Do You Need a License to Sell Non-Alcoholic Beer in Michigan?
Yes, if the beer was brewed by fermentation. Michigan defines "beer" by how it is made, so a dealcoholized 0.0% beer remains beer under state law even with the alcohol removed, and it moves through the licensed chain. A non-alcoholic product that was never fermented, and non-alcoholic wine and spirits under 0.5% ABV, sit outside the Commission's jurisdiction and need no licence.
What Michigan law says
Under MCL 436.1105(8)(b), beer brewed by alcoholic fermentation remains "beer" even if all the alcohol is removed. The Michigan Liquor Control Commission's published guidance on non-alcoholic beverage products says so in plain terms, and it extends the definition to brewed seltzer.
What that means for an out-of-state brand
An overseas brand's route to a Michigan shelf runs through the full alcohol chain: an Outstate Seller of Beer licensee, a licensed wholesaler, SIPS+ brand registration, excise tax, and licensed retailers. Shipping a fermented 0.0% beer into Michigan through a food distributor, on the assumption that 0.0% means food, is the mistake the guidance exists to prevent.
What it does not cover
Two carve-outs matter. A non-alcoholic beer that never underwent fermentation is outside the Commission's jurisdiction. So are non-alcoholic wine and spirits alternatives under 0.5% ABV. Those products are FDA-regulated foods in Michigan as elsewhere, and they can move through food channels and sell direct.
Before you ship
Michigan 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 Michigan Liquor Control Commission before acting on it.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
Does Michigan treat 0.0% dealcoholized beer as beer?
Yes. Under MCL 436.1105(8)(b), beer brewed by alcoholic fermentation remains beer even if all the alcohol is removed, and the Commission's guidance says so in plain terms.
Do non-alcoholic wine and spirits alternatives need a license in Michigan?
No. Under 0.5% ABV they fall outside the beer definition and are treated as food in Michigan, so they move through food channels and sell direct.
Does a retailer need a license to stock non-alcoholic beer in Michigan?
Yes. Fermented 0.0% beer reaches the shelf through the licensed chain, so the account stocking it holds a beer licence and buys from a licensed wholesaler.