Maine

• 1/1/2015 last updated

I was unable to find any specific laws on ownership of a still, or use of a still for non-alcohol production. Every law specifically relates to the sale of illegal spirits, or the use of a still to manufacture moonshine. Therefor I would say it sounds like it is legal to own a still, and to use a still to produce non-ethanol related products such as distilling water, essential oils, etc.

Title 28-A, Part 1, Chapter 1

Any person who purchases, imports, transports, manufactures, possesses or sells alcohol in violation of law commits a Class E crime.

Maine has several dry counties / municipality that can prohibit the sale of alcohol and this may have some effect on if you can legally run a distillery in these areas. Municipalities in Maine may, by local referendum, prohibit the sale of alcohol within the municipality, and have been able to since the end of Prohibition in 1933. According to the State Police, there are still 56 dry towns in Maine.

Maine Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages & Lottery Operations (BABLO)

No information was available online about making ethanol fuel in the state of Maine for personal use. Because of the laws relating to ethanol production for personal use my guess would be it is illegal to produce your own fuel. Fuel manufacturing licenses may be available but I was unable to find them.

Maine offers both a small distillery license (micro-distillery) and a large or basic distillery license.

5. Distilleries; small distilleries. Except as otherwise provided in this section, the following provisions apply to distilleries and small distilleries.

• A. A holder of a distillery license may distill, rectify, blend and bottle more than 50,000 gallons of spirits per year. [2011, c. 629, §22 (NEW).]
• B. A holder of a small distillery license may distill, rectify, blend and bottle not more than 50,000 gallons of spirits per year.
• (1) The small distillery off-premises license fee is $100.
• (2) Upon application by a holder of a small distillery license whose distillery has produced spirits in an amount that exceeds 50,000 gallons in one year, the bureau may renew that holder's small distillery license for only one additional year.

There are several licenses you need to request to legally manufacture spirits. Below are the federal licenses only. Additional state requirements will need to be followed as well.

You must submit a request for a license to manufacture spirits: TTB 5110.41 Basic permit.

This license only allows you to produce spirits. You also need a license for the distilling equipment / distillery: TTB 5100.24 Distilled spirit plant

For manufacturing ethanol fuel you will need to submit a request for a TTB 5110.74 for a federal license.

§1356. ILLEGAL MANUFACTURE
1. Illegal manufacture; penalty.
Any person not licensed by the bureau who manufactures for sale any liquor, and any person who sells any liquor manufactured by that person without a license in the State, commits a Class E crime.

1. Transportation on-premises or off-premises. Except as provided in section 1051, any person who transports liquor onto or off of the premises of an on-premise retail licensee is guilty of a Class E crime.

§2221-A. Forfeiture of liquor and property used in illegal manufacture, transportation and sale of liquor

1. Property forfeited. The following property shall be subject to forfeiture to the State and all property rights in the property shall be in the State:
2. All materials, products and equipment of any kind which are used, or intended for use, in manufacturing, transporting or selling liquor in violation of this Title; and [1987, c. 342, §128 (NEW).]
3. All conveyances, including aircraft, watercraft, vehicles and vessels, which are used, or are intended for use, to transport, conceal or otherwise to facilitate the manufacturing, transporting or selling of liquor in violation of this Title.

Current federal laws allow citizens the right to own a still and operate it for non-alcohol production.

This means legally you can:

• Own, manufacture, sell or be in possession of a still.
• Distill water
• Produce essential oils or other non-alcohol liquids
• Fuel production is legal federally with the correct licenses.

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