Hemp Laws & Licensing · AL
Alabama hemp laws & licensing
At a glance
- Retail license / registration required?
- Yes — ABC Consumable Hemp Products Pre-Application (Form LCD-53) – specialty retailer, retail food store (beverages only)…
- Minimum age
- 21+
- State THC caps (hemp products)
- 10 mg THC per serving · 40 mg per package
- Hemp-derived THC products · online sales
- Legal (with the state's rules) · online: Prohibited
- Key law
- AL HB 445 (Act 2025-355) — effective January 1, 2026
The law today
HB 445 (2025) created Title 28, Chapter 12 and, effective January 1, 2026, moved consumable hemp products (edibles, beverages, tinctures, topicals) under the ABC Board, which licenses manufacturers, wholesalers and three kinds of retailers: 21+ specialty retailers (all products), retail food stores (THC beverages only) and pharmacies (topical/sublingual only). Products are capped at 10 mg total THC per serving and 40 mg per package (beverages 10 mg per 12 oz), must carry an ABC-approved label with a COA barcode, and buyers must be 21+.
Smokable and vape hemp products, hemp flower and synthetic/chemically converted cannabinoids are prohibited; online, mail-order, vending-machine and delivery sales to Alabama consumers are prohibited, and a 10% excise tax applies at retail. Raw hemp cultivation and processing remain licensed by the Department of Agriculture & Industries.
Who regulates it
Licensing of consumable hemp product manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers; brand/label registration; enforcement (HB 445, Code of Ala. Title 28 Ch. 12)
Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries – Hemp Programagi.alabama.gov (opens in a new tab)
Industrial hemp grower/handler, processor/handler and university licensing (USDA-approved state plan)
Cannabis regulator
Hemp-derived THC products here run through the cannabis system: Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (medical cannabis only – separate from hemp)amcc.alabama.gov (opens in a new tab)
Licenses & registrations
- Who needs it
- Any business selling consumable hemp products at retail in Alabama (specialty retailer 21+ store, retail food store for beverages only, or pharmacy for topical/sublingual only)
- Fee
- $50 filing fee; $1,000 license fee on approval; $25,000 surety bond per location (per industry summaries of HB 445 – confirm with ABC)
- Who needs it
- All ABC consumable hemp license applicants
- Fee
- Not stated on the official page
ABC Consumable Hemp Products Brand Label Registration Requestalabcboard.gov (opens in a new tab)
- Who needs it
- Manufacturers/brands – every consumable hemp product label must be registered and approved by ABC before it can be sold; retailers may only carry approved labels
- Fee
- Not stated on the official page
- Who needs it
- Anyone growing or processing raw hemp in Alabama
- Fee
- Not stated on the official page
The law
Testing & COAs
Need a lab? COA analysis partners
Steps to a compliant hemp business in Alabama
- 1
Register the business with the Alabama Secretary of State and obtain an Alabama Department of Revenue tax account
- 2
Choose the correct ABC retail license type (specialty retailer / retail food store for beverages / pharmacy) and submit the ABC Consumable Hemp Products Pre-Application (LCD-53) with the checklist items, ALEA background check, local government approval letter, premises sketch and $25,000 surety bond
- 3
Manufacturers/wholesalers: apply to ABC for the manufacturer or wholesaler license under Ch. 28-12 and register every product label with ABC (Brand Label Registration Request) with an approved-lab COA
- 4
Only stock ABC-approved labels (check the Approved Consumable Hemp Labels list) and keep COAs on file
- 5
Verify age 21+ at every sale; no online, mail-order or delivery sales to Alabama consumers
- 6
Collect and remit the 10% consumable hemp excise tax as a separate receipt line item
- 7
Growers/processors: apply for the ADAI hemp grower/handler or processor/handler license during the Jan 1–Feb 15 window at hemppermits.agi.alabama.gov
On Good Hemp Distro
Recreational (21+) market in Alabama
Closed on GHDThe Recreational (21+) market isn't available in Alabama: state law doesn't allow these products to be sold online or shipped to consumers.
State law: no online sales.
Live status — it changes as state rules are verified and as the federal cutoff approaches. Everyday Hemp, Industrial and Services products are available everywhere.
Sources & verification
- Verified
- September 29, 2026 — every official link above was fetched and checked on that date.
- Confidence
- High confidence — Official pages verified; law summarised from primary sources.
- Research notes
- ABC's public page lists only the three retail license types and label registration; manufacturer/wholesaler licensing is in the statute (HB 445) but no separate ABC application link was found – use the ABC hemp page/consumablehemp@abc.alabama.gov. Fee figures ($50 filing, $1,000 license, $25,000 bond) come from law-firm summaries of HB 445, not the ABC page. The ALISON Code of Alabama link is a JavaScript app that returned HTTP 200 but could not be text-rendered by the fetcher; it is the link the ABC Board itself uses. ADAI's licensing portal hemppermits.agi.alabama.gov did not resolve from this environment, so the forms page is linked instead. The introduced bill text says 7% excise tax; the enacted law as reported by ABC-adjacent sources is 10%.
- Good Hemp Distro market notes
- Only ABC Board-licensed retailers may sell, in person only: online, mail-order, vending and direct-delivery sales are prohibited. Smokable hemp and vapes banned since 2025-07-01. 10% excise tax. (Recreational (21+) state dataset, version 2026-09-28)
Cited sources
- January 1 brings a new statewide regulatory system for consumable hemp products (Alabama Reporter)alreporter.com (opens in a new tab) · 2025-12-30
“Sales of consumable hemp products through online platforms, by mail order, through vending machines, or by direct delivery to consumers are prohibited once the law becomes effective.”
Alabama hemp law FAQ
Short answers drawn from the official Alabama sources above (verified September 29, 2026). Not legal advice.
- Do I need a license to sell hemp products in Alabama?
- Yes. Official link: ABC Consumable Hemp Products Pre-Application (Form LCD-53) – specialty retailer, retail food store (beverages only) and pharmacy licenses (alabcboard.gov) — fee: $50 filing fee; $1,000 license fee on approval; $25,000 surety bond per location (per industry summaries of HB 445 – confirm with ABC). Growers license separately through the state hemp program or USDA.
- Who regulates hemp in Alabama?
- Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board – Consumable Hemp Products — Licensing of consumable hemp product manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers; brand/label registration; enforcement (HB 445, Code of Ala. Title 28 Ch. 12). Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries – Hemp Program — Industrial hemp grower/handler, processor/handler and university licensing (USDA-approved state plan). Hemp-derived THC products run through the cannabis regulator: Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (medical cannabis only – separate from hemp).
- What are Alabama's hemp laws in 2026?
- HB 445 (2025) created Title 28, Chapter 12 and, effective January 1, 2026, moved consumable hemp products (edibles, beverages, tinctures, topicals) under the ABC Board, which licenses manufacturers, wholesalers and three kinds of retailers: 21+ specialty retailers (all products), retail food stores (THC beverages only) and pharmacies (topical/sublingual only). Products are capped at 10 mg total THC per serving and 40 mg per package (beverages 10 mg per 12 oz), must carry an ABC-approved label with a COA barcode, and buyers must be 21+. Key law: AL HB 445 (Act 2025-355) (effective January 1, 2026).
- What is the minimum age to buy hemp products in Alabama?
- 21+ under Alabama law (AL HB 445 (Act 2025-355)). Good Hemp Distro is 21+ everywhere regardless.
- Does Alabama cap THC in hemp products?
- Yes — 10 mg THC per serving · 40 mg per package under AL HB 445 (Act 2025-355). Federally, hemp must test at or below 0.3% total THC.
- Does Alabama require lab testing (a COA) for hemp products?
- ABC Consumable Hemp Products page – label registration requires an approved-lab certificate of analysis (COA) per §28-12-45; see Brand Label Registration Checklist. Official page: alabcboard.gov
- How do I start a compliant hemp business in Alabama?
- 1. Register the business with the Alabama Secretary of State and obtain an Alabama Department of Revenue tax account. 2. Choose the correct ABC retail license type (specialty retailer / retail food store for beverages / pharmacy) and submit the ABC Consumable Hemp Products Pre-Application (LCD-53) with the checklist items, ALEA background check, local government approval letter, premises sketch and $25,000 surety bond. 3. Manufacturers/wholesalers: apply to ABC for the manufacturer or wholesaler license under Ch. 28-12 and register every product label with ABC (Brand Label Registration Request) with an approved-lab COA. 4. Only stock ABC-approved labels (check the Approved Consumable Hemp Labels list) and keep COAs on file. 5. Verify age 21+ at every sale; no online, mail-order or delivery sales to Alabama consumers. 6. Collect and remit the 10% consumable hemp excise tax as a separate receipt line item. 7. Growers/processors: apply for the ADAI hemp grower/handler or processor/handler license during the Jan 1–Feb 15 window at hemppermits.agi.alabama.gov.
Related
Not legal advice. Links and summaries verified September 29, 2026; laws change — always confirm with the official links and a licensed attorney before you sell.