The ABC’s Fourth Round of Regulatory Relief - Expanded License Footprints Through Temporary COVID-19 Catering Authorizations, and Expanded Privileges for Club Licensees

On Friday, May 15th, the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (the “ABC”) issued another round of temporary relief. For those of you counting, this is the fourth round of temporary relief for licensees. This latest round includes a significant opportunity for licensees to temporarily expand their licensed footprints so they can serve more people and serve them outside where it will be safer while the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

This round of relief also expands sale privileges for type 50, 51, and 52 members-only clubs.

Here are the details:

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ABC ENFORCEMENT - ALIVE, ACTIVE AND OUT IN THE COMMUNITY

Late last week, the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (the “ABC”) issued two significant “Industry Advisories” (one on April 30th and one on May 1st) admonishing the industry for failing to heed current legal requirements. The ABC warns these failures would lead to license suspensions and potential license revocation.

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The March 25, 2020 ABC Guidance: Enforcement Continues; Charitable Giving Remains Subject to ABC Rules; and More – What Does it all Mean?

On March 25, 2020, the ABC updated the Frequently Asked Questions (“FAQs”) posted on its website, https://www.abc.ca.gov/law-and-policy/coronavirus19/frequently-asked-questions/, to guide licensees dealing with the evolving COVID 19 crisis. The ABC, while it does provide meaningful relief from many onerous regulations, by no means is foregoing its responsibility as a law enforcement agency. Rather, licensees must be cognizant of the limited scope (both temporal and substantive) of the regulatory relief.

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