Using TTB's Public COLA Registry to Search Certificates of Label Approval (COLA)

Posted 06/22/2018

Want to search for approved labels? Need to know more about TTB's Public COLA Registry? You've come to the right place. The Public COLA Registry should not be confused with COLAs Online. There is a difference. COLAS Online is TTB's system for the submission and review of a COLA. The Public COLA Registry does not require a username nor password. The Public COLA Registry allows the public to view information such as:

• Approved, Expired, Surrendered, and Revoked COLA details;
• Limited Basic Permit information;
• Images of the approved electronically filed label applications (printable versions) received after June 2003 and most paper COLAs issued since 1999.

Using the Registry

In the top right hand menu box of the COLA Registry page you will find, among other things, a link to the Public COLA Registry Manual which will provide you with step-by-step instructions on finding COLAs. This manual contains comprehensive instructions on the system capabilities and functions. Below you'll find basic procedures on how to use some of the features of the Public COLA Registry.

For instance, perhaps you are an industry member who wants to see all the labels approved under your Federal Basic Permit.

Click on the registry's Advanced Search page and enter your Basic Permit number* in the box titled "Plant Registry/Basic Permit/Brewer's No." If you have a large number of approvals, you can modify the list by using any of the other search options, such as the "Date Completed" option. You can modify your search by as many or as few options as necessary.

The system allows the use of a wildcard character — a character used to replace any unknown word or letter in a search phrase. The Public COLA Registry wildcard character is the "%" symbol. If the wildcard is used in a search term, the registry will then run the search for you and locate all the potential words that match your term. For example, you may be looking for a brand name that includes the word "Valerie." Type the term "%Valerie%" (without quotation marks) and the registry will look for references such as "Valerie's Vineyard" and "Wines by Valerie," as well as the solo term "Valerie." Keep in mind that any brand name-type searches may not be completely comprehensive due to errors in data entry or in the way the approval form was filled out.

When you have finished entering your search terms do not click any of the "Lookup" buttons unless you are specifically searching for an answer from one of those fields. Instead, you may either click your keyboard's "Enter" key or scroll down to the bottom-right side of the page and click "Search."

Viewing and Printing Label Approvals

To view a copy of the label approval itself, click on the application's TTB ID number hyperlink. This will bring you to the "COLA Detail" page. Locate the "Printable Version" link at the top right-hand side of the details box and click it for a print-ready copy of the approval.

Additional COLA Registry Information

• If you are registered with COLAs Online, you should log out of that system before you try to use the COLA Registry.
• The COLA Registry only contains approved labels. Rejected or returned applications are not included in this database.
• Information regarding a products formula is not available in any public forum.

For more information see our Public COLA Registry customer page or contact the Alcohol Labeling and Formulation Division for labeling questions.

* Domestic wineries should always use their Basic Permit Registry number (it begins with "BW" or "BWN") when searching the Public COLA Registry.