VIRGINIA BEER DISTRIBUTION CO.

VBDC began accepting applications on October 15, 2024. If you experienced a problem during your account registration or have feedback about the online system, please fill out this form.

First, the brewery must submit registration, click here.

There is a cost to sign up with VBDC. Breweries are responsible for the application fee ($195), posting and publishing fee (publication dependent, but approximately $300), and the state license fee of $1,005. The state license fee is $1,005 annually. All in all, you can expect to pay about $1,500 initially and $1,005 annually. The VBDC Board will determine the fee structure for orders placed through VBDC.

Yes, the transaction fee is determined by the establishment type listed on your Virginia ABC license. If your establishment type is a Limited Brewery, VBDC will assess a 3% per transaction fee. If your establishment type is a Brewery, VBDC will assess a 4% per transaction fee.

VBDC will pay the state excise tax and submit the monthly form summarizing beer purchases and taxes paid for transfers of beer to VBDC from each brewery. However, the brewery must continue to remit the state excise tax and monthly reports for transfers of beer made to its own retail location for retail sales. VBDC will provide each brewery with purchase orders for each wholesale order placed by the brewery, and VBDC will report those purchase orders monthly to ABC as wholesalers are required to do. The brewery must keep a copy of that purchase order on file as a record of sales to a wholesaler in the space leased to VBDC for inspection by ABC at any time. The brewery must also continue to remit the state sales taxes collected on retail sales at the brewery. The brewery will continue to pay TTB the federal excise tax on all beer that leaves the brewery’s federally bonded area, regardless of whether that beer is transferred to VBDC or to the brewery’s retail operation. Breweries are encouraged to contact their ABC compliance agent or the ABC Division of Tax Management at 804-213-4556 with questions.

The following documents will need to be submitted during part 2 before you may advance to part 3. Operating Agreement – this is available to download, fill, and sign after making the $195 non-refundable application fee payment. Franchise Designation Form – this is available to download after making the $195 non-refundable application fee payment. You may also view this document here. Brewery diagram Photo(s) of the lockable space – the VBDC space must be lockable and only can contain VBDC product and paperwork inside. When the Virginia ABC Compliance Agent conducts the site inspection, they will be checking for this. TTB Amendment (if applicable) - If the VBDC licensed space is within a bonded area, the brewery’s TTB floor plan must be amended to accommodate such change in use.

The timeframe is largely dependent on VBDC receiving documents and payments from the brewery but if everything is submitted in a timely manner, you can expect the total timeframe to be about 60 days.

Click here to register as a retailer.

Every brewery entering into an agreement for distribution with any wholesaler must notify ABC of which Virginia cities and/or counties are designated as that wholesaler’s sales territory (Virginia cities are NOT part of surrounding counties, but are independent, municipal corporations). Please note that a brewery is granting a wholesaler exclusive area of responsibility. You may reference § 4.1-503. for beer franchise act sales territory. This law matches how beer franchise territories are currently structured. A brewery with only one wholesaler (VBDC in this case) could grant that wholesaler the entire state. However, because the Beer Franchise Act makes it more difficult to pull back sales territory from a wholesaler than to grant it, in practice, most breweries have opted to designate only one or two remote localities with few ABC licensees per wholesaler. In this situation, the wholesaler is permitted to serve the designated territory as its exclusive area of responsibility.

Yes. Once a Virginia ABC retail licensee holder registers with VBDC, breweries may begin selling to them. All retailers must register through the VBDC site with a valid ABC license, contact information, and email address.

A total of 500 barrels may be distributed per calendar year. Once this amount is reached, breweries will no longer be able to place orders until the new calendar year begins.

After this point, VBDC Operations Manager can make changes. Changes must be documented on the invoice by the brewery and sent to VBDC.

Breweries enter price changes into the VBDC site. For price increases entered into the site, the VBDC system emails notice of the price increase to VA ABC. Per ABC code, the price increase will take effect 30 days after the request is made. Price decreases will take effect immediately upon submittal.

According to the ABC, the only age restrictions on those who can handle alcohol are limits on who may serve alcohol at retail establishments. Therefore, there are no limits in ABC law for those younger than 21 acting as an agent of the VBDC and delivering beer.

Yes. Private vehicles may be designated as “agency vehicles” for deliveries and more than one vehicle may be used.

Yes, however all documents (Purchase Orders and Invoices) must be electronically signed within the system upon delivery to ensure the transaction is considered complete or payment to the brewery will be delayed. With electronic signatures for invoices and purchases captured in the system send checks or money orders to the following address: Virginia Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services VBDC P. O. Box 1314 Richmond, VA 23218 Checks must have the associated invoice number to ensure proper processing of the payment.

VA ABC allows for the VBDC space to be anywhere at the address of the licensed brewery. If the VBDC licensed space is within a bonded area, the brewery’s TTB floor plan must be amended to accommodate such change in use.

No. The VBDC space must be located on the premises of the brewery's ABC licensed space.

No, only an appointed agent of VBDC can act on behalf of the brewery for wholesale sales through the VBDC. Agents are identified and listed in the initial Operating Agreement with VBDC and must be kept up to date at all times.