[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 27USC203]
TITLE 27--INTOXICATING LIQUORS
CHAPTER 8--FEDERAL ALCOHOL ADMINISTRATION ACT
SUBCHAPTER I--FEDERAL ALCOHOL ADMINISTRATION
Sec. 203. Unlawful businesses without permit; application to
State agency
In order effectively to regulate interstate and foreign commerce in
distilled spirits, wine, and malt beverages, to enforce the twenty-first
amendment, and to protect the revenue and enforce the postal laws with
respect to distilled spirits, wine, and malt beverages:
(a) It shall be unlawful, except pursuant to a basic permit issued
under this subchapter by the Secretary of the Treasury--
(1) to engage in the business of importing into the United
States distilled spirits, wine, or malt beverages; or
(2) for any person so engaged to sell, offer or deliver for
sale, contract to sell, or ship, in interstate or foreign commerce,
directly or indirectly or through an affiliate, distilled spirits,
wine, or malt beverages so imported.
(b) It shall be unlawful, except pursuant to a basic permit issued
under this subchapter by the Secretary of the Treasury--
(1) to engage in the business of distilling distilled spirits,
producing wine, rectifying or blending distilled spirits or wine, or
bottling, or warehousing and bottling, distilled spirits; or
(2) for any person so engaged to sell, offer or deliver for
sale, contract to sell, or ship, in interstate or foreign commerce,
directly or indirectly or through an affiliate, distilled spirits or
wine so distilled, produced, rectified, blended, or bottled, or
warehoused and bottled.
(c) It shall be unlawful, except pursuant to a basic permit issued
under this subchapter by the Secretary of the Treasury--
(1) to engage in the business of purchasing for resale at
wholesale distilled spirits, wine, or malt beverages; or
(2) for any person so engaged to receive or to sell, offer or
deliver for sale, contract to sell, or ship, in interstate or
foreign commerce, directly or indirectly or through an affiliate,
distilled spirits, wine, or malt beverages so purchased.
This subsection shall take effect July 1, 1936.
This section shall not apply to any agency of a State or political
subdivision thereof or any officer or employee of any such agency, and
no such agency or officer or employee shall be required to obtain a
basic permit under this subchapter.
(Aug. 29, 1935, ch. 814, title I, Sec. 103, formerly Sec. 3, 49 Stat.
978; Feb. 29, 1936, ch. 105, Sec. 1, 49 Stat. 1152; 1940 Reorg. Plan No.
III, Sec. 2, eff. June 30, 1940, 5 F.R. 2108, 54 Stat. 1232; renumbered
title I, Sec. 103, and amended Pub. L. 100-690, title VIII,
Sec. 8001(a)(1), (2), (b)(2), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4517, 4521.)
Codification
In the original, subsections (a) and (b) of this section contained a
final paragraph which provided as follows: ``This subsection shall take
effect sixty days after the date upon which the Administrator first
appointed under this title takes office.''
Amendments
1988--Pub. L. 100-690, Sec. 8001(b)(2), substituted ``subchapter''
for ``chapter'' wherever appearing.
1936--Subsec. (c). Act Feb. 29, 1936, extended the effective date
from March 1, 1936, to July 1, 1936.
Transfer of Functions
``Secretary of the Treasury'' was substituted in text for
``Administrator'', meaning the Administrator of the Federal Alcohol
Administration, pursuant
