Winery permits and licenses in Oregon
The statewide credentials every winery needs to operate in Oregon, plus city-specific guides for the cities we cover.
This page covers only the Oregon statewide credentials for wineries. Federal credentials that apply nationwide are on the Wineries overview, and each city layers its own permits on top.
The credentials below are the Oregon-wide requirements that apply to every winery in the state. Each city and county layers its own permits, fees, and inspections on top. To see the requirements for a specific city, choose it from the Oregon cities list below.
Oregon credential overview
| Credential | Level | Fee | Renewal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon Business Registration (LLC, Corporation, or Assumed Business Name) | State | $100 for an LLC or Corporation, $50 for an Assumed Business Name | Annual report for an LLC or Corporation; every 2 years for an Assumed Business Name |
| Combined Employer's Registration (Oregon BIN) | State | $0 (free) | None (one-time) |
| OLCC Winery License | State | $500 per license year | Annual |
| OLCC Privilege Tax Bond (unless the OLCC waives it) | State | Surety premium on a minimum $1,000 bond; the OLCC may waive it under ORS 473.065(4) | Annual while the license is active |
| Oregon Wine Privilege Tax | State | 67 cents per gallon on standard table wine (65 cents plus 2 cents to the Wine Board), 77 cents over 16% ABV | Reported monthly through Oregon Privilege Tax Online |
| Oregon Wine Board Tax | State | $25 per ton of vinifera or hybrid grapes used to make wine ($12.50 per ton for grapes exported); lower rates for other products | Annual report; half due December 31, half the following June 30 |
| OLCC Alcohol Service Permit | State | $23 per person (a $10 permit fee plus $13 education fee), plus the server course | Every 5 years |
| Oregon Food Handler Card (only if your tasting room serves food) | State | $10 per card | Every 3 years |
| Oregon Water Right Permit (only if you draw your own water) | State | Varies by use; irrigation is about $4.10 per acre, and applications can run several hundred to several thousand dollars | A certificate does not renew; a permit must be developed within about 4 to 5 years |
Oregon cities
City and county rules stack on top of the statewide credentials.
Each winery credential in Oregon, explained
Grouped by the level of government that issues it, broadest first. Every winery in Oregon needs these regardless of city.
State level
9 credentials
Oregon Business Registration (LLC, Corporation, or Assumed Business Name)
Registers your legal entity or trade name with the state so the winery can operate in Oregon. An LLC is the most common structure for a small winery, and the OLCC requires your entity to be registered as a condition of licensing.
- Fee
- $100 for an LLC or Corporation, $50 for an Assumed Business Name
- Renewal
- Annual report for an LLC or Corporation; every 2 years for an Assumed Business Name
- Processing
- 1 to 3 business days online
Combined Employer's Registration (Oregon BIN)
An Oregon employer account number required before you issue the first paycheck. It covers state withholding, unemployment insurance, Paid Leave Oregon, and the workers' benefit fund. You need an EIN first, and a winery with no employees does not need a BIN.
- Issued by
- Oregon Department of Revenue
- Fee
- $0 (free)
- Renewal
- None (one-time)
- Processing
- 1 to 2 weeks online
OLCC Winery License
The central state license for a producing winery (ORS 471.223), and it does a lot for one $500 fee. It lets you make, blend, store, bottle, and export wine; self-distribute at wholesale to Oregon retailers; and run a tasting room with by-the-glass service and bottle sales. No separate tasting-room license is needed. You must hold a TTB Basic Permit and get a local government recommendation before applying. Secondary locations are free but each is applied for separately.
- Fee
- $500 per license year
- Renewal
- Annual
- Processing
- Allow 60 to 90 days; secure your local government recommendation first
OLCC Privilege Tax Bond (unless the OLCC waives it)
Unless the OLCC grants a waiver, a winery must post a privilege tax bond securing its Oregon wine tax before the license is issued. Many small wineries qualify for a waiver, which you request from the OLCC privilege tax team. This is separate from the federal wine bond.
- Fee
- Surety premium on a minimum $1,000 bond; the OLCC may waive it under ORS 473.065(4)
- Renewal
- Annual while the license is active
- Processing
- Obtained from a surety, or waived on request
Oregon Wine Privilege Tax
A per-gallon state tax on wine you make in or import into Oregon, paid when wine leaves federal bond. A big break for small producers: the first 40,000 gallons sold in Oregon each year are exempt if you produce under 100,000 gallons. Filed electronically through OPTO.
- Fee
- 67 cents per gallon on standard table wine (65 cents plus 2 cents to the Wine Board), 77 cents over 16% ABV
- Renewal
- Reported monthly through Oregon Privilege Tax Online
- Processing
- Ongoing tax obligation
Oregon Wine Board Tax
A tax on the grapes and other inputs used to make wine, not on the finished bottle, funding the Oregon Wine Board. Every winery and grower-sales licensee files an annual report even with no activity. Wineries buying out-of-state fruit or juice owe it on that fruit too. It is separate from the wine privilege tax.
- Fee
- $25 per ton of vinifera or hybrid grapes used to make wine ($12.50 per ton for grapes exported); lower rates for other products
- Renewal
- Annual report; half due December 31, half the following June 30
- Processing
- Ongoing annual tax obligation
OLCC Alcohol Service Permit
Every tasting-room worker who pours, sells, or serves wine, or fills growlers, needs an individual OLCC alcohol service permit. Each completes an approved server education course and passes the OLCC exam through the CAMP portal. Named licensees on the application are exempt. Permits belong to the person, not the winery.
- Fee
- $23 per person (a $10 permit fee plus $13 education fee), plus the server course
- Renewal
- Every 5 years
- Processing
- Temporary permit after the application, course, and OLCC exam
Oregon Food Handler Card (only if your tasting room serves food)
Required only if your tasting room serves or sells food, in which case food workers need a card within 30 days of starting. A pour-only tasting room does not need it. If you serve prepared food you may also need a county food establishment license, which is a local permit handled separately.
- Fee
- $10 per card
- Renewal
- Every 3 years
- Processing
- Immediate upon passing the exam
Oregon Water Right Permit (only if you draw your own water)
In Oregon all water belongs to the public, so diverting surface water or pumping groundwater to irrigate a vineyard or for winery process water needs a water right from the Water Resources Department, unless the land already has one or you use municipal water. Confirm any existing right on the parcel before you assume you are covered.
- Fee
- Varies by use; irrigation is about $4.10 per acre, and applications can run several hundred to several thousand dollars
- Renewal
- A certificate does not renew; a permit must be developed within about 4 to 5 years
- Processing
- Months to years depending on the basin
Oregon-specific things to watch for
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to start a winery in Oregon?
The government fees are low. The federal TTB permits are free, your Oregon LLC is $100, the OLCC Winery license is $500 a year, and alcohol service permits are $23 per person. A small winery can complete its required filings for roughly $700 to $1,000 in year one, with about $600 a year recurring. The wine taxes are per-gallon and per-ton, not flat fees.
Does an Oregon winery need a separate tasting-room license?
No. The standard $500 OLCC Winery license already includes pouring wine by the glass, selling sealed bottles to go, and self-distributing to Oregon retailers. Every tasting-room employee who pours or sells, though, needs an individual OLCC alcohol service permit ($23 per person plus a server course).
Do I need both a federal and a state license to make wine in Oregon?
Yes, both, in parallel. The TTB licenses you federally as a bonded winery, and the OLCC licenses you under Oregon law. The OLCC actually requires proof of your TTB Basic Permit before it will issue the state winery license, so the federal process is the one to start first.
How much wine tax does a small Oregon winery pay?
Less than most expect. The state privilege tax is 67 cents a gallon, but the first 40,000 gallons sold in Oregon are exempt for producers under 100,000 gallons. Federally, the small-producer credit cuts the excise tax on standard table wine to about 7 cents a gallon. You do owe the Oregon Wine Board tax of $25 a ton on the grapes you use.
You just read through every credential your winery needs in Oregon.
Each one has a different renewal date, a different fee, and a different agency. CredentiAlert tracks all of them and reminds you before any of them lapse, so you can spend your time running your business, not managing a renewal calendar.
- OLCC, Winery License
- OLCC, Winery License Privileges (PDF)
- OLCC, Privilege Tax
- OLCC, Oregon Wine Board Tax FAQs
- OLCC, Alcohol Service Permits
- ORS Chapter 473, Wine and Malt Beverage Privilege Tax
- Oregon Secretary of State, Register a Business
- Oregon Dept. of Revenue, Withholding & Payroll Tax (BIN)
- Oregon Health Authority, Food Handler Cards
- Oregon Water Resources Department, Water Rights
Last verified 2026-06-03. Requirements change. Always confirm with the issuing department before applying.