Alcohol Delivery or Pickup

You can purchase alcohol online in many states. However, there are some rules regarding what type of liquor you can purchase through the internet when having it shipped to your home. Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Nebraska allow shipments of all types of alcohol. You can only have beer and wine shipped directly to your home in Delaware, Montana, Ohio, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Virginia, and Vermont. Wine, cider, and mead shipments are permitted in New Jersey and Connecticut. Oregon allows for beer, wine, and cider shipments. New Mexico allows shipments of wine and cider.

The remaining states, with the exception of Alabama, will allow wine shipments, though some have additional special requirements. You can avoid some of these restrictions by having alcohol delivered through a service like Instacart where shipping isn't required. Instacart also offers same-day deliveries, so you don't have to wait.

Supermarkets can sell alcohol in certain states. However, the alcohol is often limited to beer or wine. Liquor is only available in supermarkets in Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Even where supermarkets are permitted to sell alcohol, they may not all do so. A liquor license is still required for these stores.

In other states, liquor sales are only available in liquor stores. If you're looking for a particular type of liquor, beer, or wine, a liquor store is often the best option, even if your supermarket sells alcohol as well. Your local liquor store may also have knowledgeable employees who can make recommendations. If you're ordering from a liquor store through Instacart, consider calling the store if you need a recommendation while you're shopping in the app.

Alcohol delivery is available from select retailers through Instacart. You can find participating retailers in your area through the app. Some restrictions apply to alcohol sales made through the Instacart app. You must be 21 years of age or older to place an order for alcohol. Special requests are not available for alcohol. If your alcoholic beverage of choice is unavailable, the Instacart shopper will contact you directly to discuss a replacement. If the shopper cannot reach you for approval, they will not make a substitution and will refund the item instead. 

You cannot replace a nonalcoholic item with an alcohol item. You may only substitute an alcoholic beverage for another alcoholic beverage. When the order is delivered, you must provide a photo ID with your proof of age at the door to receive alcohol.

Instacart accepts United States-issued driver licenses and military IDs as valid forms of identification. Instacart also accepts state-issued ID cards. United States-issued passports are accepted for many orders, but you cannot use a passport as your ID for a Walmart or Costco order. Many orders in California will not accept passports either. 

The Instacart shopper will typically scan the back of your ID card when delivering alcohol items. If they cannot scan your ID, manual entry is acceptable for some orders, though this method cannot be used in California or for any Walmart or Costco orders nationwide. Additionally, Instacart shoppers will not deliver alcohol items to those who are visibly intoxicated.