All Roll Calls
Yes: 133 • No: 1
IowaHF 47091st General Assembly (2025–2026)HouseWALLET
A bill for an act relating to alcoholic beverages, including license authorizations, bond requirements, and fee determinations, and including effective date and applicability provisions. (Formerly HSB 79.) Effective date: 04/25/2025, 07/01/2025. Applicability date: 11/10/2025.
Sponsored By: COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT
Signed by Governor
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
6 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 4 mixed.
To-go cocktails and batching rules
Special class C licensees can sell wine and beer by the drink for on-site use and sell unopened containers to go. They may also sell some mixed drinks without distilled spirits to go if state rules are met. Licensees can batch mixed drinks for later sale if stored no more than 72 hours in labeled containers up to 3 gallons. Labels must show placement and expiration date/time, recipe title, preparer, batch size, and say "CONTAINS ALCOHOL." Keep batch and destruction/consumption records on-site for 3 years; no added hallucinogens or added caffeine/stimulants. To-go sales must be filled into sealed, tamper-evident containers; unopened sealed containers are not open containers.
Take-home wine and next-door drinks
You can take home one opened bottle of wine you bought and drank on-site. The seller must seal it in a tamper-evident bag and give a dated receipt. That resealed bottle still counts under Iowa’s vehicle open-container laws. A licensee can also let you carry an open drink to an immediately adjacent licensed place, a temporarily closed public way, or a private place. The adjacent owner can refuse entry with an open container.
One license for nearby sites
A single license can cover multiple non-adjacent locations if the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau approves them. This can include sites split by roads or waterways and separate warehouses. It gives operators more flexibility to run one licensed operation across approved spots.
Clear rules for canned cocktails
The law defines a "canned cocktail" as a premixed drink in a metal can with more than 0.5% and up to 15% alcohol by volume. This label controls how producers and sellers must treat and license these products.
New fees for out-of-city businesses
If your premises is outside any city limits, your license fee matches the fee for the same square footage in the nearest incorporated city, using the USPS address. If two cities both seem nearest, you pay the higher fee. An unincorporated town counts as a city for this rule. Beginning November 10, 2025, these rules apply to licenses issued or renewed on or after that date. Existing licenses keep their current authority until they expire or are renewed.
Who can get an alcohol license
Applicants must meet a "good moral character" standard as defined by state law or a state agency. The state of Iowa and state agencies are exempt from some applicant rules, like citizenship or moral character. The law also removes paragraph g from two licensing sections. This clarifies standards and makes small administrative changes.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT
Affiliation unavailable
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 4/14/2025
Passed Senate
Yes: 44 • No: 1
House vote • 3/20/2025
Passed House
Yes: 89 • No: 0
Actions Timeline
Signed by Governor.
4/25/2025GovernorReported correctly enrolled, signed by Speaker and President, and sent to Governor.
4/24/2025SenateMessage from Senate.
4/15/2025SenateImmediate message.
4/14/2025legislaturePassed Senate, yeas 44, nays 1.
4/14/2025SenateSubstituted for SF 610.
4/14/2025legislatureExplanations of votes.
3/25/2025legislatureExplanation of vote.
3/25/2025legislatureRead first time, attached to SF 610.
3/24/2025legislatureMessage from House.
3/24/2025HouseImmediate message.
3/20/2025legislaturePassed House, yeas 89, nays 0.
3/20/2025HouseAmendments H-1032, H-1033 and H-1096 adopted.
3/20/2025legislatureAmendment H-1096 filed.
3/17/2025legislatureAmendments H-1032 and H-1033 filed.
3/5/2025legislatureIntroduced, placed on calendar.
2/19/2025legislature
Bill Text
As Introduced
Enrolled
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