Question: I recently returned from the mainland, where I discovered a wine not available in the islands. I called the winery and had them ship me a case via FedEx. I wanted to share it with my son on Kauai, so packed a few bottles in the Styrofoam case I received and took it to UPS Kahala. They said I could not send wine between islands because it was a state tax law or it might cause a fire on the plane or the airlines won’t do it or I could only do it through a distributor. None of which made sense. FedEx said they can’t do it either. Can you check on this?
Answer: The shipment of wine and other alcoholic beverages in the United States is strictly regulated, although laws differ state to state.
There is no Hawaii or county law regarding individual consumers shipping wine to each other between islands, but basically no shipper will do it.
"Because the liquor shipment from Honolulu to Kauai sounds like a gift, the shipping restriction would be specific to the common carrier or the airlines," explained Anna Hirai, assistant administrator of the Honolulu Liquor Commission.
The Liquor Commission would get involved only if there was a purchase or sale transaction between the counties, she said.
However, the U.S. Postal Service, UPS and FedEx will not deliver wine between individuals, according to the Wine Institute, an advocacy and public policy association representing more than 1,000 wineries and affiliated businesses in California.
The Wine Institute has a good overview of the laws in each state — www.wineinstitute.org/initiatives/stateshippinglaws.
In answer to the question, "Is it OK for a private individual to ship wine?" the website says, "No, it is never legal for an individual to ship wine. The U.S. Postal services will not carry alcohol under any circumstances. Both FedEx and UPS have company policies that strictly prohibit accepting alcohol shipments from individuals for delivery" for liability and other reasons.
"We have to operate literally under 50 different state laws when it comes to the shipment of wine," UPS spokesman Norman Black explained in a voice mail message in response to our query. "The bottom line is that we don’t take individual consumer shipments."
UPS will only ship wine from a licensed winery that has entered into a shipping contract with UPS, agreeing to certain requirements, such as an adult signature upon delivery.
"If you go to a winery and buy wine, you can have the winery ship it to you. That is acceptable," Black said. "But you can’t have four bottles sitting in your home and turn to UPS to try to ship it to another consumer."
Hawaii requires out-of-state wineries to obtain a permit from a liquor commission (each county has its own) before they can ship directly to individual consumers. They must also register with the Department of Taxation and pay applicable taxes.
Question: Who should be notified about the incorrect spelling of Whitney Street in Makiki? The intersection signs reads "Whiteney St" and "Clark St."
Answer: The city Department of Planning and Permitting is responsible for determining names on street signs. If a sign is incorrect, it will issue a work order for the Department of Facility Maintenance to replace it.
The easiest way to report a problem like this is to go online at www1.honolulu.gov/csd/publiccom/fixit.htm; call 768-4381; or email complaints@honolulu.gov.
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To the people who picked up our beloved dog Duke at Kualoa Bay parking lot on Thursday, Jan. 26, at 10:45 a.m. He is a Chihuahua/terrier mix, brown with white splashes. He has a severe limp because we need to take him for surgery. You fed him, then left with him. Please take him to a vet to have his microchip scanned so he can come home to us. — Wally and Jennifer Story
Write to "Kokua Line" at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
