27 U.S.C. § 121
Section 121 · State statutes as operative on termination of transportation; original packages
This is the Wilson Act
Amended 1 time on record
Applied in 39 court decisions — leading case United States v. Public Utilities Commission (1953)
Most recently applied in Tennessee Wine And Spirits Retailers Assn. v. Thomas (June 2019)
How often courts cite this section
Court decisions citing this, by year.Markers show enactment, consequential amendments, and circuit splits over this section — watch for a citation surge after a change or a disagreement. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.
All fermented, distilled, or other intoxicating liquors or liquids transported into any State or Territory or remaining therein for use, consumption, sale, or storage therein, shall upon arrival in such State or Territory be subject to the operation and effect of the laws of such State or Territory enacted in the exercise of its police powers, to the same extent and in the same manner as though such liquids or liquors had been produced in such State or Territory, and shall not be exempt therefrom by reason of being introduced therein in original packages or otherwise.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
Short Title
Act Aug. 8, 1890, is popularly known as the “Wilson Act” or the “Original Packages Act”.