COLA Label Check

Pre-screen your wine, spirits, or beer label against the TTB rules — and catch what causes a “Needs Correction” before you submit, not weeks after.

What is a COLA label check?

A COLA label check is a review of your label against TTB’s federal labeling requirements before you file your Certificate of Label Approval (COLA). It confirms the mandatory information is present, correctly worded, and properly placed — the brand name, class and type designation, alcohol content, net contents, name and address, and the Government Warning — so the label is far more likely to clear review the first time instead of coming back for correction.

Why check your COLA label before you submit?

Most labels returned for correction fail on the basics — a missing element, the wrong wording, a placement problem — not on a judgment call. A corrected label has to be re-reviewed by TTB before it can be approved, pushing back your bottling and release window. A COLA label check (sometimes called a TTB label check or a COLA pre-check) is the cheapest insurance there is: catch the problem at your desk in a couple of minutes, instead of in a rejection notice weeks later.

Already got a “Needs Correction” notice or a rejected COLA? Here’s what it means and what to do next.

What a COLA label check covers

• The Government Warning — exact wording, capitalization, and legibility
• Mandatory information — brand name, class and type designation, alcohol content, net contents
• The name and address / bottled-by or produced-by statement
• Sulfite and allergen declarations (wine)
• Appellation and varietal consistency (wine)
• Prohibited and misleading terms

How COLAClear runs your check

1. Upload your front and back label artwork.
2. COLAClear reads the actual label image and extracts the text.
3. It checks that text against the requirements of 27 CFR Parts 4, 5, 7, and 16.
4. You get a pass / review / fail report in seconds — with the specific regulation behind every flag.