How to Start a Brewery, Winery or Distillery in Indiana: ATC Permits

If you want to open an indiana brewery, an indiana distillery or an indiana farm winery, the license that matters most is the one issued by the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission (ATC). Indiana does not have one comprehensive business license that covers every operation. In practice you will combine an ATC permit with an entity filed through the Indiana Secretary of State, a sales tax registration and local approvals. This guide walks through that sequence, lists the 2026 ATC fees, and flags what you still need to confirm directly with the agency.

This article is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Alcohol law is detailed and changes often. Work with a qualified attorney on licensing and a CPA on tax treatment, especially if you have investors, a shared building or more than one location.

What you need before you apply

Gather these items before you start. Several of them are needed at more than one step, so having them ready prevents rework.

• A business entity name and structure. The permit is applied for in your business name, so settle the entity first.
• A Registered Agent in Indiana. Every entity must maintain one, and a street address that a process server can reach.
• A production or tasting site. Confirm local zoning before you sign a lease.
• A floor plan and equipment list. For a brewery, that means the brewhouse, fermenters and packaging line. A distillery needs its still and mash equipment. A winery needs its crush, press and tank capacity.
• Core ingredients for your product plan. Brewers work with malt, hops, water and yeast. Distillers work with grain or fruit mash and yeast. Wineries work with grapes or other fruit.
• A fee budget. Use the 2026 ATC figures in the table below, plus entity, sales tax and bond costs.
• A bond, if your permit type requires one. See the bond section below, because the amount is not yet verified.

Step-by-step: how to start an Indiana alcohol business

Step 1: Pick the permit that matches your product

The ATC issues separate permits for production, wholesale and direct shipping. Choosing the wrong one is the most expensive early mistake, because you pay the fee before you learn it does not cover what you plan to sell.

• Brewer and Small Brewer permits are for beer production. A small brewery is a separate permit line with a much lower 2026 fee, so confirm which one fits your volume before you apply.
• Distiller and Artisan Distiller permits cover spirits. The Artisan Distiller line is priced for smaller operations.
• Farm Winery and Farm Winery Brandy Distiller permits cover small wine and brandy operations.
• Wine Vintner and Wine Bottler permits cover larger wine production and bottling.
• Micro Wine Wholesaler and Beer Wholesaler permits cover wholesale sales. They are not production permits.
• Direct Wine Seller permits cover shipping wine directly to consumers, and the fee depends on your annual liter volume.

Ask the ATC which combination applies if you plan to brew, distill and sell at a tasting room. Some operators hold more than one permit, and each one carries its own fee.

Step 2: Form your business entity with the Secretary of State

File your entity through the Indiana Secretary of State's online portal, INBiz, at inbiz.in.gov. For a domestic LLC, the Articles of Organization (State Form 49459) cost $95. For a corporation, the Articles of Incorporation (State Form 4159) also cost $95. The INBiz filing is completed and paid in a single online session. The Secretary of State does not publish a standard processing time for formations, and it does not offer an expedited option for LLC formation, so plan your opening timeline with that in mind.

Two practical points:

• Reserve the name first if you need time. A name reservation costs $10 and holds the name for 120 days.
• Name rules. An LLC name must include Limited Liability Company or an abbreviation of it. The name must also be distinguishable from names already on the Secretary of State's records. Adding Inc., LLC or LLP, changing capitalization, or adding the words the, a or an does not make a name distinguishable.

Check the public records at the Business Search before you pick a brand name. A brand name that already exists in the records will block your filing.

Step 3: Appoint a registered agent

Your entity must continuously maintain a registered agent and a registered office in Indiana. The agent receives service of process and other legal and tax documents. The agent can be an Indiana resident whose business office is the registered office, or a company authorized to do business in Indiana. The office must be a street address, since a P.O. Box is not enough unless it comes with a rural route reference. You cannot act as your own registered agent, and an entity may have only one agent. Confirm any registered agent service fee directly with the provider, because that cost is not part of the state fee schedule.

Step 4: Register an assumed name if you will trade under a different name

If your public brand differs from your legal entity name, you need a Certificate of Assumed Business Name (State Form 30353). For a business already registered with the Secretary of State, the fee is $20 per name filed online through INBiz. Paper filing costs $30 per name for LLCs and corporations. Sole proprietors and general partnerships file with the county recorder instead, and those fees are set by each county, so confirm the amount with your county recorder.

Step 5: Secure your site and confirm local approval

Indiana's Business Owner's Guide notes that a business may need local permits or zoning approval from its city or county. Whether your site allows alcohol production, a tasting room or on-premises sales is unverified in this guide. Confirm all three with your city or county planning office before you sign a lease or buy equipment. Ask whether the site needs a special use approval, a parking review or a building permit for production space. Small changes in zoning can delay an opening by months.

Ask the ATC for its new facility checklist as well. The ATC's requirements for the physical premises affect your floor plan, so get them in writing before construction starts.

Step 6: Plan for the ATC bond

The ATC's new facility checklist reportedly lists a $10,000 bond for brewers and for distillers that are not artisan distillers. We could not confirm that figure from the ATC's own schedule, so treat it as unverified. Ask the ATC for the current bond amount, the approved surety or bond form, and whether the amount depends on your permit type before you commit funds.

Step 7: Budget the 2026 ATC permit fees

The 2026 ATC Fee Schedule (Exhibit A) lists the amounts below. The schedule does not state the permit term for every line, so the table shows the term only where the schedule prints it. Confirm the term, renewal date and renewal fee with the ATC for every permit you plan to hold.

Permit	2026 fee	Term and renewal
Brewer	$2,000	Confirm with ATC
Small Brewer	$500	Confirm with ATC. Permit holders report that renewals ask for barrels sold in Indiana.
Distiller	$2,000	Confirm with ATC
Artisan Distiller	$500	For two years, as printed
Farm Winery	$500	Term not stated on the schedule. Confirm with ATC.
Farm Winery Brandy Distiller	$250	Confirm with ATC
Wine Vintner	$2,000	Confirm with ATC
Wine Bottler	$2,000	Confirm with ATC
Micro Wine Wholesaler	$100	Confirm with ATC
Beer Wholesaler	$4,000	For two years, as printed

The Farm Winery figure of $500 per year that circulates in some sources matches the 2026 fee amount. The term is still not stated on the schedule, so do not budget it as an annual cost until the ATC confirms it.

Direct wine seller (shipping) permits are priced by annual liter volume:

• Up to 9,000 liters: $100
• 9,001 to 18,000 liters: $200
• 18,001 to 27,000 liters: $300
• 27,001 to 36,000 liters: $400
• 36,001 to 45,000 liters: $500

Step 8: File the ATC application and track the decision

Submit your application to the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission with your entity documents, site details and any required attachments. Use the ATC's current application form and ask the agency for its published processing time, because that timeline is not part of this guide's verified facts. Keep copies of everything you submit, record the date you filed, and note the name of each ATC staff member you speak with. If the ATC requests a correction, respond in writing the same day.

Do not sign a long-term lease, order production equipment or buy inventory until you have a clear answer on whether the permit is approved for your site and product.

Step 9: Register for sales tax if you sell taxable goods

If you sell taxable goods at retail, register with the Indiana Department of Revenue. The Registered Retail Merchant Certificate costs $25. Indiana's state sales tax rate is 7%. Register through the Department of Revenue's business registration page at in.gov/dor. Ask the Department of Revenue how sales of alcohol and tasting room purchases are taxed, since the answer depends on the sale and is not covered in this guide.

Step 10: Confirm federal and tasting room requirements

Federal permits from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) may apply to your production or sales. Whether you need a TTB permit, and which one, is unverified here. Ask the TTB and the ATC. Tasting room privileges are also unverified for your permit type. Confirm them with the ATC before you advertise tastings or sell by the glass.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Buying the wrong permit line. A Small Brewer and a Brewer are different permits with different fees. Confirm your volume before you apply.
• Signing a lease before zoning is confirmed. A site that cannot legally host production or a tasting room is an expensive mistake.
• Budgeting only the permit fee. Add the entity fee, registered agent cost, sales tax registration, bond amount, equipment, insurance and renewal costs.
• Assuming the term is annual. The schedule prints a two-year term on some lines and not on others. Confirm each one.
• Skipping the Business Entity Report. Your entity must file a Business Entity Report with the Secretary of State. The fee is $32, and the report is due every other year. The first report is due two years after formation, on the anniversary of the date the business was formed or registered (confirm the exact date on the entity's Business Details page). Paper filing costs $50.
• Forgetting renewal reporting. Small brewery permit holders report that renewals ask for barrels sold in Indiana. Keep sales records from day one so the renewal does not turn into a reconstruction project.
• Relying on secondhand fee figures. Search summaries and forum posts often mix up permit lines and terms. Use the ATC fee schedule as your source.

What to expect once you hold your permits

Once your entity, permits and sales tax registration are in place, you can plan a production schedule and a release date. Many new operators find that the first year is mostly about compliance and recordkeeping, not production. A realistic goal is to open on schedule, track every sale and keep the renewal calendar current. Results vary by site, product mix, local demand and the timing of approvals, so treat any timeline as a planning estimate rather than a guarantee.

Our recommendation is to file the entity, call the ATC and the local planning office, and confirm the unverified items before you commit to a lease or equipment order. Those three steps do most of the work of preventing a costly restart.

Where to confirm the open items

• Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission (ATC): permit terms and renewals, the bond amount, facility checklist, tasting room privileges and shipping permit rules.
• Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division: entity filing and reports at in.gov/sos/business, and online filing at inbiz.in.gov.
• Indiana Department of Revenue: sales tax registration at in.gov/dor.
• Your city or county planning office: zoning, special use approval and building permits.
• Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB): any federal permit that applies to your production or sales.

For help with a business plan, the Indiana Small Business Development Center offers free advising at isbdc.org. It does not replace legal or tax advice, but it can help you check your numbers before you file.

Disclaimer: This article is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Fees, terms and requirements can change. Confirm current amounts and rules with the agencies named above and consult a qualified attorney and CPA before you make decisions.