Title 26Internal Revenue CodeRelease 119-73not60

§5242 Denaturing Materials

Title 26 › Subtitle Subtitle E— Alcohol, Tobacco, and Certain Other Excise Taxes › Chapter 51— DISTILLED SPIRITS, WINES, AND BEER › Subchapter C— Operation of Distilled Spirits Plants › Part II— OPERATIONS ON BONDED PREMISES › Subpart D— Denaturation › § 5242

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

Use methanol or other denaturants to make distilled spirits unfit to drink or take medicine; the Secretary sets which denaturants and how much to use.

Full Legal Text

Title 26, §5242

Internal Revenue Code — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Methanol or other denaturing materials suitable to the use for which the denatured distilled spirits are intended to be withdrawn shall be used for the denaturation of distilled spirits. Denaturing materials shall be such as to render the spirits with which they are admixed unfit for beverage or internal human medicinal use. The character and the quantity of denaturing materials used shall be as prescribed by the Secretary by regulations.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 5242, acts Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 645; Sept. 2, 1958, Pub. L. 85–859, title II, § 206(e), 72 Stat. 1431, related to deposit of spirits in warehouses, prior to the general revision of this chapter by Pub. L. 85–859. Provisions similar to those comprising this section were contained in prior section 5303, 5310(a) and 5331(a)(1), (2), act Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 655, 658, 661, prior to the general revision of this chapter by Pub. L. 85–859.

Amendments

1976—Pub. L. 94–455 struck out “or his delegate” after “Secretary”.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

26 U.S.C. § 5242

Title 26Internal Revenue Code

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60