27 U.S.C. § 206
Section 206 · Bulk sales and bottling
This is the Federal Alcohol Administration Act
Amended 3 times on record
Applied in 4 court decisions — leading case United States v. $359,500 in United States Currency (1987)
Most recently applied in United States v. $359,500 in United States Currency (September 1987)
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.
It shall be unlawful for any person—
(1) To sell or offer to sell, contract to sell, or otherwise dispose of distilled spirits in bulk except, under regulations of the Secretary of the Treasury, for export or to the following, or to import distilled spirits in bulk except, under such regulations, for sale to or for use by the following: A distiller, rectifier of distilled spirits, person operating a bonded warehouse qualified under the internal-revenue laws or a class 8 bonded warehouse qualified under the customs laws, a winemaker for the fortification of wines, a proprietor of an industrial alcohol plant, or an agency of the United States or any State or political subdivision thereof.
(2) To sell or offer to sell, contract to sell, or otherwise dispose of warehouse receipts for distilled spirits in bulk unless such warehouse receipts require that the warehouseman shall package such distilled spirits, before delivery, in bottles labeled and marked in accordance with law, or deliver such distilled spirits in bulk only to persons to whom it is lawful to sell or otherwise dispose of distilled spirits in bulk.
(3) To bottle distilled spirits unless the bottler is a person to whom it is lawful to sell or otherwise dispose of distilled spirits in bulk.
Any person who violates the requirements of this section shall, upon conviction thereof, be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned for not more than one year or both, and shall forfeit to the United States all distilled spirits with respect to which the violation occurs and the containers thereof.
The term “in bulk” mean in containers having a capacity in excess of one wine gallon.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
References in Text
The internal-revenue laws, referred to in subsec. (a), are classified generally to Title 26, Internal Revenue Code.
The customs laws, referred to in subsec. (a), are classified generally to Title 19, Customs Duties.
Transfer of Functions
“Secretary of the Treasury” was substituted in subsec. (a)(1) for “Administrator”, meaning the Administrator of the Federal Alcohol Administration, pursuant to Reorg. Plan No. III of 1940, see note set out under section 201 of this title.