Do You Need a License to Sell Non-Alcoholic Beer in Georgia?
Yes, on the face of the statute. Georgia defines "malt beverage" by fermentation, with a 14% alcohol ceiling and no floor, so a dealcoholized 0.0% beer brewed by fermentation reads as a malt beverage under the Code and moves through the licensed chain. Georgia permits direct shipment to consumers for wine only, so a captured 0.0% beer cannot ship direct. Non-alcoholic spirits alternatives under 0.5% ABV are outside the definition; the treatment of non-alcoholic wine is a grey zone in our table.
What Georgia law says
O.C.G.A. § 3-1-2(13) defines a malt beverage as "any alcoholic beverage obtained by the fermentation of any infusion or decoction of barley, malt, hops, or any other similar product … containing not more than 14 percent alcohol by volume." That definition sets a ceiling and no floor, and the definitions of "alcohol" and "alcoholic beverage" in paragraphs (1) and (2) set no threshold either. McDermott Will & Emery's analysis of non-alcoholic beer regulation reads the definition as capturing non-alcoholic beer, and we have found no Department of Revenue guidance that reads it otherwise.
What that means for an out-of-state brand
A fermented 0.0% beer entering Georgia should be treated as a malt beverage for licensing and distribution. Chapter 5 of Title 3 sets the state licence requirements for the manufacture, distribution and sale of malt beverages (O.C.G.A. Title 3, Chapter 5, Article 2). Direct shipment to a Georgia consumer is a wine exception under § 3-6-31 and § 3-6-32, with a special order shipping licence and a five-case annual limit, and no equivalent exists for malt beverages. A 0.0% beer captured by the definition reaches a Georgia consumer through a licensed wholesaler and a licensed retailer, and no other way. Put the question to the Alcohol and Tobacco Division in writing before the first shipment; the statute does the capturing and the agency has published little on 0.0% products.
What it does not cover
Non-alcoholic spirits alternatives under 0.5% ABV are outside the malt beverage definition and treated as food. Non-alcoholic wine is a grey zone for Georgia in our table: the wine definition is its own question and we have no ruling to cite. A beer that was never fermented is outside a fermentation-based definition by its terms.
Before you ship
Georgia is one row in our state-by-state table of 0.0% beverage rules, which classifies non-alcoholic beer, wine and spirits alternatives for every state and records the source and the date each row was verified. For the brands we run, we confirm the lane for each product and each state before the first shipment, as part of holding the importer of record. This page is general information, verified 2 July 2026. Confirm with counsel and with the Georgia Department of Revenue, Alcohol and Tobacco Division before acting on it.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
Does Georgia treat 0.0% dealcoholized beer as beer?
Yes, on the face of the statute. Georgia Code § 3-1-2(13) defines a malt beverage as any alcoholic beverage obtained by fermentation of barley, malt or hops, with a 14% ceiling and no minimum.
Do non-alcoholic wine and spirits alternatives need a license in Georgia?
No. Under 0.5% ABV they fall outside the beer definition and are treated as food in Georgia, so they move through food channels and sell direct.
Does a retailer need a license to stock non-alcoholic beer in Georgia?
Yes, on the statute's face: a fermented 0.0% beer is a malt beverage, and Chapter 5 licenses its sale. Confirm with the Department of Revenue, whose published guidance on 0.0% products is limited.