Act No. 2022-431
by Rep. Gil Isbell, R-Gadsden
Legislation signed into law April 14 allows alcohol licensees to return to curbside and takeout procedures used during the height of the pandemic and the implementation of drive-thru beer and wine by early next year.
Act No. 2022-431 allows alcohol licensees to sell for off-premises consumption:
- beer and wine at a drive-up, drive-thru or walk-up window. This section of the law applies to retailers licensed for off-premises sales.
- alcoholic beverages curbside or for takeout in sealed, unopened containers. The curbside/carryout section applies to businesses with on- or off-premises licenses or a combo of both. This section codifies similar operating procedures to what was allowed on an emergency basis during the pandemic from March 18-Sept. 15, 2020, and from Dec. 14, 2020, to Jan. 4, 2021. It limits the amount of liquor that can be sold per customer to one liter, wine to 1,500 milliliters and beer to 288 ounces.
The law requires the employee handling the beverage sales at the window or for curbside/takeout be 21 years old or older.
The Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board was to develop rules to implement the drive-thru section by Jan. 1, 2023. The rule was certified Nov. 14 and goes into effect Jan. 14, 2023. The remainder of the law became effective July 1.
Rep. Gil Isbell, R-Gadsden, the law’s sponsor, introduced similar legislation in the 2021 regular session.
OTHER ALCOHOL-RELATED LEGISLATION
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