Can I sell homemade cider?

You can't sell homemade cider without the right approvals. In the UK, cider made for your own domestic use is exempt from producer approval, but selling it needs HMRC approval and alcohol licences. In the US, homemade wine and cider for personal or family use may not be sold; commercial cider needs TTB permission and state licences.

Updated 2026-10-02

United Kingdom

Producer approval. HMRC: "You'll need approval from HMRC to produce alcoholic products". Cider makers must apply even if they were exempt before or produce less than 5 hectolitres of pure alcohol in cider. [1] Since 1 February 2025, all producers of alcoholic products need an alcoholic products producer approval (APPA). [2]
Domestic use exemption. You do not need approval if you only produce alcoholic products (excluding spirits) for your own domestic use. [2]
Penalties. "It is an offence to produce alcoholic products without the appropriate approval"; HMRC can charge a penalty and confiscate products and equipment. [1]
Licences to sell. A business that sells alcohol needs a premises licence, and someone selling or authorising sales needs a personal licence; temporary event notices cover one-off events. [3]
What counts as cider. For duty, cider must contain at least 35% apple or pear juice and be below 8.5% ABV. [4] See how much juice is in cider.

United States

Home production. "Any adult may, without payment of tax, produce wine for personal or family use and not for sale": up to 200 gallons a year for a household of two or more adults, 100 gallons for one. [5] TTB treats cider as a wine made from apples. [6]
Commercial production. To produce cider of 0.5% ABV or more for commercial purposes, you must establish winery premises, obtain a bond and receive permission from TTB. [6]
Roadside exemption. A narrow federal tax exemption covers still cider fermented only from apple juice, without preservatives, outside a bonded wine premises and sold as cider. TTB calls it "an extremely limited exemption". [6] [7]
State law. The federal home exemption does not authorise production in violation of state or local law. [5]

Where do I start if I want to sell?

Contact the excise authority (HMRC in the UK, TTB in the US) before you sell a single bottle.
Check labelling: what artisanal cider means shows how some terms are regulated.
Read the guide on where people buy cider to see how makers sell direct. The glossary entry for farmhouse cider explains a common label term. For the making itself, see how to make cider at home.

This answer is general information, not legal advice; rules change and differ by country and state.

Related answers: how to make cider at home · what is artisanal cider

Find it on Cider Radar

Guide: where to buy cider · Glossary: farmhouse cider
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Dates in this answer were checked on 2 October 2026 and are due for review by April 2027.

Cider and perry are alcoholic drinks. Enjoy responsibly; in the UK it is against the law to sell alcohol to anyone under 18.

Questions

Can I give homemade cider to friends in the UK?

HMRC exempts producing alcoholic products (excluding spirits) for your own domestic use from approval. [2] Selling or supplying alcohol as a business needs a licence. [3] If you plan anything beyond your household, check with HMRC and your local licensing authority.

Can I enter homemade cider in a competition in the US?

Yes. Federal rules allow home-produced wine, including cider, to be used at competitions and tastings, but it "may not under any circumstances be sold or offered for sale". [5] State law can be stricter.

Is there a small producer exemption in the UK?

Not from approval. HMRC says cider makers must apply even if they produce less than 5 hectolitres of pure alcohol in cider. [1]

Sources

Check if you need an alcoholic products producer approval (APPA) — HM Revenue & Customs (GOV.UK)
Alcoholic products technical guide: section 4, approvals — HM Revenue & Customs (GOV.UK)
Alcohol licensing — Home Office (GOV.UK)
Alcoholic products technical guide: section 2, alcoholic products — HM Revenue & Customs (GOV.UK)
27 CFR 24.75 – Wine for personal or family use — eCFR (US Government Publishing Office)
Cider FAQs — Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB)
26 U.S. Code § 5042 – Exemption from tax (wine and cider) — Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School