
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
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[Laws in effect as of January 2, 2001]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 2, 2001 and January 28, 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 to Reorg. Plan No. III of 1940, see note set 
out under section 201 of this title.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in section 207 of this title; title 26 
section 5171.
