Seventeen states and jurisdictions in Alaska, Maryland, Minnesota and South Dakota adopted forms of the "Control" model. They control the sale of distilled spirits and, in some cases, wine and beer through government agencies at the wholesale level.  Thirteen of those jurisdictions also exercise control over retail sales for off-premises consumption; either through government-operated package stores or designated agents.

Control jurisdictions represent approximately 24.7% (U.S. Census Bureau, n.d., Liquor Handbook, 2019) of the nation’s population and account for roughly 23.0% (Liquor Handbook, 2019) of distilled spirit sales and a significantly smaller percentage of beer and wine sales.

Information Sheets

Click on the links to the right to review each jurisdiction’s info sheet. If you have questions, you may contact Margaret Barchine – Director, Communications.

 

U.S. map with control states highlighted

 

18 Control Jurisdictions

 

  • Control jurisdictions represent approximately 24.7% (U.S. Census Bureau, n.d., Liquor Handbook, 2019) of the nation’s population and account for roughly 23.0% (Liquor Handbook, 2019) of distilled spirit sales and a significantly smaller percentage of beer and wine sales.
  • Control jurisdictions reflect the public commitment to moderation and serve as a vehicle for balance between alcohol profits and public wellbeing through dedicated enforcement, resources, promotion of alcohol education and awareness programs to support that commitment (NABCA, 2020).

Control Systems provide to their communities:

  • Revenue (Zullo, 2016), which supports human services/ prevention efforts, education initiatives and special programs  such as school and transportation needs. Revenue are also given to local governments/municipalities and other  important endeavors (National Alcohol Beverage Control Association, n.d.).
  •  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “control systems that oversee retail alcohol sales  generally results in lower alcohol outlet density. In addition to potential public health benefits, lower outlet density may improve quality of life by reducing property damage and public disturbance (e.g., public intoxication)” (Hahn, R.A., et al, 2012).
  • Control systems are vigilant in not selling to underage and visibly intoxicated consumers (Miller, T., et al, 2006).
  • Control systems protect communities from oversaturation of alcohol selling locations, which has been found to increase consumption and cause harm (Tabb, 2016).
  • Control systems provide a level playing field in a highly competitive beverage alcohol marketplace (Tabb, 2016).
  • Control systems benefit producers in that once a product is approved for sale, it is available in all retail locations  throughout the state at the same cost (Zullo, 2016).
  • Control systems benefit producers in that a product will be delivered to one receiving location and the system will distribute the product to its multiple locations (Tabb, 2016).

References

Beverage Information Group. (2020). 2019 Liquor Handbook .

Bureau, U. S. C. (2022, February 3). Census.gov. Retrieved February 7, 2022, from https://www.census.gov/

Hahn, R. A., Middleton, J. C., Elder, R., Brewer, R., Fielding, J., Naimi, T. S., Toomey, T. L., Chattopadhyay, S., Lawrence, B., & Campbell, C. A. (2012). Effects of alcohol retail privatization on excessive alcohol consumption and related harms. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 42(4), 418–427. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2012.01.002

Miller, T., Snowden, C., Birckmayer, J., & Hendrie, D. (2006). Retail alcohol monopolies, underage drinking, and youth impaired driving deaths. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 38(6), 1162–1167. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2006.05.003

NABCA. (2020). Alcohol Beverage Control Jurisdictions - A Community Choice. Arlington, VA.

National Alcohol Beverage Control Association. | National Alcohol Beverage Control Association Control State Directory and Info. (n.d.). Retrieved February 7, 2022, from https://www.nabca.org/control-state-directory-and-info

Tabb, L. P., Ballester, L., & Grubesic, T. H. (2016). The spatio-temporal relationship between alcohol outlets and violence before and after privatization: A natural experiment, Seattle, WA 2010–2013. Spatial and Spatio-Temporal Epidemiology, 19, 115–124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sste.2016.08.003

Zullo, R. (2016). Better to own or to regulate? the case of alcohol distribution and sales. Administration & Society, 49(2), 190–211. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095399714527754

 

maine new-hampshire vermont pennsylvania maryland virginia west-virginia north-carolina ohio alabama mississippi michigan iowa montana wyoming utah idaho oregon

Oregon

Oregon Liquor Control Commission

9079 SE McLoughlin Blvd.
Portland, OR 97222
(503) 872-5000

http://www.oregon.gov/olcc/Pages/index.aspx

Our mission is to promote the public interest through the responsible sales and service of alcohol beverages.

Our Goals:

Public Safety Principle

  • OLCC’s policy will focus on public safety and community livability considerations when guiding alcohol beverage system growth.
  • OLCC will meet potential customer demand for alcoholic beverages and outlets in a socially responsible manner.

Economic Development Principle

  • OLCC will enable business people to be viable in their sale of alcohol, supporting economic viability for Oregonians.
  • OLCC will intelligently manage the healthy growth of the Distilled Spirits Program so desired distilled spirits products reach the customer timely and efficiently.

Stewardship Principle

  • OLCC will continue to work collaboratively with local government and other partners to gain efficiencies in providing customer service.
  • OLCC will continue to provide responsible stewardship of its assets, managing risk and protecting revenue flow.
  • OLCC will sustain high-level customer service. It will continue to seek to improve its customer service levels by finding additional efficiencies, improving timeframes for delivering services, and by making information accessible to customers and the public.

Idaho

Idaho State Liquor Division

1349 E. Beechcraft Court
Boise, ID 83716
(208) 947-9400

https://liquor.idaho.gov/

Idaho Code 23-102, 23-203, and 23-404 vests the Idaho State Liquor Division with the mission of curtailing the intemperate use of alcohol by regulating and controlling the sale of beverages exceeding 16% alcohol. All revenues derived from such sales are distributed to state and local units of government in accordance with the Idaho code

Montana

Montana Alcoholic Beverage Control Division

2517 Airport Road
Helena, MT 59601
(406) 444-6900

https://mtrevenue.gov/

The Montana Alcoholic Beverage Control Division administers the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Code, which governs the control, sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages. The division includes the liquor distribution bureau and the alcoholic beverage licensing bureau.

Wyoming

Wyoming Department of Revenue

Herschler Bldg.
122 W. 25th Street 2nd Floor West
Cheyenne, WY 82002
(307) 777-7233

http://revenue.wyo.gov/

The agency’s primary mission is the administration and collection of mineral and excise taxes as well as the valuation of property and the wholesale distribution of alcoholic beverages and enforcement of liquor laws.

Utah

Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services

1625 S. 900 West
Salt Lake City, UT 84130
(801) 977-6800

https://abc.utah.gov/

The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services (DABS) has been in existence since 1935. In that year, the Utah State Legislature created the department by statute and charged it with the responsibility of conducting, licensing, and regulating the sale of alcoholic beverages in a manner and at prices which reasonably satisfy the public demand and protect the public interest, including the rights of citizens who do not wish to be involved with alcoholic beverages. The legislature also mandated that the department is operated as a public business using sound management principles and practices.

Iowa

Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division

1918 SE Hulsizer Road
Ankeny, IA 50021
(515) 281-7400

https://abd.iowa.gov/

The Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division is responsible for the regulation and control of alcohol in the State of Iowa. Iowa is one of eighteen control states that, since the repeal of prohibition, directly control the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages. In addition, the Division is responsible for the enforcement of state and federal laws and regulations regarding the sale and use of alcohol and tobacco products.

Michigan

Michigan Liquor Control Commission

525 W. Allegan Street
P.O. Box 30005
Lansing, MI  48909
Tel: 517-2846310

http://www.michigan.gov/lara/0,4601,7-154-10570---,00.html

The Michigan Liquor Control Commission (MLCC) was created upon the repeal of Prohibition by the legislature acting in special session in December 1933. The act creating it empowered the Commission to control all alcoholic beverage traffic within this state. The Commission consists of five members appointed by the Governor. The mission of the Michigan Liquor Control Commission is to make alcoholic beverages available for consumption while protecting the consumer and the general public through regulation of those involved in the sale and distribution of these alcoholic beverage products.

Mississippi

Mississippi State Tax Commission, Office of Alcoholic Beverage Control

P.O. Box 540
Madison, MS 39130
(601) 856-1301

http://www.dor.ms.gov/Pages/default.aspx

The Office of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) of the Mississippi State Tax Commission is tasked with regulating the legal and responsible dispensing of alcoholic beverages within the State of Mississippi. ABC’s major functions are described below:

  • As the state’s wholesaler, the ABC imports, stores, and sells 2,500,000 plus cases of spirits and wines annually. From its 211,000 square foot warehouse located in South Madison County Industrial Park, ABC offers Mississippi’s 1,700 licensed retailers almost 4,100 plus brands and sizes of beverage alcohol. For items not on its Price Book or its monthly Fine Wine List, ABC develops and maintains business relations throughout the nation to accommodate consumer orders of special products. The 27.5% markup (set by state laws) on products shipped from the Warehouse yields some $57,000,000 of the $83,000,000 deposited annually into the state’s General Fund.
  • ABC manages the issuance of some 1,700 alcoholic beverage licenses for package retailers and various types of on-premises retailers. ABC also licenses managers of retail businesses and temporary retailers such as nonprofit civic or charitable events. Licensing fees, including the additional permit fees collected from on-premises businesses, total about $5,400,000 each year.
  • As the enforcer of the state’s liquor laws, ABC is tasked with the responsibility of maintaining fair and equitable enforcement of the Local Option ABC laws, the prohibition laws and state beer laws. To accomplish this mission, ABC stations twenty-eight law enforcement certified enforcement agents throughout Mississippi. Most ABC agents maintain offices at the Tax Commission District Offices. Since 1966, ABC agents have successfully prosecuted in excess of 40,000 liquor law violations and destroyed approximately 3,000 illicit whiskey stills.

Alabama

Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board

2715 Guntner Park Drive West
Montgomery, AL 36019
(334) 271-3840

http://www.alabcboard.gov

The Alabama ABC Board controls alcoholic beverages through distribution, licensing, and enforcement as well as education. State and federal laws regarding youth access to tobacco are enforced, and retailers and the general public are provided information relative to the laws and their consequences. The Board also operates a chain of retail stores selling the majority of liquor purchased to consumers in Alabama.

Maine

Maine Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages & Lottery Operations

8 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
(207) 287-3721

http://www.maine.gov/dafs/bablo/

The Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages & Lottery Operations (BABLO) is proud of its commitment to providing the most satisfactory public service for the complete distribution and sales of Powerball, Tri-State Pick 3 and Pick 4, Tri-State Heads or Tails, Tri-State Megabucks, instant lottery tickets, and the pricing, listing, and delisting of spirits and fortified wines.

Vermont

Vermont Department of Liquor Control and Lottery

13 Green Mountain Drive
Montpelier, VT 05602
(802) 828-2345

http://liquorcontrol.vermont.gov/

The Department of Liquor Control purchases distributes, and sells distilled spirits through its agency stores; enforces Vermont’s alcohol and tobacco statues, with a strong emphasis on limiting youth access; educates licensees, and promotes responsibility. An integral part of our mission is to control the distribution of alcoholic beverages while providing excellent customer service and effective public safety, for the general good of the state.

New Hampshire

New Hampshire State Liquor Commission

Storrs Street, Robert J Hard Bldg.
Concord, NH 03301
(603) 230-7026

https://www.nh.gov/liquor/enforcement/

The NHLC regulates the sale of alcohol in the state of NH. NH is one of 17 “control states” in the nation where the government directly controls the distribution and regulation of alcoholic beverages. In doing so, NHLC operates 79 retail locations knows as NH Liquor & Wine Outlets throughout NH that serve more than 11 million customers each year. NHLC serves as an essential revenue source for the state of NH, generating more than $156 million in FY 2016 for NH’s General Fund, which is used to fund programs including education, health and social services, transportation and natural resource protection. NHLC has generated more than $3 billion in net profits since it opened its first NH Liquor & Wine Outlet in 1934.

Ohio

Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Liquor Control

6606 Tussing Road
Reynoldsburg, OH 43068
(614) 644-2360

http://www.com.ohio.gov/liqr/

The Ohio Division of Liquor Control (“Division”) is responsible for controlling the manufacture, distribution, licensing, regulation, and merchandising of beer, wine, mixed beverages, and spirituous liquor within Ohio pursuant to Ohio Revised Code Chapters 4301. And 4303. Regulatory functions include the issuance of permits to manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of alcoholic beverages. As a control state, all beer and intoxicating liquor must be bought and sold pursuant to Ohio law.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board

Room 518, Northwest Office Building
Harrisburg, PA 17124
(717) 783-7637

http://www.lcb.pa.gov/Pages/default.aspx

The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board is responsible for licensing the possession, sale, storage, transportation, importation and manufacture of wine, spirits, and malt or brewed beverages in the Commonwealth, as well as operating a system of liquor distribution (retailing) and providing education about the harmful effects of alcohol consumption.

West Virginia

West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Administration

900 Pennsylvania Avenue, 4th Fl.
Charleston, WV 25302
(304) 356-5500

http://www.abca.wv.gov/Pages/default.aspx

Since 1935, the WVABCA has endeavored to control the use of alcoholic beverages and enforce the laws and regulations regarding alcoholic beverages in the State of West Virginia.

Virginia

Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control

2901 Hermitage Road
Richmond, VA 23220
(804) 213-4400

http://www.abc.virginia.gov

The mission of the VABC is to control the distribution of alcoholic beverages; operate efficient, conveniently located retail outlets; enforce the laws of the Commonwealth pertaining to alcoholic beverages and youth access to tobacco products; and provide excellent customer service, a reliable source of revenue, and effective public safety.

North Carolina

North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission

4307 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699
(919) 779-0700

http://abc.nc.gov/

North Carolina is one of 17 control state systems and a member of the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association. As an agency under the Department of Commerce, it is our overall objective to provide uniform control over the sale, purchase, transportation, manufacture, consumption, and possession of alcoholic beverages in the state. 

Maryland

Montgomery County Alcohol Beverage Service

201 Edison Park Drive
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
(240) 777-1900

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/abs/

Although Maryland is considered a license state, residents of Montgomery County, MD enjoy the many benefits offered by a control jurisdiction including public health and revenue generation. With emphasis on customer service and public safety, Montgomery County ABS conducts the wholesale distribution of beverage alcohol, owns and operates 25 off-premise stores and shares the retail segment with approximately 1,100 license-holders.