In Montana, a brewery is a business licensed to manufacture, import, and distribute beer.
Brewery permissions and license fees are based on how many barrels of beer per year the brewery produces.
All breweries selling and distributing beer in Montana must report beer sales and pay brewery taxes.
Every brewery licensed in Montana may also apply for a Brewery Storage Depot license.
Brewery Permissions
"Nano" Breweries - Nano breweries produce less than 100 barrels of beer per year
A nano brewery may:
- Provide unlimited, free samples from 8:00 AM to 2:00 AM
- Sell beer for customers to take home from 8:00 AM to 2:00 AM
- Sell and deliver beer to using their own employees and equipment to:
- Wholesalers
- Retailers
- The public
A nano brewery may not:
Nano breweries may not use common carriers and may only deliver to retailers using their own trucks, equipment, and employees.
Domestic Breweries - A domestic brewery produces 200 gallons—60,000 barrels of beer per year
A domestic brewery may:
- Give away or sell up to 48 ounces in samples to customers from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM at their designated sample room
- Sell beer for customers to take home from 8:00 AM to 2:00 AM
- Sell and deliver beer to using their own employees and equipment to:
- Wholesalers
- Retailers
- The public
A domestic brewery may not:
Domestic breweries may not use common carriers and may only ship to retailers using their own trucks, equipment, and employees.
Large Breweries - Large breweries produce over 60,000 barrels of beer per year
A large brewery may only sell and deliver beer to licensed beer wholesalers.
Fees
Under 20,000 Barrels per Year
| New License Fee | $500 |
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| Application Processing Fee | $200 |
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| Renewal Fee | $200 |
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20,000 or More Barrels per Year
| New License Fee | $500 |
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| Application Processing Fee | $200 |
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| Renewal Fee | $500 |
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The application processing fee only applies for original applications and is not applied to renewals.
Application Requirements
Labels and Approval
All beer labels must be approved by the Montana Department of Revenue before selling and shipping into Montana.
**IMPORTANT** All beer with an ABV of 8.75% and over to under 14% produced by a domestic brewery MUST be approved by ABCD even if the beer is only served and sold in your sample room.
You may register your labels for approval through our TransAction Portal (TAP).
Location Requirements
- Your business must be recognizable as a brewery.
- Your business must be physically separated from any other alcoholic beverage business.
- You may not operate under a concession agreement.
- You may not let customers buy alcoholic beverages through automatic vending machines or self-service devices.
- You must keep unauthorized people from your manufacturing area.
- You must have a designated sample room or an approved on-premises retail license stacked/co-located at your winery's premises in order to sell wine directly to the public. You may include a deck or patio if it is enclosed and only accessible from the on-premises consumption area.
- You may only serve alcoholic beverages in the appropriate amounts and in the designated areas.
For a detailed list of requirements, please see ARM 42.12.149 and ARM 42.13.601.
Application Options and Dates
To apply for a Montana brewery license, you must have a Brewer's Notice issued by the Alcohol, Tobacco, Tax and Trade Bureau, then complete the appropriate application:
In-State (Domestic) Brewery License
Out-of-State Brewery License
- Only available through our TAP
A brewery license must be renewed every year by June 30.