Florida Statutes § 561.24 — Licensing manufacturers as distributors or registered exporters prohibited; procedure for issuance and renewal of distributors’ licenses and exporters’ registrations.

561.24 Licensing manufacturers as distributors or registered exporters prohibited; procedure for issuance and renewal of distributors’ licenses and exporters’ registrations.—(1) A manufacturer, rectifier, or distiller that manufactures, rectifies, or distills spirituous liquors or wine may not be granted a license as a distributor and may not register as an exporter. (2) A manufacturer, rectifier, or distiller that manufactures, rectifies, or distills spirituous liquors or wine may not be granted a renewal of a license or registration previously held as a distributor or exporter. (3) If the applicant for a distributor’s license or exporter’s registration, or renewal thereof, is an individual or copartnership, such individual or copartnership is within the provisions of subsection (1) or subsection (2), as the case may be, if the individual or any member of the copartnership is interested or connected, directly or indirectly, with any corporation which is engaged directly or indirectly or through any subsidiary or affiliate corporation, including any stock ownership as set forth in subsection (4), in manufacturing, rectifying, or distilling spirituous liquors or wine. If any individual or any member of such copartnership within 6 months next preceding the making of an application hereunder has been interested or connected as provided by this subsection, such individual or such member of the copartnership shall be prima facie presumed to be so interested or connected with such corporation at the time of the making of the application, and such prima facie presumption shall continue until overcome by the applicant. (4) If the applicant for a distributor’s license or exporter’s registration, or for the renewal thereof, is a corporation, such corporation is within the provisions of subsections (1) and (2), as the case may be, if such corporation is affiliated with, directly or indirectly, any other corporation which is engaged in manufacturing, rectifying, or distilling spirituous liquors or wine or if such applicant corporation is controlled by, or the majority of stock therein is owned by, another corporation, which latter corporation is engaged, directly or indirectly, in manufacturing, rectifying, or distilling spirituous liquors or wine. (5) Notwithstanding any of the provisions of the foregoing subsections, any corporation which holds a license as a distributor on June 3, 1947, shall be entitled to a renewal thereof, provided such corporation complies with all of the provisions of the Beverage Law of Florida, as amended, and of this section and establishes by satisfactory evidence to the division that, during the 6-month period next preceding its application for such renewal, of the total volume of its sales of spirituous liquors, in either dollars or quantity, not more than 40 percent of such spirituous liquors sold by it, in either dollars or quantity, were manufactured, rectified, or distilled by any corporation with which the applicant is affiliated, directly or indirectly, including any corporation which owns or controls in any way any stock in the applicant corporation or any corporation which is a subsidiary or affiliate of the corporation so owning stock in the applicant corporation. Any manufacturer of wine holding a license as a distributor on the effective date of this act shall be entitled to a renewal of such license notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (1)-(5). This section does not apply to any winery qualifying as a certified Florida Farm Winery under s. 599.004. (6) Any person, copartnership, or corporation applying for a distributor’s license under the provisions of this section shall file a written or printed application therefor with the division. Such application shall be sworn to by the applicant or a member of the copartnership or an officer of the corporation, depending upon whether the applicant is an individual, copartnership, or corporation. Forms for such applications shall be provided by the division. Every such application shall set forth clear and detailed information necessary and sufficient to establish the right of the applicant under the provisions of this section to receive a license. The information herein required to be set forth shall be in addition to any information required to be set forth by any other provision of applicable law. Any application failing to comply fully with the provisions of this section shall be denied. (7) No license of any distributor shall be renewed if the license of such distributor and continuations thereof have been revoked or if the qualifications of such distributor have been impaired. (8) Any maneuver, shift, or device by any applicant whereby any provision of this section, in any manner, is sought to be avoided or evaded constitutes a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.