An Act to Establish Common Carrier Reporting for the Direct Shipment of Wine
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 2148
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
Sponsors: SUPICA
Amends: 28-A MRSA §1403-A

Legislative Document
No. 2148
H.P. 1372
House of Representatives, January 3, 2024
An Act to Establish Common Carrier Reporting for the Direct 
Shipment of Wine
Submitted by the Department of Administrative and Financial Services pursuant to Joint 
Rule 203.
Reference to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative SUPICA of Bangor.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  28-A MRSA §1403-A, sub-§1, ¶C is enacted to read:
C.  "Common carrier" means a company that transports goods upon reasonable request, 
on regular routes and at set rates.
Sec. 2.  28-A MRSA §1403-A, sub-§5, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 373, §1, is 
amended to read:
5.  Common carrier.  Shipments made in accordance with this chapter must be made 
by a common carrier and must be accompanied by a shipping label that clearly indicates 
the name of the direct shipper and the name and residence address of the recipient. The 
common carrier shall obtain the signature of a person 21 years of age or older at the address 
listed on the shipping label prior to delivery of the shipment. The common carrier shall 
request photographic identification from the person signing for the shipment and verify that 
the person is 21 years of age or older.
Sec. 3.  28-A MRSA §1403-A, sub-§11, as amended by PL 2013, c. 476, Pt. A, 
§31, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:
11.  Reporting.  Reports to the bureau regarding direct shipments of wine are governed 
by this subsection.
A.  A direct shipper shall submit a report to the bureau quarterly in a manner and form 
prescribed by the bureau that includes the total number of cases of wine shipped to 
recipients in the State and, for a direct shipper located in the State, shipments made 
outside the State, the name and residence address of shipment recipients in the State, 
the common carrier used to deliver the shipments and the date, quantity and purchase 
price of each shipment.
B.  A common carrier shall submit a report to the bureau quarterly in a manner and 
form prescribed by the bureau that includes the name of the common carrier; the period 
of time covered by the report; the name, direct shipper license number and business 
address of each direct shipper that consigned a shipment of wine; the name and 
residence address of each recipient; the quantity shipped and weight of each package 
delivered to each residence address; a unique tracking number for each shipment; and 
the date of delivery.  A failure by a common carrier to comply with the reporting 
requirements of this paragraph that continues for more than 30 days after receiving 
from the bureau a notice of that failure may result in the suspension of the common 
carrier's license to operate in the State or the imposition of any other penalty the 
relevant licensing authority in the State is authorized to impose.
Sec. 4.  28-A MRSA §1403-A, sub-§12, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 373, §1, is 
amended to read:
12.  Audit and records retention.  The bureau may perform an audit of a direct 
shipper's or common carrier's records relevant to compliance with this section.  A direct 
shipper or common carrier shall provide copies of any records requested by the bureau 
within 10 business days of that request.
A.  A direct shipper shall maintain the books, records and documents supporting a 
report submitted under subsection 11, paragraph A for 3 years after the reporting date, 
unless otherwise directed by the bureau.
B.  A common carrier shall maintain the books, records and documents supporting a 
report submitted under subsection 11, paragraph B, including an electronic or paper 
copy of each recipient's signature, for 3 years after the reporting date, unless otherwise 
directed by the bureau.
SUMMARY
This bill amends the laws governing the direct shipment of wine to require quarterly 
reporting to the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Bureau of Alcoholic 
Beverages and Lottery Operations by common carriers delivering direct shipments of wine.  
The bill also changes the reporting requirement for direct shippers from annual reports to 
quarterly reports, establishes record retention requirements for direct shippers and common 
carriers and requires that a shipping label specifically indicate the residence address of the 
recipient.