79 replies to this topic

[grehorst]

Someone suggested a good idea for a thread and here is the implementation...it will help applicants get an idea of startup time and help all of us get a feel for the ebb and flow of the TTB's workload.

If you have recently applied or been granted a Federal permit (in the last year or so?) please give an idea of how long it took to get. If you're awaiting your approval just list your application date and  when it is granted respond to your post with the date the permit was granted.  This will also give us a chance to congratulate you and welcome you to  the community of distillers!

example: Sent in Application 12/2005, Permit granted 4/2006

Good luck!

[RobKnode]

I have seen some permits take longer and some go very quickly. It usually comes down to having the bond and application exactly the same. If there is ever a descrepency, there is considerable time involved in getting new original documents drafted. It can be as simple as a letter being capitalized or not, an apostrophe missing, or the exact mailing or business address not matching. Once there is a problem, it has to be corrected and the app seems to go back to the bottom of the pile. Sending a preliminary app and bond to the TTB for review seems to help and the staff at the TTB is usually very helpful if you need to call them direct.

[will]

GR: Applied 10OCT2008 - not yet granted....thanks for posting.

RK: SOME of the TTB staff are helpful, others are not reachable.  Seems impossible to learn what's taking so long, or where the application is in the process.

UPDATE: 16MAR2009
Signed: 06MAR2009 Basic - Importer - received by mail 16mar2009
MD was the last of three reviewers to get the file, and the first to finish.

UPDATE:  24MAR2009
Signed: 06MAR2009 Basic - Processor - received by email 24MAR2009.
Why did it take so long to notify us?  
EB was the second reviewer to contact me, the last to interview, and the last to notify me of the news.

Signed: 20MAR2009 Basic - Winery - received by email 24MAR2009
SH was the first reviewer to contact me, and the last to finish, her supervisor kicked it back at the last minute.

So, finally we're done with TTB, and now we wait for the State of Confusion...sorry, that's California.

21+30+31+31+28+24=165 days

[absaroka]

The TTB license was the easy part!  90 days from start to finish.  Follow all directions and triple check your application.  All staff were helpful and if your agent was off/on vacation/etc. a quick call to the supervisor and your question(s) were answered right away.  I was told by our agent that they recently added winery licenses to their workload and that was pushing some things out a bit.

[delaware_phoenix]

TTB license was the easy part. Under 60 days.

[Scott @ Twenty2Vodka]

11/15/2008 - Sent in Application.  103 pages originally

11/24/2008 - First heard from TTB regarding Bond corrections required.

1/5/2009 - Scheduled phone interview with list of 9 additional things to provide, including bank account statements for all shareholders with a greater than 10 % stake in company dating back 6 months supporting source of funds invested....

1/22/2009 - Conducted phone interview

2/22/2009 - TTB threatened withdraw unless we provided additional bank account statements*...  

3/5/2009 - Basic permit granted! Finally Finally

* We are just a basic S-corp with shareholders, none but 3 holding more than 10% of the company, nothing fancy.  The financial docs they required of us in my opinion began to overstep their bounds.  They claim the docs must provide that the money was from a legitimate source, and that we were properly financed.  The government shouldn't be telling me whether or not they think i am properly financed to start a business they require i hold dry until receiving permission to operate.  Crazy slippery slope.

[Jonathan Forester]

Yo Scott and Jessica- Congrats!

Scott @ Twenty2Vodka, on Mar 5 2009, 09:07 PM, said:

11/15/2008 - Sent in Application.  103 pages originally

11/24/2008 - First heard from TTB regarding Bond corrections required.

1/5/2009 - Scheduled phone interview with list of 9 additional things to provide, including bank account statements for all shareholders with a greater than 10 % stake in company dating back 6 months supporting source of funds invested....

1/22/2009 - Conducted phone interview

2/22/2009 - TTB threatened withdraw unless we provided additional bank account statements*...  

3/5/2009 - Basic permit granted! Finally Finally

* We are just a basic S-corp with shareholders, none but 3 holding more than 10% of the company, nothing fancy.  The financial docs they required of us in my opinion began to overstep their bounds.  They claim the docs must provide that the money was from a legitimate source, and that we were properly financed.  The government shouldn't be telling me whether or not they think i am properly financed to start a business they require i hold dry until receiving permission to operate.  Crazy slippery slope.

[Phil]

Sent in application 3/29/2010

Approval - 5/05/2010

5.5 weeks total.

[daveflintstone]

Phil, on 06 May 2010 - 10:46 AM, said:

Sent in application 3/29/2010

Approval - 5/05/2010

5.5 weeks total.

Stop the contest, I think we have a winner.

[tree spirits]

Tree Spirits applied February 10, 2010 and we received our email notification of approval on May 25th. Not too bad. Our permit includes a bonded winery permit and a distilled spirits plant permit. Most of the 2200 sq ft floorspace is designated as an alternating facility, allowing us to switch back and forth. This created some confusion at the TTB....a learning process for our TTB reviewer and us! Steve B.

[Brad]

I submitted on 2/16/10 and received my permit 6/4/10.  No significant issues were ever raised and I was the only person on the application so we are a fairly plain vanilla application.

[sailorman9]

The TTB received the application on Nov. 3, 2010

Approved on Dec. 30, 2010

The case worker found problems with my packet.  I had to get my lease changed and I had to have the bond sent back to include the word "Processor" for my bottling operation.  The TTB works on your application when they want and ignore it for weeks at a time.  I coresponded often in a professional manner.  It's important to use the correct terminology right from the beginning (when the architect draws the plans).

Curt

[grehorst]

sailorman9, on 03 January 2011 - 10:08 AM, said:

The TTB received the application on Nov. 3, 2010

Approved on Dec. 30, 2010

The case worker found problems with my packet.  I had to get my lease changed and I had to have the bond sent back to include the word "Processor" for my bottling operation.  The TTB works on your application when they want and ignore it for weeks at a time.  I coresponded often in a professional manner.  It's important to use the correct terminology right from the beginning (when the architect draws the plans).

Curt

Congrats Curt! Welcome to the tiny club that is WI Distillers!

[seventh son]

I mailed my application on November 1st and it was approved on December 13th. It would have been sooner , but I needed bond corrections and my revised bond was lost somewhere at TTB for a full week. Overall they were great to deal with!

[bluestar]

Submitted December 27, 2011 via Permits On Line, approved March 1, 2012. Two weeks were spent correcting the layout because we misinterpreted advice we received from a field office before we applied. Also, there may have been a hiccup in the electronic system that stalled things a bit, but that was never verified.

[Bobcat Hill]

Submitted our application on Leap Day and received approval on March 30, 2012. We lost 1.5 weeks over a bond correction, but found the whole process amazingly easy to work with and all of the staff were highly responsive, detail oriented and super to work with.

[Jedd Haas]

I guess it's time for me to revive this thread.

Submitted to TTB via Permits Online on 05/11/2012. Received our Federal permit on 06/18/2012. We spent a lot of time going over the paperwork and put together everything that was asked for. The TTB agent who reviewed our application complimented us on the quality of our documents. Even so, we still had to send a few more documents.

As of today, we received our state permit, so we're fully legal. If you don't mind a little horn-blowing, check this link: http://ateliervie.co...7;-in-mid-city/

[palousespirits]

Congrats Jedd!

[Scott @ Twenty2Vodka]

congrats Jedd!

[pressure9pa]

Congrats.