Iowa · IA · Food & drink
Iowa: Where can you buy liquor?
State wholesale, private stores
Iowa is the only wholesaler of liquor, but privately owned licensed stores sell it to the public.
The state buys all liquor from distillers and importers and resells it to class E licensees, which are private stores. A city council may run a liquor store only where no private class E store operates, and must close it once one opens.
What the law says
This section vests in the department exclusive control within the state as purchaser of all alcoholic liquor sold by distilleries within the state or imported, except beer and wine, and except as otherwise provided in this chapter. ... The department shall act as the sole wholesaler of alcoholic liquor to class “E” retail alcohol licensees.
Sources
- Iowa Code § 123.22 Official · legis.iowa.gov
- Iowa Code § 123.30 Official · legis.iowa.gov
Confirm with the state
- Agency
- Iowa Department of Revenue, Alcohol
- Phone
- 515-281-3114
- Website
- revenue.iowa.gov
How bordering states compare
- Illinois Private licensed storesIllinois licenses private retailers to sell liquor; the state does not buy or sell spirits itself.
- Minnesota Private licensed storesMinnesota liquor is sold by privately owned liquor stores licensed by cities, plus city-owned municipal liquor stores in some smaller towns.
- Missouri Private licensed storesMissouri licenses private businesses, including grocery stores, drug stores and general merchandise stores, to sell bottled liquor.
- Nebraska Private licensed storesNebraska licenses privately owned retailers to sell liquor in original packages for off-premises drinking; the state does not sell liquor.
- South Dakota Private licensed storesSouth Dakota licenses private wholesalers and off-sale liquor stores; the state does not sell liquor itself.
- Wisconsin Private licensed storesWisconsin sells liquor through privately owned stores holding municipal Class A licenses, including many grocery stores.