of approval holders of malt liquor or wine may distribute to on-premises retail licensees and their patrons.

LD 548An Act Regarding Intoxicating Hemp ProductsDead

What it would do: Establishes state regulation of intoxicating hemp products by requiring they be produced by licensed adult use cannabis manufacturing facilities and sold at licensed adult use cannabis stores, prohibits sales to persons under 21, and allows licensed manufacturers to ship such products outside Maine.

Bill titles link to the Maine Legislature's own page.

What LawSignals covers

What counts as alcohol legislation

In scope: Direct-to-consumer shipping and delivery; three-tier, distribution and franchise; licensing and retail permits; excise taxes and fees; hemp and THC beverages; and underage sales and liability.

Questions

Does Maine have an alcohol law?

Yes. Maine enacted 8 alcohol laws in the 2025 and 2026 sessions, among them LD 2155, LD 1033 and LD 631. Each is listed on this page with what it requires.

What does Maine legislate on most in alcohol?

Licensing and retail permits (9 bills), Three-tier, distribution and franchise (4 bills) and Direct-to-consumer shipping and delivery (2 bills).

Are these summaries reviewed by a lawyer?

No. Which bills count as Alcohol bills, and the line on what each law requires or each bill would do, are drafted by software from the bill's own text and not reviewed by an attorney. Every bill links to the legislature's own record: read the text before relying on it. The list covers bills from the 2025 and 2026 sessions.

Other practice areas in Maine

Alcohol legislation in other jurisdictions

52 more currently hold bills in this tracker

Know when Maine's alcohol law changes

An alert when a bill moves, and one report a month on what changed in every state and Congress.

Track alcohol laws freeAbout the Alcohol and Beverage Tracker