New Hampshire

• 1/1/2015 last updated

It is legal to own a still in New Hampshire, and you can legally distill water and manufacture essential oils and other product as long as ethanol is not produced from the manufacturing process. Distilling your own moonshine for consumption or for fuel is illegal.

new Hampshire liquor commission

There does not appear to be any legal way to manufacture ethanol fuel in New Hampshire. Since it is illegal to manufacture ethanol for personal use, ethanol fuel would also be illegal.

Section 178:6 Liquor Manufacturer License.

• I. A liquor manufacturer licensee may ferment, distill, blend, age, and bottle liquor other than wine in this state. A liquor manufacturer licensee may sell the liquor it manufactures to the commission for resale in this state.
• II. No liquor manufactured, blended, or bottled in this state by any manufacturer shall be sold or delivered in this state in any manner which is inconsistent with the provisions of this title.
• III. Each liquor manufacturer distilling less than 5,000 cases of liquor per year shall have the right to sell at retail at its facility for off-premises consumption any of its liquor. Each retail sale shall be limited to one 9-liter case or less per sale. No liquor manufacturer shall sell more than 12 9-liter cases of liquor to any one customer in any calendar year.
• IV. A liquor manufacturer may provide to visitors at its facility samples of liquor for tasting. Samples shall not exceed 1/2 ounce, and shall not be provided to any persons under 21 years of age.
• V. Notwithstanding paragraph III, no liquor manufacturer shall sell at its facility any of its liquor to on-premises licensees.
• VI. Each liquor manufacturer shall maintain records and prepare reports for the commission which shall indicate the sales made under paragraph III and shall pay to the commission monthly a fee equal to 8 percent of such sales on or before the tenth day of the month following the sale.
• VII. The commission shall adopt rules, pursuant to RSA 541-A, relative to reports of liquor manufacturers under paragraph VI.
• VIII. Each liquor manufacturer shall have the right to transport the liquor it manufactures, blends, or bottles in bottles or other closed containers to the state border for transportation and sale outside the state to holders of a United States basic permit issued under the Federal Alcohol Administration Act.

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.

179:1 Possession

No person shall possess, transport, procure, furnish, or give away any beverage or liquor except such as has been sold under the provisions of this title or legally purchased outside the state and except as otherwise provided in this title.

178:1 Licenses Required; Enforceability of Contracts

I. No person shall manufacture for sale, or sell in any method or manner, directly or indirectly, or distribute by selling, transferring, giving, or delivering to another, or leaving, bartering, or exchanging with another, or offering or agreeing to do the same, in any method or manner, directly or indirectly, or keep for sale any liquor or beverage without first registering to do business with the secretary of state and obtaining a license for such activity under the provisions of this title. Any violation of this section shall be a class B felony for each violation.

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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