There’s good news for alcoholic beverage suppliers shipping to Maine wholesalers or consumers who have been struggling with the state’s ownership disclosure requirements. The Maine legislature has passed LD 2069, a bill amending a provision in the state’s licensing law that has been a problem for suppliers as well as the regulators charged with enforcing the requirements.

Early in 2023 Maine’s alcohol regulatory agency re-interpreted the state’s licensing law and began requiring 100% disclosure of a company’s ownership before approving a new license or renewing an existing one. Personal data had to be provided for every owner, in the entire ownership chain, no matter how small their interest. Some companies found it impossible to comply with this stricter interpretation and were unable to renew their ME licenses. They have been able to continue shipping to their Maine customers only by periodically requesting and obtaining temporary extensions of their license privileges.

LD 2069 puts an end to the problem by changing the requirement in Maine’s licensing law to disclose only owners holding 10% or more. The amendment goes into effect July 16, 2024.

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