Costco Can Deliver Alcohol To Your House If You Live In One Of These 13 States

For lots of people across the country, buying booze is tough, adult business. Live in some states, and you'll have to drive a couple of miles to a local retailer and show your ID at the check-out counter before you can get your vodka or bourbon. But if you live in one of the following states you can have every kind of alcohol — meaning beer, wine, and spirits — delivered right to your doorstep: California, Hawaii, Arkansas, Illinois, Massachusetts, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Arkansas, and Iowa. (You can also get alcohol delivered in Washington, D.C.)

And sure, you can order from any one of the liquor sellers in your area, but why not just order from Costco? Aside from many locations having every drink under the sun from beer to hard liquors in stock, Costco's in-house Kirkland liquors are super popular and are considered some of the best value drinks around. Plus, if you're a collector, Costco has been known to put a lot of exclusive bottles on sale with mellow price tags that make them basically steal, like a $150 bourbon sold for $60.

You can make your order via Instacart. Just sign up for an account, plug in the bottle you want, confirm your order (there's a service fee for alcohol), and wait for your delivery. You'll have to show a valid ID to the courier, but other than that, it'll be the most sweat-free alcohol-buying experience you'll ever have.

Even though Prohibition ended nearly a century ago, its legacy lives on in today's alcohol laws. Regulations can be confusing and vary widely across the United States, especially when it comes to buying alcohol (and having it shipped) through retailers like Costco.

In most states, including California, Nevada, and Arizona, Costco aisles will be stocked with beer, wine, liquor, and everything else in between like mead and cider. But cross state lines into Ohio, and suddenly the selection changes. Here, you can grab beer and wine, but liquor is off-limits. Ohio is what's called an Alcoholic Beverage Control state (ABC state), where the government manages liquor sales through state-owned stores. So for your favorite spirits, you'll need to visit a liquor store instead of Costco. This is the case for most ABC states. But even certain non-ABC states, like Texas, also limit Costco alcohol selection to beer and wine due to other local laws.

In stricter states like Utah, Costco can only sell beer under 5% alcohol by volume. Costco locations in two states can't sell alcohol at all — Pennsylvania and Maryland. With all these differences, it's a good idea to check your local laws (both state and county laws) or call your nearest Costco to see what's in stock. Check the website of couriers like Instacart, too, to see if they take delivery where you are. That way, you'll know exactly what to expect.