Wholesale alcohol rules in Illinois
Whether a producer may sell direct to a retailer here, by beverage class. Each row says how well sourced it is: whether we read the statute ourselves, or are still working from our own notes or a secondary summary.
This is the producer-to-retailer lane. Sales through a licensed wholesaler are the ordinary route and are not what these rows describe. Nothing here is legal advice — it is a record of what we read, published so you can check it.
Beer
Open, but conditionalCondition: Holds a self-distribution exemption APPROVED BY THE ILLINOIS LIQUOR CONTROL COMMISSION. It is granted on sworn application, posted on the Commission site 45 days before action, certified annually, and revocable — so whether any given producer holds one is a fact an order cannot carry.
- Producer must make no more than 930,000 gal/yr to qualify
- No more than 232,500 gal/yr may move through this lane
Open to in-state and out-of-state producers.
235 ILCS 5/3-12(a)(18), with 5-1 Class 12 (class 1 brewer) — verified 2026-10-25.
Wine
Open, but conditionalCondition: Holds a self-distribution exemption APPROVED BY THE ILLINOIS LIQUOR CONTROL COMMISSION. It is granted on sworn application, posted on the Commission site 45 days before action, certified annually, and revocable — so whether any given producer holds one is a fact an order cannot carry.
- Producer must make no more than 25,000 gal/yr to qualify
- No more than 5,000 gal/yr may move through this lane
Open to in-state and out-of-state producers.
235 ILCS 5/3-12(a)(17) — verified 2026-10-25.
Spirits
Open, but conditionalCondition: Holds a self-distribution exemption APPROVED BY THE ILLINOIS LIQUOR CONTROL COMMISSION. It is granted on sworn application, posted on the Commission site 45 days before action, certified annually, and revocable — so whether any given producer holds one is a fact an order cannot carry.
- Producer must make no more than 50,000 gal/yr to qualify
- No more than 5,000 gal/yr may move through this lane
Open to in-state and out-of-state producers.
235 ILCS 5/3-12(a)(19), with 5-1 Class 10 (class 1 craft distiller) — verified 2026-10-25.
RTD / canned cocktails
Open, but conditionalCondition: Holds a self-distribution exemption APPROVED BY THE ILLINOIS LIQUOR CONTROL COMMISSION. It is granted on sworn application, posted on the Commission site 45 days before action, certified annually, and revocable — so whether any given producer holds one is a fact an order cannot carry.
- Producer must make no more than 930,000 gal/yr to qualify
- No more than 232,500 gal/yr may move through this lane
Open to in-state and out-of-state producers.
235 ILCS 5/3-12(a)(18) via the beer lane (RTD follows its base) — verified 2026-10-25.
A class not listed above is one nobody has read yet — not even a secondary summary. It is not a finding that Illinois forbids it. Every row above links the statute it rests on, so you can check the reading for yourself.