# Montana HB 86: Generally revise beer wholesaler and table wine laws Montana HB 86, Generally revise beer wholesaler and table wine laws, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Ed Buttrey (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-14 (Chapter Number Assigned) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB86-2025 - As of: 2026-10-19 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Montana HB 86 - State: Montana - Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) - Title: Generally revise beer wholesaler and table wine laws - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2024-12-16 - Last action: 2025-05-14, Chapter Number Assigned - Sponsor: Ed Buttrey (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Alcohol, Revenue, State - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 4 (286 yes, 13 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 19 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Stronger distributor protections and sales: benefit, medium. Distributors can ask a court to stop illegal terminations or cancellations and to block suppliers from serving their territory while an injunction is in place. The law repeals many old wholesaler statutes and replaces them under the new framework. It also makes clear that brewers and beer importers… - Colocated brewery sales don’t count toward cap: benefit, low. If a brewery fully owns a colocated retail license, beer made and sold at that retail site does not count toward the 10,000‑barrel self‑distribution limit. That beer still counts toward production totals for tax purposes. - Shelf-stable gelatin cup alcohol allowed: benefit, low. The department cannot ban shelf‑stable liquor sold in gelatin cups or block distribution of beer and table wine sold in those gelatin cups. - Nonprofits may raffle sealed alcohol: benefit, low. Qualified nonprofits may raffle or auction sealed alcoholic beverages at fundraisers. They may hold up to four events each year. If an event is on licensed premises, the bottle cannot be opened there. Minors cannot buy tickets or bid, proceeds cannot go to the donor, and beverages must be bought fr… - Excise taxes on beer, wine, cider: cost, high. The law sets per‑unit excise taxes. Beer: brewers pay $1.30 per barrel up to 5,000 barrels, $2.30 for 5,001–10,000, and $4.30 over 10,000. Distributors pay $4.30 per 31‑gallon barrel. Table and sacramental wine are taxed at $0.27 per liter; hard cider at $0.037 per liter. Beer tax is filed and paid… - No retailer loans and 7-day beer payments: cost, medium. Brewers, importers, and distributors may not lend money for a retailer’s license or taxes or hold a direct or indirect financial interest in a retailer. Distributors face the same bar on financial ties to retailers. Retailers must pay for beer within 7 days of delivery, and sellers cannot extend mo… - Stricter alcohol sourcing and shipping: cost, medium. Retailers may only buy beer or wine from licensed breweries, wineries, or distributors. Distributors and liquor store agents face matching licensed‑source limits. Common carriers and their workers may only sell beer acquired from licensed brewers, importers, or distributors. Shipping alcoholic beve… - Distributors cannot sell to the public: cost, low. Distributors may not give, sell, or deliver beer, table wine, or sacramental wine to the public. Distributors also may not sell, serve, or give away alcohol for consumption on their premises. - Keg sales need ID tags and records: cost, low. Every keg sale needs a durable tag with the seller’s name, address, phone, and a warning. Only the licensee, a distributor, or law enforcement may remove the tag. If a retailer gets a keg without a tag, the retailer must record purchaser and returner details and keep the record for 45 days. - Out-of-state breweries must register first: cost, low. Breweries outside Montana and beer importers must register with the department before shipping beer into Montana through distributors. They may not ship until registration is approved. The department may suspend or cancel a registration after notice and a hearing for noncompliance. - Quarterly sales reports for distributors: cost, low. Distributors must file a quarterly return by the 15th day after each quarter with purchases, sales, deliveries, and inventory. The department may inspect books and check alcohol content. Wine retailers that buy directly from out‑of‑state wineries must also file a quarterly report by the 15th with h… - Wine and cider filing deadlines: cost, low. Registered wineries that sell more than 1,000 liters from Oct 1 to Sep 30 must file and pay wine and cider taxes electronically each quarter by the 15th. If sales are 1,000 liters or less, file and pay once by October 15. Licensed wineries and distributors file and pay electronically each quarter b… - Direct sales for small brewers and wineries: mixed, medium. Brewers that make under 60,000 barrels a year may sell to retailers using their own trucks and staff, up to 8 barrels per retailer per day and 10,000 barrels per year total. These small brewers may also sell and deliver to the public, including curbside pickup from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m., in original pac… - Rules for moving beer and wine: mixed, medium. All beer and out‑of‑state table wine must be consigned to a licensed Montana distributor and unloaded at the distributor’s Montana warehouse. Distributors may sell and deliver to retailers, other distributors, and licensed carriers, and may deliver table wine to agency liquor stores. Deliveries usu… - Rules on supplier gifts to retailers: mixed, medium. Brewers, importers, and distributors generally cannot lease, furnish, or pay for a retailer’s interior fixtures or ads. Small exceptions allow functional items up to $300 per store per year, up to six interior illuminated signs per brand per year, decorative items, and draft‑equipment maintenance.… - Stronger contracts for beer and wine distributors: mixed, medium. Distributors and suppliers must use written contracts that set territory and brands and protect the distributor’s right to set prices. Suppliers must give 60 days’ written notice and a chance to fix problems before ending a deal, but may end it right away for insolvency or certain license losses. S… - Distributor licenses: who qualifies and fees: mixed, low. To sell at wholesale, you apply to the department, pay a $400 initial fee, and then a $400 annual fee. A distributor license expires at midnight on June 30, and you must have a fixed business, enough capital, and a warehouse and display the license. Cities and counties cannot charge you a separate… - Retail signs limited; small in-state buys allowed: mixed, low. Retailers cannot display outside signs that name a beer maker, importer, distributor, or place of manufacture, except temporary displays up to 10 days; a brewery that fully owns its store may advertise its own products there. A retailer may buy up to 6 gallons per day from another licensed in‑state… - New process for agency store rules: mixed, low. The department must use negotiated rulemaking when it writes rules for agency liquor stores. The department does not have to pay participant expenses for this process. ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Ed Buttrey (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Willis Curdy (Democrat), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-22 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 42 | 8 | | | 2025-04-18 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 44 | 5 | | | 2025-01-29 | House | Do Pass | pass | 100 | 0 | | | 2025-01-28 | House | Do Pass | pass | 100 | 0 | | ## Actions (27) - 2025-05-14: Chapter Number Assigned (House) - 2025-05-12: Signed by Governor (House) - 2025-05-05: Transmitted to Governor (House) - 2025-05-02: Signed by President (Senate) - 2025-05-01: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2025-04-25: Returned from Enrolling (House) - 2025-04-22: Sent to Enrolling (House) - 2025-04-22: 3rd Reading (Senate) - 2025-04-18: 2nd Reading (Senate) - 2025-03-26: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-03-26: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-03-24: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-02-18: Referred to Committee (Senate) - 2025-01-30: 1st Reading (Senate) - 2025-01-29: Transmitted to Senate (House) - 2025-01-29: 3rd Reading (House) - 2025-01-28: 2nd Reading (House) - 2025-01-16: Committee Report (House) - 2025-01-16: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-01-07: Fiscal Note Printed (House) - 2025-01-07: Fiscal Note Signed (House) - 2025-01-07: Fiscal Note Received (House) - 2025-01-06: Hearing (House) - 2025-01-06: 1st Reading (House) - 2024-12-20: Referred to Committee (House) - 2024-12-18: Fiscal Note Requested (House) - 2024-12-16: Introduced (House) ## Bill text - Enrolled, 2025-06-03: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=628a168f-3f1e-423a-b7f3-a622a858b8de) - As Amended (Version 2), 2025-01-16: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=d4c5f373-a9c5-4e57-b54f-02db32b358ec) - Introduced, 2024-12-16: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=e9749303-e5c7-438a-a4b6-61d7e30ecdc8) ## Related bills - SB 437: Revise definition of sex in Montana law (signed) - HB 831: Increase elderly homeowner and renter income tax credit (vetoed) - HB 628: Revise early literacy targeted intervention laws (vetoed) - SB 410: Provide for Montana genomic security act (vetoed) - SB 424: Revising the disabled veteran property tax assistance program (vetoed) - SB 422: Generally revise laws relating to insurance coverage relating to cancer (vetoed) ## Sources - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=628a168f-3f1e-423a-b7f3-a622a858b8de) - [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=d4c5f373-a9c5-4e57-b54f-02db32b358ec) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=e9749303-e5c7-438a-a4b6-61d7e30ecdc8) ## Related - [SB 437: Revise definition of sex in Montana law](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB437-2025) - [HB 831: Increase elderly homeowner and renter income tax credit](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB831-2025) - [HB 628: Revise early literacy targeted intervention laws](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB628-2025) - [SB 410: Provide for Montana genomic security act](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB410-2025) - [SB 424: Revising the disabled veteran property tax assistance program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB424-2025) - [SB 422: Generally revise laws relating to insurance coverage relating to cancer](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB422-2025) - [Montana bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/montana/bills) - [Montana state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/montana) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB86-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).