Subdivision 1. Definition. "Broker" means a person who represents a distillery, winery, or importer, and is not an employee of the distillery, winery, or importer.

Subd. 2. License required. All brokers and their employees must obtain a license from the commissioner. The annual license fee for a broker is $600, for an employee of a broker the license fee is $20. An application for a broker's license must be accompanied by a written statement from the distillery, winery, or importer the applicant proposes to represent verifying the applicant's contractual arrangement, and must contain a statement that the distillery, winery, or importer is responsible for the actions of the broker. The license shall be issued for one year. The broker, or employee of the broker may promote a vendor's product and may call upon licensed retailers to insure product identification, give advance notice of new products or product changes, and share other pertinent market information. The commissioner may revoke or suspend for up to 60 days a broker's license or the license of an employee of a broker if the broker or employee has violated any provision of this chapter, or a rule of the commissioner relating to alcoholic beverages. The commissioner may suspend for up to 60 days, the importation license of a distillery or winery on a finding by the commissioner that its broker or employee of its broker has violated any provision of this chapter, or rule of the commissioner relating to alcoholic beverages.

Subd. 3. Reports. A distillery, winery, or broker must furnish within 60 days after the end of each month a report to the commissioner specifying for that month the type, quantity, date, and licensed retailers who received samples from the distillery, winery, or broker.

History: 1985 c 308 s 3; 1987 c 152 art 1 s 1; 1992 c 513 art 3 s 58