Soft Closing of Alcohol Beverage Establishments

Current law prohibits a person licensed to sell alcohol beverages at the retail level (licensee) from selling, serving, or distributing malt, vinous, or spirituous liquors between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. The bill allows a licensee to allow customers to consume malt, vinous, or spirituous liquors from 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. on the licensed premises if the licensee: Stops selling malt, vinous, or spiritous liquors and closes out all open charges no later than 2:30 a.m.; and Removes all purchased malt, vinous, or spirituous liquors from the consumption area of the licensed premises no later than 3 a.m. The bill only applies to a licensee if the county, city and county, or municipality that the licensee is operating within adopts a law opting into the application of the bill to their jurisdiction. The local law may be more strict than the bill. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)