PDFWAC 314-20-020
Beer labels—Certificate of label approval required—Labels to be submitted.
(1) Every bottle or can containing beer intended for sale in the state of Washington shall bear a label in compliance with RCW 66.28.120. No beer shall be imported or sold within the state of Washington until the licensed brewery, or certificate of approval holder, submitted to the board, one copy of the federal certificate of label approval for such beer, issued by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, U.S. Treasury Department.
(2) Any change in label or product which requires reissuance of federal certificate of label approval, must also be submitted to the board, in accordance with the foregoing provisions of this regulation.
(3) No label shall be used that is misleading.
(4) Every producer, importer, distributor of beer, or beer certificate of approval holder shall, upon request of the board or its authorized representative, furnish without cost to the board, samples of any brand of beer upon its premises for the purpose of analysis in order to determine whether the beer conforms to commercial standards.
(5) No label will be approved which is designed to be especially appealing to children or other persons under legal age to consume. Persons who appear to be under legal age to consume may be depicted on a label when, in the discretion of the board, the depiction is dignified and does not promote illegal consumption of liquor.
(6) For strong beer, the label must contain the beer's alcohol content, stated in terms of percentage of alcohol by volume. Per RCW 66.04.010, strong beer means any malt beverage that contains more than eight percent of alcohol by weight, which is approximately ten percent of alcohol by volume.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 66.24.170, 66.24.640, 66.24.695, and 66.08.030. WSR 18-02-006, § 314-20-020, filed 12/20/17, effective 1/20/18. Statutory Authority: RCW 66.08.030, 2004 c 160. WSR 04-24-097, § 314-20-020, filed 12/1/04, effective 1/1/05. Statutory Authority: RCW 66.08.030, 66.04.010, 66.28.120. WSR 04-06-007, § 314-20-020, filed 2/20/04, effective 3/22/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 66.08.030, 15.88.030, 19.126.020, 66.04.010, 66.08.180, 66.16.100, 66.20.010, 66.20.300, 66.20.310, 66.24.150, 66.24.170, 66.24.185, 66.24.200, 66.24.206, 66.24.210, 66.24.230, 66.24.240, 66.24.244, 66.24.250, 66.24.375, 66.24.380, 66.24.395, 66.24.400, 66.24.420, 66.24.425, 66.24.440, 66.24.450, 66.24.455, 66.24.495, 66.24.540, 66.28.010, 66.28.040, 66.28.050, 66.28.170, 66.28.180, 66.28.190, 66.28.200, 66.28.310, 66.44.190, 66.44.310, 66.98.060 and 82.08.150. WSR 98-18-097, § 314-20-020, filed 9/2/98, effective 10/3/98. Statutory Authority: RCW 66.08.030. WSR 92-03-109, § 314-20-020, filed 1/21/92, effective 2/21/92. Statutory Authority: RCW 66.08.030 and 66.28.160. WSR 91-08-022, § 314-20-020, filed 3/27/91, effective 4/27/91. Statutory Authority: RCW 66.08.030. WSR 90-18-008, § 314-20-020, filed 8/24/90, effective 1/1/92; WSR 89-02-015 (Order 275, Resolution No. 284), § 314-20-020, filed 12/28/88. Statutory Authority: RCW 66.08.030 and 66.28.120. WSR 88-14-131 (Order 255, Resolution No. 264), § 314-20-020, filed 7/6/88. Statutory Authority: RCW 66.28.120 and 66.28.110. WSR 87-21-036 (Order 230, Resolution No. 239), § 314-20-020, filed 10/13/87. Statutory Authority: RCW 66.28.120. WSR 87-08-015 (Order 215, Resolution No. 224), § 314-20-020, filed 3/24/87; Order 42, § 314-20-020, filed 11/6/75; Order 19, § 314-20-020, filed 8/10/72; Rule 38, filed 6/13/63.]