The COLA (TTB F 5100.31) for beer: what TTB checks and how to avoid corrections

Form

TTB F 5100.31, Application for and Certification/Exemption of Label/Bottle Approval (a “COLA”)

Who files

The bottler or importer of the beer

Where

COLAs Online

TTB fee

None

TTB median review

2 days (85% within 15 days), per TTB’s processing-times page

Rule

27 CFR part 7 (malt beverage labeling)

What happens after you file

TTB approves the application, or returns it as Needs Correction. TTB’s FAQ says you then have 30 calendar days to fix it; if you don’t, the status becomes Rejected, and you can file a new application later. Approval isn’t guaranteed, and nobody can promise it.

Points that most often need correcting

• Brand name entered wrong

  The brand on the label must be entered exactly in the application, and the class or type should not go in the brand field.

• Name and address mismatch

  City and state must match the Brewer’s Notice; contract-brewer and trade-name statements cause many corrections.

• Net contents

  Use “fl. oz.”, not “oz.”; 16 fl. oz. should read 1 pint; metric-only statements are not enough.

• Alcohol content wording

  “ABV” and “ABW” are not permitted abbreviations (27 CFR 7.65(b)(4)).

• Missing statements

  A statement of composition for a fanciful name, or the qualifier an IPA’s geographic term needs (27 CFR 7.146).

• Health warning formatting

  Capital “S” and “G” in “Surgeon General”, the commas, and bold capitals for “GOVERNMENT WARNING” (27 CFR 16.22).

From TTB’s own Boot Camp list of common malt beverage label mistakes (source below).

Step by step

1. Finish the artwork. Final label images, at actual size, every panel that will be on the container.
2. Pre-check every mandatory statement. Brand, class/type, alcohol content, net contents, name and address, health warning and any statements your product needs.
3. File in COLAs Online. Submit TTB F 5100.31 with the label images. TTB charges no fee.
4. Answer corrections fast. If TTB returns it as Needs Correction, you have 30 calendar days to respond, or the application is rejected.

Related

• TTB F 5130.10, Brewer’s Notice
• TTB F 5130.9 / 5130.26, Brewer’s Report of Operations
• TTB F 5000.24, Excise Tax Return
• TTB F 5100.51, formula
• TTB F 5000.8, Power of Attorney
• Deadline calendar
• Glossary of terms

Sources

Checked Oct 28, 2026. Rules change; always confirm with the current regulation or TTB before you rely on a date.

1. 27 CFR part 7 (malt beverage labeling)
2. TTB Boot Camp: Malt beverage labeling, common mistakes (PDF)
3. 27 CFR part 16 (health warning)
4. TTB: COLAs Online and Formulas Online FAQs (C23, Needs Correction)
5. TTB: eApplication statuses in COLAs Online (PDF)
6. TTB: Label processing times

Questions