RCW 66.24.185 — Bonded wine warehouse storage license—Qualifications and requirements—Fee.
- (1) There shall be a license for bonded wine warehouses which shall authorize the storage and handling of bottled wine. Under this license a licensee may maintain a warehouse for the storage of wine off the premises of a winery.
- (2) The board shall adopt similar qualifications for a bonded wine warehouse license as required for obtaining a domestic winery license as specified in RCW 66.24.010 and 66.24.170. A licensee must be a sole proprietor, a partnership, a limited liability company, or a corporation. One or more domestic wineries may operate as a partnership, corporation, business co-op, or agricultural co-op for the purposes of obtaining a bonded wine warehouse license.
- (3) All bottled wine shipped to a bonded wine warehouse from a winery or another bonded wine warehouse shall remain under bond and no tax imposed under RCW 66.24.210 shall be due, unless the wine is removed from bond and shipped to a licensed Washington wine distributor. Wine may be removed from a bonded wine warehouse only for the purpose of being (a) exported from the state, (b) shipped to a licensed Washington wine distributor, (c) returned to a winery or bonded wine warehouse, or (d) shipped to a consumer pursuant to RCW 66.20.360 through 66.20.390.
- (4) Warehousing of wine by any person other than (a) a licensed domestic winery or a bonded wine warehouse licensed under the provisions of this section, (b) a licensed Washington wine distributor, (c) a licensed Washington wine importer, (d) a wine certificate of approval holder (W7), or (e) the board, is prohibited.
- (5) A license applicant shall hold a federal permit for a bonded wine cellar and may be required to post a continuing wine tax bond of such an amount and in such a form as may be required by the board prior to the issuance of a bonded wine warehouse license. The fee for this license shall be $150 per annum.
- (6) The board shall adopt rules requiring a bonded wine warehouse to be physically secure, zoned for the intended use and physically separated from any other use.
- (7) Every licensee shall submit to the board a monthly report of movement of bottled wines to and from a bonded wine warehouse in a form prescribed by the board. The board may adopt other necessary procedures by which bonded wine warehouses are licensed and regulated.
- (8) Handling of bottled wine, as provided for in this section, includes packaging and repackaging services; bottle labeling services; creating baskets or variety packs that may or may not include nonwine products; and picking, packing, and shipping wine orders direct to consumer. A winery contracting with a bonded wine warehouse for handling bottled wine must comply with all applicable state and federal laws and shall be responsible for financial transactions in direct to consumer shipping activities.
[ 2025 c 343 s 13; 2008 c 41 s 4; 1999 c 281 s 4; 1997 c 321 s 4; 1984 c 19 s 1.]
Notes:
Effective date—1997 c 321: See note following RCW 66.24.010.