Wis. Stat. § 125.06 — WI Code / Chapter 125 / Section 125.06
License and permit exceptions.
Status: in_force

No license or permit is required under this chapter for:

(1) Brewers’ premises. The furnishing, by brewers, of fermented malt beverages free of charge to customers, visitors, and employees on the brewery premises.

(2) Hospitals; practice of medicine or surgery.

(a) The use of alcohol beverages in institutions licensed under subchs. I and II of ch. 50 where the beverages are used solely for medicinal, mechanical or scientific purposes.

(b) The use or prescription of alcohol beverages by a person licensed to practice medicine or surgery in the treatment of the sick.

(c) Notwithstanding pars. (a) and (b) , a permit to receive shipments of alcohol under s. 125.61 must be obtained before alcohol beverages may be used or prescribed under pars. (a) and (b) .

(3) The making of homemade wine or fermented malt beverages.

(a) The making of homemade wine or fermented malt beverages, and the possession, transportation, or storage of homemade wine or fermented malt beverages, by any person if all of the following apply:

1. The person who makes the wine or fermented malt beverages receives no compensation.

2. The wine or fermented malt beverages are not sold or offered for sale.

3. The total quantity of wine or fermented malt beverages made, in a calendar year, by the person and any other person living in the same household does not exceed 100 gallons if the household has only one person of legal drinking age or 200 gallons if the household has 2 or more persons of legal drinking age.

(b) A person who makes, possesses, transports, or stores homemade wine or fermented malt beverages in compliance with the limitations specified in par. (a) is not a brewer or a manufacturer of wine for purposes of this chapter.

(c) Homemade wine or fermented malt beverages made in compliance with the limitations specified in par. (a) may be consumed by the person who made it and his or her family, neighbors, and friends at any private residence or other private location where the possession and consumption of alcohol is permissible under this chapter, local ordinances, and other applicable law. This paragraph does not apply to licensed premises.

(3g) Wine or fermented malt beverages made at supply stores. The manufacture of wine or fermented malt beverages by any person at a business primarily engaged in selling supplies and equipment for use by homebrewers or home winemakers, and, notwithstanding s. 125.09 (1) , the tasting at the business of wine or fermented malt beverages so manufactured, if the wine or fermented malt beverages are not sold or offered for sale. Wine or fermented malt beverages provided at a business for tasting under this subsection may only be provided by a person who holds an operator’s license issued under s. 125.17 or an operator’s permit issued under s. 125.175 .

(3m) The use of homemade wine or fermented malt beverages for competitions or exhibitions or similar purposes.

(a) The use of homemade wine or fermented malt beverages made in compliance with the limitations specified in sub. (3) (a) for purposes of exhibition, demonstration, judging, tasting, or sampling or as part of a contest or competition, if the exhibition, demonstration, judging, tasting, sampling, contest, or competition is held at a private residence or on a licensed premises. Homemade wine or fermented malt beverages used for purposes described in this paragraph, including the submission or consumption of such wine or fermented malt beverages, are not considered sold or offered for sale under sub. (3) (a) 2. and any prize awarded at a contest or competition or as a result of an exhibition, demonstration, judging, tasting, or sampling is not considered compensation under sub. (3) (a) 1. , but no fee may be charged for consumption of the homemade wine or fermented malt beverages at the exhibition, demonstration, judging, tasting, sampling, contest, or competition.

(b) Notwithstanding ss. 125.14 (5) , 125.315 , 125.32 (6) (a) , 125.34 (2) and (5) , and 125.67 , a person who is not a licensee under this chapter may at a private residence, and a person who is a licensee under this chapter may on the licensed premises, conduct, sponsor, or host a contest, competition, or other event for the exhibition, demonstration, judging, tasting, or sampling of homemade wine or fermented malt beverages made in compliance with the limitations specified in sub. (3) (a) if the person does not sell the wine or fermented malt beverages and, unless the person is the maker of the wine or fermented malt beverages, does not acquire any ownership interest in the wine or fermented malt beverages. No fee may be charged for consumption of homemade wine or fermented malt beverages at the contest, competition, or other event. If the contest, competition, or other event is held on licensed premises, the licensee may allow the homemade wine or fermented malt beverages to be stored on the premises if the homemade wine or fermented malt beverages are clearly identified and kept separate from any alcohol beverages owned by the licensee. If the contest, competition, or other event is held on licensed premises, the provisions of ss. 125.32 (7) and 125.68 (9) (e) do not apply with respect to the homemade wine or fermented malt beverages. If the contest, competition, or other event is held on licensed premises, the licensee shall comply with all provisions of this chapter and local ordinances that would apply if the fermented malt beverages or wine were not homemade, except those provisions made specifically inapplicable under this paragraph.

(c) If a competition or exhibition complying with par. (b) is held by a national organization and has participants from more than 25 states, a person who made homemade wine or fermented malt beverages in another state under conditions similar to those imposed under sub. (3) may, without holding a license or permit under this chapter, transport up to 10 gallons of homemade wine or fermented malt beverages into this state for purposes of participating in the competition or exhibition.

(3r) Wine or fermented malt beverages made for educational purposes. The manufacture of wine or fermented malt beverages for educational purposes, and, notwithstanding s. 125.09 (1) , the tasting of the wine or fermented malt beverages at the place of manufacture, if the wine or fermented malt beverages are not sold or offered for sale.

(4) Unadulterated cider. The manufacture or sale of unadulterated apple cider.

(5) Railroads, aircraft. The sale of alcohol beverages on any railroad dining, buffet or cafe car or aircraft, while in transit. Except as authorized under s. 125.26 (3m) or 125.51 (3) (dm) , alcohol beverages may be consumed in a railroad dining, buffet or cafe car or aircraft only while it is in transit.

(6) Public parks. The sale of fermented malt beverages in any public park operated by a county or municipality. Fermented malt beverages shall be sold by officers or employees of the county or municipality under an ordinance, resolution, rule or regulation enacted by the governing body.

(7) Judicial, personal representative’s, guardian’s, receiver’s or trustee’s sale. The sale of alcohol beverages at any judicial, personal representative’s or guardian’s sale or any sale by a receiver or trustee in insolvency or bankruptcy, where the estate being administered possesses a license or permit in effect on the date of such sale.

(8) Sale by secured party. The sale of alcohol beverages by a secured party in good faith under the terms of a security agreement, if the sale is not for the purpose of avoiding this chapter or ch. 139 . The sale must be in the ordinary course of the business of lending money secured by a security interest in alcohol beverages or warehouse receipts or other evidence of ownership. A sale of fermented malt beverages must be made within 15 days after the secured party takes possession of the fermented malt beverages unless the secured party demonstrates good cause why a sale in compliance with s. 409.610 (2) or the security agreement cannot be made within this time period.

(9) Ceramic bottle collectors. The sale of ceramic commemorative bottles or other uniquely designed decanters which contain intoxicating liquor, by collectors of such containers to other collectors of such containers.

(10) Raffles. The awarding of alcohol beverages in original, unopened packages, containers or bottles as a prize, in a raffle conducted by an organization licensed to conduct the raffle under ch. 563 , to any person who has attained the legal drinking age.

(11) Auction sales. The sale by an auction house at public auction of a collection of sealed bottles of intoxicating liquor or unopened beer cans for the purpose of settling an estate or disposing of the collection or the auction sale of sealed bottles or containers of wine or of unopened bottles of intoxicating liquor or fermented malt beverages by a charitable organization, as defined in s. 202.11 (1) , at an auction held to raise money for the charitable organization.

(11m) Wine collectors. The sale by a wine collector to any other wine collector of manufacturer-sealed bottles or containers of wine that the selling wine collector has held for at least 8 years if the selling wine collector has provided prior notice of the sale to the division. No more than one sale in any 12-month period may be conducted by a wine collector under this paragraph.

(12) Bed and breakfast establishments. The provision by a bed and breakfast establishment, as defined under s. 97.01 (1g) , of not more than 2 complimentary 4-fluid-ounce glasses of wine per day to a person renting a room at the bed and breakfast establishment for consumption on the premises of the bed and breakfast establishment.

History: 1981 c. 79 , 202 ; 1983 a. 222 , 360 , 538 ; 1985 a. 337 ; 1987 a. 399 ; 1989 a. 253 ; 1991 a. 269 ; 1993 a. 226 ; 1995 a. 225 ; 2001 a. 16 ; 2007 a. 9 , 85 , 216 ; 2011 a. 179 , 200 ; 2013 a. 20 ; 2015 a. 55 ; 2023 a. 73 .