4.1-310 - Illegal importation, shipment and transportation of alcoholic beverages; penalty; exception. - Virginia Statutes

§ 4.1-310. Illegal importation, shipment and transportation of alcoholicbeverages; penalty; exception.

A. No alcoholic beverages, other than wine or beer, shall be imported,shipped, transported or brought into the Commonwealth, other than todistillery licensees or winery licensees, unless consigned to the Board.However, the Board may permit such alcoholic beverages ordered by it fromoutside the Commonwealth for (i) persons, for industrial purposes, (ii) themanufacture of articles allowed to be manufactured under § 4.1-200, or (iii)hospitals, to be shipped or transported directly to such persons. On suchorders or shipments of alcohol, the Board shall charge only a reasonablepermit fee.

B. Except as otherwise provided in § 4.1-209.1 or 4.1-212.1, no wine shall beimported, shipped, transported or brought into the Commonwealth unless it isconsigned to a wholesale wine licensee.

C. Except as otherwise provided in § 4.1-209.1 or 4.1-212.1, no beer shall beimported, shipped, transported or brought into the Commonwealth except topersons licensed to sell it.

D. Any person convicted of a violation of this section shall be guilty of aClass 1 misdemeanor.

E. The provisions of this chapter shall not prohibit (i) any person frombringing, in his personal possession, or through United States Customs in hisaccompanying baggage, into the Commonwealth not for resale, alcoholicbeverages in an amount not to exceed one gallon or four liters if any part ofthe alcoholic beverages being transported is held in metric-sized containers,(ii) the shipment or transportation into the Commonwealth of a reasonablequantity of alcoholic beverages not for resale in the personal or householdeffects of a person relocating his place of residence to the Commonwealth, or(iii) the possession or storage of alcoholic beverages on passenger boats,dining cars, buffet cars and club cars, licensed under this title, or commoncarriers engaged in interstate or foreign commerce.

(Code 1950, § 4-84; 1970, c. 297; 1978, c. 436; 1983, c. 212; 1984, c. 200;1993, c. 866; 1994, c. 826; 1995, cc. 253, 317; 2003, cc. 1029, 1030; 2007,cc. 99, 799.)