Catch it now, before a rejection.
Upload your label and see every federal requirement it meets, misses, or leaves open — each one cited to the regulation behind it. Takes about a minute.
COLACheck is a pre-screening tool, not an approval. It reads your artwork against federal labeling requirements in 27 CFR and reports what it can see. It cannot measure type size, verify anything not printed on the label, or check state requirements — and a clean result here does not mean TTB will approve your submission. It is in beta, AI-based, and not legal advice.
Read the full limitationsCheck a label
Two steps · about a minuteThe size of the actual printed label, in inches — the artwork as it will be printed, not the bottle and not the image file. TTB asks for this same measurement when you upload label images to COLAs Online, so you may already have it. Back label dimensions are optional: give them if your product has a back label and you want its type size measured too.
Measure, do not estimate. Take these from a ruler on the printed label or from your print specification. A dimension that is off by ten percent makes every type size we report wrong by ten percent, in the direction that makes text look bigger than it is.
Measurement depends on each image being cropped to the label edge, with no background or bleed, and being flat artwork rather than a photograph of a bottle.
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JPEG · PNG · WebP — min 150 KB
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Analyzed together with the front
Informational guidance drawn from published TTB regulations. Not legal advice, and not a substitute for TTB’s own review. By running a check you agree to the terms.
How it works
Two things you do, one thing we return. No account, no upload queue, no waiting on a human.
Pick wine, distilled spirits or malt beverage, and add your front label. The back is optional — but several mandatory items usually live there, so including it changes what we can tell you.
Your label is examined against the mandatory labeling requirements for that product class — Part 4, 5 or 7, plus the Part 16 health warning — the way a reviewer would read it, element by element.
Every requirement comes back Pass, Review or Fail, carrying the section it was decided under and, where something needs doing, a concrete suggested fix.
Three verdicts, not two
A label image cannot answer every question the regulation asks. Rather than guess, COLACheck says so — which is why there is a third category between pass and fail.
The requirement is met, and that can be confirmed from the artwork.
The requirement applies, but whether it is met cannot be settled from an image — sulfite levels and grape percentages are the common cases. Not a soft pass: a question handed back to you.
The requirement is clearly not met, and the label would need changing before you file.
COLACheck reads your artwork using an AI model, guided by a checklist of the mandatory requirements for your product class. That checklist is written and maintained by hand from the text of 27 CFR — it is not scraped live, and it is not a general-purpose question to an AI about alcohol law. Each finding names the section it was decided under so you can check it against the regulation yourself. What this approach cannot do is written up in full.
What it reads against
Four parts of Title 27, maintained by hand from the published regulation — so a finding can always be traced back to the section behind it.
Questions
What is a COLA?
A Certificate of Label Approval is a federal authorization from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau confirming that your label meets US requirements. With limited exceptions you need one before the product can be sold in interstate commerce.
Is COLACheck the same as filing?
No. COLACheck does not submit anything to TTB and has no connection to COLAs Online. It is a check you run on your artwork beforehand. Filing is a separate process you complete yourself through TTB.
What does it actually check?
The mandatory labeling requirements for your product class: brand name, class and type designation, alcohol content, name and address, net contents, country of origin where applicable, required allergen and additive disclosures, the government health warning, and general requirements around legibility, English language, and type size.
Do I need to upload the back label?
Not required, but recommended. The health warning and several other mandatory items are often on the back. If you only upload the front, anything that might be on the back is returned as Review rather than Fail — accurate, but less useful than a definite answer.
What does "Review" mean?
It means the requirement applies but cannot be settled from an image. Sulfite levels and grape percentages are the common cases. Review is not a soft pass — it is a question handed back to you.
If everything passes, will TTB approve my label?
Not necessarily. TTB applies judgment and internal policy beyond the published regulations. A clean report means the elements we can check are in order; it is not a prediction of the outcome.
Does it check state requirements?
No. Federal requirements only, under 27 CFR Parts 4, 5, 7, and 16. A federally compliant label may still be non-compliant in the state where you intend to sell it.
What image should I use?
The highest-resolution version you have — press-ready artwork is better than a photograph of a bottle. JPEG, PNG, or WebP, between 150 KB and 10 MB. Flat artwork beats a photo of a curved bottle, where text distorts near the edges.
What happens to my label image?
Your artwork is used to produce your report, and we keep it so we can check the tool’s accuracy. It is never published, resold, or shown as an example, and you can ask us to delete it at any time. The privacy page has the detail.
Is it free?
Yes, during beta. Pricing will be introduced afterward based on real usage. Anything you run now is free.
Who made this?
COLACheck is built and operated by Almaden Studio.
How do I actually file a COLA?
Through TTB’s COLAs Online system at ttbonline.gov. For questions about your submission, TTB’s Alcohol Labeling and Formulation Division is reachable at 1-866-927-2533 or alfd@ttb.gov.