Liquor Laws

The United States does not have the monopoly on liquor laws – many countries have their own laws and statutes on alcohol. What liquor laws have in common across the globe is that they are designed to prohibit or control the sale, manufacture and consumption of alcoholic beverages.

The purpose of liquor laws is twofold: they are designed to minimize the unsafe use of alcohol while also generating revenue through taxation. While drinking alcohol in moderation is acceptable, overconsumption of alcohol may lead to drinking and driving accidents, among other things.

While there are several factors that may be employed to regulate the sale of liquor, taxation and license requirements are the oldest and most commonly employed tactics. By using the license system, states wield more control by revoking licenses when the law has been violated and restricting who may receive the licenses. Great Britain’s licensing is the most severe and extensive. In fact, due to their licensing of “public houses” (aka, pubs), there has been a marked decrease in liquor consumption.

Licenses in the United States primarily control the hours of sale as well as who may consume alcoholic beverages. However, from 1919 to 1933, manufacturing and selling liquor was illegal throughout the entire nation. This time period is referred to as Prohibition. These days, there are still some counties and municipalities that are “dry” – meaning that alcohol may not be sold.

There are many states that have a monopoly on retail liquor distribution; this is also true of most of Canada. Much of Scandinavia (Sweden, Norway and Finland), places limits on the profits that liquor manufacturers may collect. Their licensing systems also restrict the consumption and production of alcoholic beverages.

Before the 1900s, Russia instituted a government monopoly on vodka manufacturing until they prohibited alcohol during World War I. This was reinstituted after their prohibition was appealed.

In France, and other wine-making countries, the government has few regulations on liquor. The one thing the government does regulate is their stringent bottle-labeling requirements. The laws are similar in Germany and a few other European countries, where beer is consumed and produced more than spirits.

States/Abbreviations
AK	Alaska	LA	Louisiana	OH	Ohio
AL	Alabama	MA	Massachusetts	OK	Oklahoma
AR	Arkansas	MD	Maryland	OR	Oregon
AZ	Arizona	ME	Maine	PA	Pennsylvania
CA	California	MI	Michigan	RI	Rhode Island
CO	Colorado	MN	Minnesota	SC	South Carolina
CT	Connecticut	MO	Missouri	SD	South Dakota
DE	Delaware	MS	Mississippi	TN	Tennessee
FL	Florida	MT	Montana	TX	Texas
GA	Georgia	NC	North Carolina	UT	Utah
HI	Hawaii	ND	North Dakota	VT	Vermont
IA	Iowa	NE	Nebraska	VA	Virginia
ID	Idaho	NH	New Hampshire	WA	Washington State
IL	Illinois	NJ	New Jersey	WI	Wisconsin
IN	Indiana	NM	New Mexico	WV	West Virginia
KS	Kansas	NV	Nevada	WY	Wyoming
KY	Kentucky	NY	New York	DC	Washington DC