When you sell alcohol through Shopify, you need to comply with the laws and regulations that apply to the sale of alcohol. The laws and regulations depend on the region where your store is located and the region where you sell. Use the information on this page to learn about laws and regulations that might apply to your business.
Caution This following content provides general information to merchants who sell alcohol and is for informational purposes only. You are responsible for reviewing and using this information appropriately. This content doesn't contain and isn't meant to provide legal advice.
You should consult your own legal counsel to determine how the laws in your region and the region in which you sell alcohol might affect your business. To sell products using the Shopify platform, you must comply with the laws of the jurisdiction of your business and your customers, the Shopify Terms of Service, the Shopify Acceptable Use Policy, and any other applicable policies.
Laws and regulations for selling alcohol in the United States (US) If your business is located in the United States, or if you sell alcohol products to customers in the United States, then you're required to follow all federal, state, and local laws in any jurisdiction where your alcohol products are advertised or sold.
In the United States, alcohol is heavily regulated at the state level and regulations vary by state. If you sell or ship alcohol products, then you should review the laws of the states where you conduct business and of your customers. Consider these common requirements for selling alcohol:
You must acquire and maintain all necessary licenses individually to produce, market, sell, and deliver your products.
You must remain in full compliance with all applicable licensure requirements, including the requirements for record-keeping.
You must have effective age verification practices so that alcohol products can't be purchased or received by people who are under the age of 21.
You must make sure that any alcohol products that are shipped to a different state are compliant with applicable laws of the jurisdiction of your business and your customers' jurisdiction.
You must ship and deliver alcohol products in full compliance with applicable laws of the jurisdiction of your business and your customers' jurisdiction.
Resources about selling alcohol in the United States You can find specific information online about selling alcohol products in the United States, such as the following resources:
Laws and regulations for selling alcohol in Canada If your business is located in Canada, or if you sell alcohol products to customers in Canada, then you're required to follow all applicable federal and provincial laws in any jurisdiction where your alcohol products are advertised, sold, or delivered. Some provinces might also have specific labeling requirements that you need to follow for your alcohol pro ducts to be sold in that province.
If you sell alcohol products in Canada, then you must also follow the Food and Drugs Act, the Food and Drug Regulations, the Safe Food for Canadians Act, and the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations. Before you sell an alcohol product in Canada, you should review all applicable pieces of legislation.
At the federal level, you must comply with packaging and labeling requirements. These requirements include compositional standards for a product to be labeled as a specific type of liquor and IP protections related to geographical indications.
Each provincial jurisdiction has different requirements for alcohol, including but not limited to these commonly cited requirements:
legal drinking age requirements
licensing requirements for the right to alcohol distribution
policies for promoting and marketing liquor
registration and listing policies
If you sell or ship alcohol products in Canada, then consider these commonly cited requirements:
In Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec, the legal drinking age is 18.
In British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan and Yukon, the legal drinking age is 19.
Excise duties are imposed on alcohol products at the time of production or importation, payable by the manufacturer or importer.
Resources about selling alcohol in Canada You can find additional specific information online about selling alcohol products in Canada, such as the following resources: