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Are Kava Drinks and Kava Shots Legal? (2026)

Varies by state

As of November 12, 2026, kava, including kava shots and kava drinks, is restricted in 4, legal in 47 of 51 jurisdictions. 3 state rules on file treat a drink or prepared food differently.

Source: the Kava determination for each state.

Kava shots and kava drinks are made from the root of Piper methysticum. They are kava products, so the kava determination for each state applies. The rules below are the kava clauses on file that treat a drink, an alcoholic drink or a prepared food differently.

Rules that change the answer for a shot or drink (3)

  • Condition · Shots and drinks · District of Columbia, Kava
    A microenterprise home kitchen may not prepare food products containing kava; licensed food establishments are not covered by this exclusion. D.C. Code 7-742.11(3)(E)
  • Condition · Shots and drinks · Hawaii, Kava
    The Department of Health recognizes as safe only noble 'awa root mixed with water or coconut water by aqueous extraction for a beverage. 'Awa may not be an ingredient of other conventional foods or beverages, and as a dietary ingredient it may be sold only as a packaged, labeled dietary supplement from an FDA-registered facility. HAR 11-29-8(a); Department of Health GRAS Determination for 'Awa (January 23, 2024)
  • Barred in this form · Alcoholic drinks · Utah, Kava
    Beer and heavy beer do not include a product that contains an additive masking or altering a physiological effect of alcohol, including kava. Non-alcoholic kava drinks are outside this rule. Utah Code 32B-1-102(12)(c)(iii), (53)(c)(iii)

Kava across the country

LegalRestrictedGray areaIllegalNot yet verified

State by state

The dot shows the strictest status among the compounds listed for that state. Each link opens the full law for that compound.

Federal

  • Kava: Not federally scheduled. Not federally controlled; sold under FDA dietary supplement and food law Federal detail

Cite this page

Compound Analytics. "Are Kava Drinks and Kava Shots Legal? (2026)." Compound Laws, https://compoundlaws.com/kava-drinks/. Accessed November 13, 2026.

Compound Laws, published by Compound Analytics, reports the record: statutes verbatim, official citations, enforcement facts and verification dates. Nothing here is legal advice and nothing here describes how to get around a law. A jurisdiction with no verified row is reported as not yet verified, never as legal. Found an error? Corrections policy.

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