No separate permit or license is required for the sale of alcohol in retail, wholesale or catering activities. There are only two notifications that need to be made:
1) a notice of economic activity must be submitted to the economic activity register (MTR) and
2) a notification to the Agricultural and Food Board (AFB).
Submitting the notice is free of charge.
Once you have submitted the necessary information, remember that you are obligated to update it if it changes. However, if you stop selling alcohol or operating your business altogether, you will have to change this information yourself in the economic activity register.
If you need help making a registry entry or would like to ask questions related to the entry, you can contact the MTR directly: [email protected] or 6687080.
Sales premise
Salesroom
The Alcohol Act does not precisely regulate which requirements a store or catering establishment that sells alcohol must meet. However, it should be kept in mind that the retail sale of alcoholic beverages is only permitted at a sales premise with a sales area. In practice, a "sales area" is considered to be a space separated from the surrounding environment, into which a consumer can enter to make a purchase.
However, we would like to point out that since local governments have the right to impose additional restrictions on the sales premises and the range of alcohol sold in their administrative territory, it may happen that in your area of operation there are, for example, requirements for the size of the sales area or restrictions on the location of such alcohol sales premise near other establishments. Therefore, you should also familiarize yourself with the additional requirements in force in the local government where you intend to sell alcohol.
Cash register
In stores and catering establishments, it is mandatory to record all alcoholic beverage sales transactions at the cash register. If there is no cash register, alcohol may not be sold at the sales premise. Using a bank payment terminal for card payments is not equivalent to using a cash register and does not replace a cash register.
Alcohol at the sales premise
In the sales premise of an undertaking or institution operating in the field of wholesale trade, retail trade or catering and in the warehouse or other goods storage space belonging to it, it is permitted to keep or store only such alcohol (regardless of the ownership of alcohol and the purpose of keeping or storing it) as is indicated in the data of the economic activities register regarding that place of business.
It is also worth knowing that if restrictions have been imposed on the retail sale of alcoholic beverages by legislation regarding the assortment of alcoholic beverages, it is prohibited to keep or store alcoholic beverages that are not part of the permitted assortment at the sale premise of alcoholic beverages, regardless of the ownership of alcoholic beverage or the purpose of keeping or storing them.
For example, if a local government has established a requirement that hard alcohol can only be sold if the sales area is of a certain size, a sales area smaller than that cannot have alcohol that cannot be sold there due to the small size of the sales area. The same restriction applies, for example, to public events when the local government has narrowed the assortment of alcohol that can be sold. Alcohol that is not permitted for sale at a public event may not be available at any sales premise at a public event.
Alcohol sold must be entered in the alcohol register.
Alcoholic beverages must be displayed separately from other merchandise in all stores, regardless of the size of the sales premise. Alcoholic beverages must not be placed in a way that the consumer would inevitably come into contact with them when visiting the store. The display of alcohol must not be noticeably visible from the rest of the sales area. The exception is the area of the sales area where the cash register is located and which is not accessible to the consumer.
Since the Alcohol Act does not provide a specific and exclusive solution for limiting the visibility of alcoholic beverages, each trader can and must find the most suitable solution for meeting the display requirements set out in the law. One of the most common practices in the market is placing alcohol in a separate, restricted area or department - alcoholic beverages are located in one corner or side of the store, and shelves, partitions, etc. are used on the sides of the sales hall to limit the visibility of alcohol. Although the Alcohol Act does not require alcoholic beverages to be placed in one corner or side of the store, in practice, such a solution most effectively ensures compliance with alcohol display requirements. In this case, as a rule, only the consumer who wants to buy these products will come across alcoholic beverages.
Separately from other goods
No other goods, including non-alcoholic beverages, may be sold in the alcoholic beverage sales area, and alcoholic beverages may not be mixed with other goods on the alcoholic beverage shelves. Other goods, such as non-alcoholic products, must not be placed in the alcoholic beverage refrigerator.
If there is only one refrigerator at the sales premise, care must be taken to ensure that alcoholic beverages are placed in the refrigerator so that they are not mixed with other goods. One possible option is to use shelf dividers to separate items in refrigerators.
The chosen solutions must always be based on the law's goal of reducing alcohol exposure in public spaces and customers' unavoidable exposure to alcohol.
Gift baskets or sets consisting of an alcoholic beverage and other merchandise must be placed next to the alcoholic beverage display. These products are not allowed to be sold elsewhere in the sales area. On the other hand, other goods that contain alcohol (such as candy, and chocolate) must not be stored in the alcohol sales area; they must be placed with other similar goods elsewhere in the sales area.
For example, the regulations of the Alcohol Act do not apply to candies and ice cream containing alcohol. In a legal sense, it is not alcohol, but food. Therefore, they do not need to be placed in the alcohol department. However, when it comes to alcoholic beverages, traders should pay attention to whether and to whom the product is sold, and how the products are displayed in the store. It is also worth considering how to provide consumers with clear information about the alcohol content of a food with a significant alcohol content, so that the consumer does not mistakenly make a purchase decision that they did not want to make. For example, alcoholic candies could be placed so that they are not easily accessible to children. It is also worth assessing whether the product is suitable for sale to a minor. It is worth taking measures to ensure that a parent does not accidentally purchase these products for their child. The trader must implement measures that are consistent with the specifics of the goods offered. Being aware of the dangers that the goods may cause, appropriate action must be chosen to avoid the danger. This is also a trader's obligation under the Consumer Protection Act.
Unavoidable exposure
The sales area for displaying alcoholic beverages must not be located near or in front of the main walkways in the sales area. It is not permitted for a trader to arrange goods at the sales premise in such a way that the consumer is directed through the alcoholic beverage sales area, section, or between the alcoholic beverage shelf(s) when selecting different goods. It is also unacceptable for consumers to have to stand in the alcoholic beverage aisle while queuing for the checkout.
If there are several cash registers in a sales area and one of the cash registers is designated for paying for alcoholic beverages, the trader must ensure that the consumer at the sales premise has the opportunity to pay for the purchased goods at a cash register that is not located in the alcoholic beverage sales area or that is not an alcoholic beverage sales cash register.
Noticeable visibility
Alcoholic beverages must be separated from the rest of the sales area by walls, shelves or in some other way. Alcoholic beverages must not be displayed to consumers. Each trader chooses the technical solution to meet the requirement for the conspicuous visibility of alcoholic beverages at the sales premise.
Alcoholic beverages may be visible to a store visitor if they are displayed in the part of the sales area where the cash register is located and which is not accessible to the consumer. This refers to a situation where alcohol is placed on a shelf behind a service counter, with a salesperson serving customers at the counter and the consumer cannot go and get alcohol from the counter themselves; the alcohol is behind the salesperson's back.
At the point of sale, it is permitted to mark the area where alcoholic beverages are sold with an appropriate sign (for example: Alcoholic Beverages or Alcohol), but the label must be in the same style and size as the labels for other items sold at the sales area, and must not be more conspicuous than the rest of the labels.
Avoid drawing additional attention to the display of alcohol.
The display of alcoholic beverages must not be noticeably visible from outside the sales premise, for example from the parking lot, the corridor of the shopping center, at the entrance to the sales premise, through display windows or from the street.
Presentation of an alcoholic beverage or offering for tasting
The presentation of an alcoholic beverage (so-called tasting) is permitted at a sales premise specializing in the sale of alcoholic beverages, at an exhibition, fair or other similar event, except at the venue of an event primarily aimed at children during the time of that event.
The display of alcoholic beverages is permitted in the alcohol sales area of a store, but in this case, care must be taken to ensure that the display of alcoholic beverages is not noticeably visible from the rest of the sales area.
When presenting alcohol in a store, it is not permitted to prepare an alcoholic mixture (a drink consisting of two or more components, at least one of which is an alcoholic beverage, i.e. a cocktail).
In the case of alcoholic beverages, in addition to the selling price, the type and name of the alcoholic beverage must be disclosed. In the case of alcohol intended for consumption on site at the sales premise, the quantity of alcoholic beverage available for the selling price must also be disclosed.
The selling price of an alcoholic beverage is not permitted to be published in such a way that the consumer can simultaneously see the original and new selling prices of the alcoholic beverage. For example, it is prohibited to publish price information in the form of “before €5.99, now €3.99”. The original and new selling price of an alcoholic beverage is not permitted to be published on the price tag, purchase receipt or invoice, nor in the online store, mobile application or other ordering environment or platform.
In the case of the sale of alcoholic beverages on preferential terms, only the selling price of the alcoholic beverage together with the discount percentage or the available discount may be shown to the consumer.
For example, if the lowest price in the last 30 days has been 10 euros and you want to make a discount to 8 euros, you can display a sale price of 8 euros and a discount of 20% or a discount of 2 euros.
Retail sales of alcohol are permitted in stores between 10:00 and 22:00. The only exceptions to this general rule are sales premises located in the passenger area of an airport open to international traffic and on board a watercraft or aircraft making international journeys – the restriction does not apply to them.
In places where it is permitted to offer alcohol for on-site consumption (for example, catering and accommodation establishments, public events), the aforementioned time-of-sale restriction does not apply, but take-away alcohol may still not be sold in these sales premises between 10:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. Also, the delivery of alcohol to consumers through courier services is prohibited between 10:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m.
It should be noted that the local government has the right to set additional time restrictions on the retail sale of alcohol for on-site consumption. Therefore, if you want to sell alcohol in a catering or entertainment establishment, you should definitely check with the local government about the time restrictions first.
Under the e-commerce procedure, the retail sale of alcohol is permitted only through a store or catering establishment of an undertaking listed in the Economic Activity Register. This means that alcohol may only be sold in an online store if the entrepreneur also has a physical sales premise.
The undertaking must submit to the Economic Activity Register both the details of the physical point of sale and the website address where they sell alcohol. The website is also the entrepreneur's place of business.
It is prohibited to sell alcohol to a person who shows signs of intoxication. Also, a seller may not knowingly serve a person who purchases an alcoholic beverage for the purpose of offering or transferring it to a person with signs indicating intoxication.
It is important to know that intoxication is not only considered a health condition caused by alcohol intoxication, but also by the use of a narcotic or psychotropic substance or other intoxicating substance. The only thing that matters when selling alcohol is whether the buyer shows clearly perceptible signs of intoxication. The seller does not have to check the buyer's state of intoxication; only a police officer has such a right.
Signs indicating intoxication and methods of detecting intoxication are listed in Regulation No. 37 of the Minister of Social Affairs of 26.06.2014 “List of signs indicating intoxication and methods for determining the presence or absence of these signs”. The presence of signs indicating a state of intoxication can be identified by the seller based on observation, and if the person appears to be “drunk”, alcohol must not be sold to them. However, a distinction must be made between intoxication and mental disorder or mental retardation, in which a person's behavior may exhibit similar characteristics. However, the sale of alcohol is only prohibited to a person who shows signs of intoxication.
It is prohibited to offer, transfer or deliver alcoholic beverages to a minor.
Therefore, when selling alcoholic beverages, the seller must, if necessary, verify the buyer's age using an identification document to ensure that the product is not being sold to a minor. The seller does not have to require the presentation of an identity document to verify the buyer's age only if the buyer is clearly of legal age or if the buyer is known to the seller to be an adult. Therefore, if the seller doubts whether the buyer is over 18 years of age, that is, of legal age, the seller must determine the buyer's age.
Since 2016, alcohol retailers have voluntarily agreed to ask for identification from all customers who appear to be under 30 years of age when purchasing alcohol. The corresponding label and additional recommendations can be found in the Estonian Retailers' Association's alcohol sales guidelines.
An alcoholic beverage may not be knowingly transferred or handed over to a person who accepts the alcoholic beverage for the purpose of offering or handing it over to a minor. A minor is not permitted to be employed in tasks where he or she would be involved in handling alcohol. The law allows minors to be used to handle alcohol only in very limited cases, such as for commercial storage or transportation if it is ensured that the minor is only exposed to unopened alcohol during this process.
Alcohol, tobacco products and drugs at public events
The guideline has been prepared with the aim of providing an overview of the main requirements related to the sale and consumption of alcohol and tobacco products in the context of public events and the possibilities for local governments to set restrictions and exercise supervision. In addition, the guideline discusses why it is important to pay attention to problems related to drug use at public events and outlines measures that can be implemented to reduce the harm caused by drug use at public events.
Alcohol advertising
The Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority recommends that you familiarize yourself with alcohol advertising guidelines.
- Do I need a permit to start selling alcohol?
No, you do not need to apply for a separate permit for this. However, you must submit the necessary data to the Economic Activities Register and the Agricultural and Food Board.
- I want to sell alcohol at a fair/concert. Can I do that?
Yes, it is generally permitted to sell alcohol at a public event. However, we recommend that you check with the organizer of the public event and the local government in whose territory the event is taking place to see whether the local government has restricted the sale of alcohol or imposed additional conditions on it. It is not necessary to submit a notice of economic activity to the Economic Activities Register to sell alcohol at a public event.
- I want to sell alcohol in an online store. What do I have to do for this?
Selling alcohol in an online store requires that the entrepreneur also has a physical sales premise. Without this, you cannot sell alcohol in your online store. If a physical sales premise exists and its details are in the Economic Activities Register, then the website must also be registered in the Economic Activities Register and the required details must be submitted for this place of business as well. It is also worth checking whether all the data in the Register is correct or needs to be updated.
- Is it enough to set up a catering business that doesn't actually operate as a catering establishment to sell alcohol online?
Selling alcohol through an online store requires that the undertaking has either a store or a catering establishment through which they normally sell alcohol. Therefore, if the undertaking does not actually sell alcohol through a catering company, i.e. the company does not actually operate, then alcohol cannot be sold in an online store.
- How can I sell cocktails at a public event if the local government has banned the sale of hard alcohol at outdoor events?
If the local government has imposed a restriction on the range of alcohol, for example, banning the sale of hard alcohol at outdoor events, then alcoholic cocktails that include hard alcohol cannot be made at the event. With such a restriction, hard alcohol cannot be sold at the sales premise. If you want to sell cocktails, you can sell ready-made and packaged alcoholic mixtures, the strength of which does not exceed the limit set by the local government.
- Does the bailiff have to submit a notice of economic activity if alcohol is sold in enforcement proceedings?
It is permitted to sell alcoholic beverages during enforcement proceedings (§ 40 (1) (11) of the Alcohol Act). A bailiff is not required to submit a notice of economic activity if alcohol is sold in enforcement proceedings. In such a situation, selling alcohol cannot be considered an economic activity of a bailiff and the bailiff cannot be considered an undertaking. The sale by a bailiff takes place within the framework of enforcement proceedings through an official act, and the bailiff remains the holder of a public office.
Last updated: 17.03.2025
