Tennessee alcohol laws

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

6 new Tennessee laws take effect in 2027

Bills in scope
25bills in scope
Past committee
18past committee
Most recent action
27 May 2026most recent action

Alcohol laws enacted in Tennessee

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

  • SB 1620Alcoholic Beverages - As enacted, establishes new premier type tourist resorts, restaurants, community theaters, clubs, retirement centers, premises, and commercial passenger boat companies that can offer liquor by the drink; makes related changes. - Amends TCA Title 57.Enacted 27 May 2026

    What it does: Requires the commission to produce an annual report listing persons convicted under Tennessee Code Annotated Section 57-4-205 in the previous year, filed to legislative committees by December 1 each year, with the first report covering all convictions since the section became law by December 1, 2026.

  • SB 2295Alcoholic Beverage Commission - As enacted, imposes an additional 10 percent tax on a hemp-derived cannabinoid product's wholesale cost if the product is inhalable in cartridge form. - Amends TCA Title 57 and Title 67.Enacted 27 May 2026

    Three-tier, distribution and franchise, Excise taxes and fees

  • SB 2452Alcoholic Beverages - As enacted, authorizes the consumption of alcoholic beverages and beer on the premises of a temporary special event zone located in Davidson County, subject to certain requirements. - Amends TCA Title 7 and Title 57.Enacted 27 May 2026

    What it requires: A person furnishing, dispensing, or giving away alcoholic beverages or beer at a private party or private event must not do so to anyone under twenty-one years of age. The owner or operator of an event must submit proof with the event approval request that reasonable steps have been taken to ensure alcoholic beverages are not served to persons under twenty-one years of age.

  • HB 1987Alcoholic Beverages - As enacted, revises law relative to alcoholic beverages. - Amends TCA Title 57.Enacted 26 May 2026

    What it requires: A wholesaler or retailer whose license or permit has been revoked or suspended must provide books, papers, and records for examination to the commissioner to obtain reinstatement within five business days.

  • HB 2272Alcoholic Beverages - As enacted, changes present law concerning common ownership of entities involved in the alcoholic beverages industry. - Amends TCA Title 57.Enacted 18 May 2026

    What it requires: Celebrities may enter celebrity endorsement agreements with alcoholic beverage brands or on-premise establishments if they meet specified criteria including being at least 21 years old, a US citizen, not a commission member or public employee, and having no relevant criminal convictions within ten years. Such agreements do not constitute ownership or operational involvement.

  • SB 1816Alcoholic Beverages - As enacted, adds the bottling of distilled spirits to the definition of "manufacture" for purposes of licensing and regulation of the manufacturing of alcoholic beverages. - Amends TCA Title 57, Chapter 3.Enacted 5 May 2026

    What it does: Amends Tennessee Code Annotated Section 57-3-101 to add bottling of distilled spirits to the definition of 'manufacture' and adds bottlers of distilled spirits to the definition of 'manufacturer' for purposes of alcoholic beverage licensing and regulation.

    Licensing and retail permits

  • SB 192Alcoholic Beverages - As enacted, requires a manufacturer's license for the manufacturing of alcoholic spiritous beverages or vintage alcoholic beverages issued to or renewed by a manufacturer to authorize the sale at retail a product for which a manufacturer owns the intellectual property rights and that the manufacturer received bottled as imported from Mexico; authorizes the manufacturer to serve certain samples of the product manufactured or distilled at the premises or imported and registered for distribution and sale in this state. - Amends TCA Title 57.Enacted 30 March 2026

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

  • HB 1376Alcoholic Beverage Commission - As enacted, provides for the regulation of the manufacturing, supplying, wholesale distribution, and retail sale of hemp-derived cannabinoid products by the commission and department of revenue; creates licenses for suppliers, wholesalers, and retailers; establishes taxes for such products and the manner in which such taxes are collected and allocated; establishes civil and criminal penalties for violations. - Amends TCA Title 39; Title 40; Title 43, Chapter 27; Title 53, Chapter 11; Title 57 and Title 67.Took effect 1 January 2026

    What it requires: Suppliers, wholesalers, and retailers of hemp-derived cannabinoid products must obtain licenses from the Alcoholic Beverage Commission. Suppliers must contract with third-party laboratories for product testing. Retailers must maintain products behind barriers, verify age, and display warning signage. All parties must comply with packaging, labeling, and potency limits.

    Licensing and retail permits, Excise taxes and fees, Hemp and THC beverages

  • HB 160Wine & Wineries - As enacted, exempts the sale of wine for consumption on the premises of a winery or farm wine producer, including the premises of a satellite facility, including tastings and sealed bottles sold at retail for consumption on the premises, from the liquor-by-the-drink tax on alcoholic beverages. - Amends TCA Section 57-3-207.Took effect 1 July 2025

    What it does: Exempts wine sales for on-premises consumption at wineries, farm wine producers, and their satellite facilities from liquor-by-the-drink tax, including tastings and sealed bottles sold at retail for on-premises consumption.

    Excise taxes and fees

  • SB 111Alcoholic Beverages - As enacted, authorizes a licensee that holds more than a 50 percent ownership interest in a manufacturer and a winery that are located on the same deeded property to offer product tastings and make retail sales for consumption on or off of such premises of its wine or spirits manufactured on such deeded property at a location on the overlapping premises other than on the bonded premises of the manufacturer or winery. - Amends TCA Title 57.Enacted 13 May 2025

    What it requires: A licensee holding at least fifty-one percent ownership in both a winery licensed under TCA 57-3-207 and a manufacturer licensed under TCA 57-3-202 may designate an overlapping area on the same deeded property where the premises are contiguous to offer product tastings and make retail sales for consumption on or off premises, provided all alcoholic beverages sold there are manufactured on-site by either entity and the overlapping premises exclude bonded areas.

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

  • SB 308Alcoholic Beverages - As enacted, establishes new premier type tourist resorts, urban park centers, and museums that can offer liquor by the drink; makes certain clarifications with regard to commercial airline travel clubs that can offer liquor by the drink. - Amends TCA Title 57.Enacted 13 May 2025

    What it does: Requires the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission to produce an annual report listing persons convicted under TCA 57-4-205 in the previous year, filed to legislative committees by December 1 each year, with the first report including all convictions since the section became law by December 1, 2025.

  • SB 1155Alcoholic Beverages - As enacted, authorizes Johnson City to set the hours that licensees within a downtown district designated by the municipality are authorized to sell or give away alcoholic beverages. - Amends TCA Title 57.Enacted 30 April 2025

    What it does: Amends Tennessee Code Annotated Section 57-4-304(a) to extend the maximum duration of alcoholic beverage license extensions from thirty days to forty-five days.

    Licensing and retail permits

  • SB 320Alcoholic Beverages - As enacted, lowers the county population threshold, from in excess of 500,000 to in excess of 350,000, for a sports authority facility to be eligible to obtain a liquor-by-the-drink license; prohibits a facility located in Hamilton County from being issued a license after March 1, 2030, and requires the law enforcement agency that has jurisdiction over a facility located in Hamilton County to provide an annual report to the general assembly detailing any public safety issues related to the facility. - Amends TCA Section 57-4-102.Enacted 8 April 2025

    What it requires: A sports authority facility must be located in a municipality or county having a population in excess of 350,000 according to the 2020 federal census or any subsequent federal census to be eligible to obtain a liquor-by-the-drink license. A facility located in Hamilton County cannot be issued a license after March 1, 2030.

    Licensing and retail permits

Alcohol in Tennessee, by topic

Alcohol bills in Tennessee

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

13Enacted

5Past committee

7Introduced or inactive

25 bills in scope

Past committee

5

HB 2172Alcoholic Beverage Commission - As enacted, imposes an additional 10 percent tax on a hemp-derived cannabinoid product's wholesale cost if the product is inhalable in cartridge form. - Amends TCA Title 57 and Title 67.Passed committee
HB 1901Taxes, Exemption and Credits - As introduced, authorizes an excise tax credit for brewers that donate spent grain byproducts for agricultural use. - Amends TCA Title 43; Title 57 and Title 67.Passed committee

What it would do: Authorizes an excise tax credit for beer manufacturers who donate spent grain byproducts for agricultural use within 100 miles, equal to 8 cents per pound of dry weight, capped at $30,000 or total excise taxes paid annually, whichever is less.

HB 2241Alcoholic Beverage Commission - As introduced, authorizes a retailer to deliver hemp derived cannabinoid products to a consumer, including by means of a licensed delivery service; reduces the wholesale tax on hemp derived cannabinoid products from 2 cents per milligram to 1 cent per milligram. - Amends TCA Title 57.Passed committee

What it would do: Reduces the wholesale tax on hemp-derived cannabinoid products from 2 cents to 1 cent per milligram and authorizes licensed retailers to deliver these products to consumers, including through licensed delivery services that meet specified requirements.

HB 904Alcoholic Beverage Commission - As enacted, allows a judge, hearing officer, or administrative judge to award a person or entity that prevails in an administrative or civil action brought against the person or entity attorneys' fees and costs incurred as a result of the administrative or civil action. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 5; Title 27, Chapter 1 and Title 57, Chapter 1.Passed committee

What it would do: Allows a judge, hearing officer, or administrative judge to award attorneys' fees and costs to a person or entity that prevails in an administrative or civil action brought against them by the Alcoholic Beverage Commission or challenging the Commission's actions.

Introduced or inactive

7

HB 1252Taxes, Alcoholic Beverages - As introduced, deletes an obsolete provision relating to a tax credit for beer or ale that was destroyed in a flood occurring between May 1, 2010, and May 8, 2010. - Amends TCA Title 57 and Title 67.In committee
HB 1736Alcoholic Beverages - As introduced, authorizes a retail alcohol licensee in a terminal building of a commercial air carrier airport to offer complimentary tastings for samples of the products it sells. - Amends TCA Title 57.In committee

What it would do: Amends Tennessee Code Annotated Section 57-3-204(h)(3) to authorize a retail alcohol licensee in a terminal building of a commercial air carrier airport to offer complimentary samples of products it sells for tastings.

HB 831Taxes, Privilege - As introduced, reallocates 3 percent of revenue derived from the beer barrelage tax that is provided to the general fund to the department of agriculture for the purposes of supporting growth in the utilization of Tennessee agricultural products in brewing and in the promotion of the growth of the Tennessee brewing industry. - Amends TCA Title 57.In committee

What it would do: Amends the beer barrelage tax law to require that 3 percent of revenue allocated to the general fund be redirected to the department of agriculture to support growth in utilization of Tennessee agricultural products in brewing and promotion of the Tennessee brewing industry, effective July 1, 2025.

HB 1269Alcoholic Beverage Commission - As introduced, restricts the prohibition on holding an interest in or being employed by a distillery, wholesale dealer, or retail dealer, or holding an alcoholic beverage license in this state, only to family members of voting members of the commission. - Amends TCA Title 57, Chapter 1.In committee

What it would do: Restricts the prohibition on holding an interest in or being employed by a distillery, wholesale dealer, or retail dealer, or holding an alcoholic beverage license in Tennessee, to family members of voting members of the Alcoholic Beverage Commission, including spouses, children, parents, nieces, nephews, sons-in-law, and daughters-in-law.

SB 1347Alcoholic Beverage Commission - As introduced, requires the presence of one rather than two credible witnesses to be present when an officer of the commission destroys contraband distillation equipment, paraphernalia, and personal property. - Amends TCA Title 57.In committee
HB 521Taxes, Privilege - As introduced, reduces the rate of tax on bottled soft drinks and barrels of beer; changes the distribution of the revenue from such taxes; provides for the eventual repeal of such taxes. - Amends TCA Title 57, Chapter 5 and Title 67, Chapter 4.In committee

What it would do: Reduces the beer barrel tax from $4.29 to $2.00 per barrel and the bottled soft drink tax to 0.9% of gross receipts, allocates revenue to highway litter prevention and recycling grants, and repeals both taxes on July 1, 2028 or upon enactment of mandatory beverage container deposit laws, whichever occurs first.

Bill titles link to the Tennessee 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 Tennessee have an alcohol law?

Yes. Tennessee enacted 13 alcohol laws in the 2025 and 2026 sessions, among them SB 1620, SB 2295 and SB 2452. Each is listed on this page with what it requires.

When do Tennessee's alcohol laws take effect?

HB 1376 on 1 January 2026 and HB 160 on 1 July 2025. The others have no single date in their text.

Which alcohol bills are moving in Tennessee?

5 bills not yet law have passed a committee or a chamber, the furthest along HB 2172 (passed committee), HB 1901 (passed committee) and HB 2241 (passed committee).

What does Tennessee legislate on most in alcohol?

Licensing and retail permits (11 bills), Excise taxes and fees (10 bills) and Three-tier, distribution and franchise (7 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 Tennessee

Alcohol legislation in other jurisdictions

52 more currently hold bills in this tracker

Know when Tennessee's alcohol law changes

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

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