In California, businesses with licenses to sell alcohol can't hand out free items or gifts to promote their drinks, although there are exceptions. They can offer refunds or exchanges to unhappy customers. Wineries can promise customer satisfaction and refund the purchase cost, wherever the wine was bought. Wine, beer, or spirit makers can donate part of the sale to charity but can't involve retailers in promotions. For beer, free goods mustn't exceed certain small values unless given as consumer advertising. Beer makers can't make wholesalers pay for such advertising. Distilled spirits and wine companies can give retailers ads but capped at $50 yearly. Lastly, alcohol makers can offer free or discounted rides to ensure public safety but can't tie it to alcohol purchases or involve retailers.

This law lets beer manufacturers give up to five cases of promotional glassware to bars or restaurants each year, without any strings attached, such as being linked to sales of their beer. Bars can accept up to ten cases a year but aren’t allowed to resell or demand conditions for receiving the glassware. Beer wholesalers can't fund or deliver this glassware. Both beer manufacturers and bars need to keep records of what they give or receive for three years. These rules are set to expire on January 1, 2026.

This section allows certain alcohol-related businesses to run consumer contests with strict rules: purchases of alcohol can't increase chances of winning, participants must be 21 or older, and drinking alcohol can't be involved in the contest. Contests shouldn't favor retail liquor stores, and entry must be possible without visiting a store. Codes or forms on bottles are okay, but no purchase should be required. Prizes can't be alcohol but can include cash, and contests shouldn't offer instant prizes. Licensees must handle entries themselves and not involve retailers. Advertising must follow specific guidelines and shouldn't single out any particular retailer unless there are multiple involved. Family members of licensee employees can't win, and records must be kept for three years. The contests must rely on skill, not chance, and can't be based on cumulative purchases. Prizes aren't limited by other regulations, and violations can lead to a 12-month contest ban.

This law allows certain alcohol producers and importers (called "authorized licensees") to run sweepstakes in California, but there are strict rules. No one can be charged a fee to enter, and entry isn't tied to buying alcohol. Participants must be 21 or older, and alcohol can't be part of the prize. Sweepstakes must be open to all California residents and can't just benefit a single retailer. Special rules apply to how people can enter: they can't be forced to buy something or go to a particular place. Also, the advertising for these sweepstakes has to follow specific rules and can't directly promote retail locations. Finally, winners can't be the people who run or work at the businesses hosting the sweepstakes or their families. Records must be kept for three years after a sweepstakes ends, and if rules are broken, a licensee might be banned from running sweepstakes for a year.

This California law states that businesses licensed to produce or distribute alcoholic beverages (nonretail licensees) are not allowed to offer or fund any type of coupon that provides discounts to consumers. Retailers, who sell liquor directly to customers, cannot accept or use those coupons created by nonretail licensees. The law defines a wide range of items as 'coupons', including paper and digital forms and rebates. However, it allows some specific kinds of discounts, like mail-in rebates funded by the manufacturer, or discounts from beer and wine makers at their brewery or winery locations. Retailers who do not make alcoholic beverages themselves can still offer discounts as long as they follow other legal guidelines not covered by this section.

This law allows certain alcohol manufacturers and their agents to hold special invitation-only events where they can give out free drinks and entertainment. These events have several rules: only specific license holders can participate, events must occur in authorized places like hotels (but not in lobbies or clubs), and hotels must keep other areas open for public access. Events can't be heavily advertised, and attendance is by invitation only, with strict limits on guest numbers. No additional gifts can be given, and each event can't last more than four hours. Organizers can only hold a limited number of these events each year, and they must apply for a special permit at least 30 days in advance. Additionally, organizers can ensure guests have a free ride home, and there's a fee involved for hosting the event. All parties involved must follow the rules, or they could face penalties.

If you have a license to run a business, and you or your employees allow or ignore people using the location for disruptive or harmful activities that disturb the neighborhood or harm public morals, health, or safety, that's a crime.

This law makes it a crime to sell or give alcohol to someone who is clearly drunk or is a known drunkard. However, if someone sells or gives alcohol to such a person, they cannot be held legally responsible for any harm that drunk person causes to others. The law emphasizes that if someone gets drunk and causes harm, it's because they drank the alcohol, not because someone served it to them.

This law says that if someone sells or gives alcohol to a clearly intoxicated minor, and that action leads directly to someone's injury or death, the injured person (or their family) can file a lawsuit against the seller. This applies to both individuals and businesses, including those on military bases or other federal areas.

This law allows the director to go to court to stop a real or potential violation of alcohol-related rules in Section 25602(a). The director can take action in the county where the violation happened or might happen. Any legal action taken will follow specific court procedures, with the assumption that if the violation isn’t stopped, it will cause significant harm that can't be fixed just with money.

If a business with a license violates a specific alcohol regulation (subdivision (a) of Section 25602) more than once within a three-year period, they cannot request a settlement or compromise for the second or any later violations.

If someone illegally brings alcohol into a prison or jail in California, they're committing a felony.

This law makes it illegal to run or have any club or place where people can drink alcohol if you don't have a proper license. Alcohol can't be stored or consumed in these places without this license, and charging people to use the space or providing things like mixers or glasses is also against the law. If someone breaks this rule, the Attorney General or any district attorney can take legal action to stop it.

If you're a business with a license to sell alcohol for consumption elsewhere (like a liquor store), you can't deliver alcohol ordered by phone or online unless the person receiving it can prove they're at least 21 years old with proper ID.

This law makes it illegal to use any vehicle to hide or transport alcoholic beverages, equipment for making alcohol, or any supplies intended for alcohol production if it's done to avoid paying taxes or fees. However, this doesn't apply if the transport is for legitimate business purposes. Breaking this law is a misdemeanor, possibly resulting in a fine up to $1,000, jail time up to a year, or both. Vehicles used in illegal activities can be seized by the authorities.

This law section outlines rules about alcoholic beverages on licensed premises in California. Generally, license holders can't have alcohol they aren't authorized to sell on their premises, and breaking this rule is a misdemeanor. However, exceptions allow a public eating place to keep certain spirits for cooking, adjacent licensed producers to share an area for consumption, and certain manufacturers to have multiple types of alcohol on-site if they hold specific, related licenses. Additionally, manufacturers can share space with retailers if they follow strict guidelines designed to maintain separation between production and retail interests, thus preventing market domination and excessive sales tactics.

If a nonprofit corporation needs a license to sell beer or wine, it can still receive donations of beer or wine as long as it has applied for the necessary license. This does not change any rules in another section, Section 25503.9.

You can't possess, consume, sell, give, or deliver alcohol on public school property in California, or you'll be charged with a misdemeanor. However, there are many exceptions to this rule. Alcohol is allowed if it's part of certain educational programs involving winemaking or brewing, authorized school events, or during specific events at college facilities, community centers, or sports stadiums. It's also okay in specific situations like religious ceremonies, housing for faculty, and certain culinary programs. If convicted, you also lose the privilege to use public school property for events.

If you're on the Truckee River in a boat or swimming between Lake Tahoe and Alpine Meadows Bridge, you can't have any alcohol containers, whether they're open or closed, during summer holidays when Placer County bans drinking along the river. The term 'container' includes any bottle, can, or other holder. If you break this rule, it's a minor offense, which means you'll face a fine. Also, Placer County must warn people about these rules on the land by the river.

This law makes it illegal to have any container with alcohol, whether opened or not, while on a boat or swimming in a specific section of the Sacramento River during summer holiday periods. This applies when Glenn County and Butte County have bans in place for alcohol on nearby lands. If you break this rule, it's considered a minor offense, called an infraction, and you might get fined. The counties must put up signs to inform people about this rule and its consequences.

This law makes it illegal to have any container of alcohol, whether it's open or closed, while in a nonmotorized boat on a specified part of the Lower American River during certain summer holidays. These dates are set by the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors. If you break this rule, you'll get a minor legal penalty called an infraction. The county has to put up signs along the river to warn people about this rule.

If a business sells you a different kind of alcoholic drink than what you asked for and doesn't tell you about the switch, they're committing a misdemeanor.

This law allows wine and liquor manufacturers and distributors to provide certain types of advertising signs to retail locations. For wine and distilled spirits, the signs used inside a drinking establishment can't be bigger than 630 square inches, but this size rule doesn't apply to stores selling take-home alcohol. Beer ads can be displayed in various formats, such as posters and illuminated signs, both inside and outside retail locations. These beer signs must prominently display the manufacturer's brand and other identifiers and remain owned by the wholesaler unless sold to the retailer. Customized beer signs must be sold at market price, ensuring fairness in pricing.

This law states that alcohol producers and distributors, like manufacturers and winegrowers, can provide electronic data services to retail stores. These services include things like sending inventory data, tracking sales performance, sending invoices, and transferring funds electronically. These activities are allowed and not restricted by this section.

This law allows beer wholesalers to sell or rent signs advertising beer to retail locations. These signs can include things like inflatables or banners. The law requires that these signs be sold or rented at a minimum price, which is at least the cost of making them. If a sign is specifically made for a particular retailer, it must be sold to them, not rented.

This law says that any signs or ads used by places selling alcohol can't be obnoxious, overly flashy, or offensive. Also, they should not block people outside from seeing inside the store from the street, following specific department rules.

This law is about setting operational guidelines for certain types of retail establishments that sell alcohol, except for some specific businesses like restaurants and hotels. It outlines rules these businesses must follow to promote public health and safety. Key rules include posting no-loitering and no-open-container signs when notified by law enforcement, prohibiting on-premises alcohol consumption for off-sale places, maintaining lighting for safety, and keeping the area clean from litter and graffiti. They also limit window advertising to ensure visibility from the outside, may require phone restrictions, and impose rules on adult video content access. Businesses must provide public access to these standards during normal hours.

If you run a bar or restaurant and serve beer on tap, you need to clearly label each tap with the beer's brand name. This applies whether the tap is visible or hidden. If the taps are not in the same room where people drink the beer, you also need to have a sign in the drinking area listing the types of beer you actually have for sale.

This law makes it a misdemeanor to either serve or advertise one brand of draught beer but actually provide a different one. It also applies if someone misrepresents what kind of beer is being served.

This law section states that if someone intentionally files a false license fee report, refuses to allow required inspections, fails to maintain or preserve accounting records, or falsifies sales records for alcoholic beverages, they can be charged with a misdemeanor. Punishments may include a fine between $200 and $1,000, imprisonment for a month to six months, or both.

If someone breaks a rule covered by this division of laws and there's no specific penalty listed for it, they will be guilty of a misdemeanor. The punishment can be a fine up to $1,000, up to six months in county jail, or both.

If someone is found guilty of a felony under this specific set of rules and there's no specific penalty stated, they can face a fine up to $10,000, be jailed for up to a year in county jail, or possibly both a fine and jail time. Sometimes the imprisonment can also follow certain state prison guidelines.

This law makes it an infraction to have open alcohol containers in parks or other public areas owned by a city or county if there's a local rule against it. However, it doesn't apply in places with a license to serve alcohol or if you're holding the containers for recycling.

This law prohibits anyone in California from buying, selling, or using alcohol in vaporized form, which is made using a device that mixes alcohol with gas to create a vapor you can inhale. Selling or offering to sell this vaporized alcohol is a misdemeanor, potentially leading to a $1,000 fine or up to six months in jail. Purchasing or using this vaporized alcohol results in a $250 fine. It's also illegal just to have or sell the alcohol vaporizing devices themselves, and doing so is considered a misdemeanor.

This law states that businesses with a license cannot sell, offer, or provide cannabis or products containing cannabis on their premises. Additionally, it's illegal to make or sell any alcoholic drink that has cannabis ingredients like THC or cannabinoids. If a business breaks this rule, they can face penalties such as having their license suspended or taken away.

This law prohibits the import, production, or sale of beer with added caffeine in California. The authorities may ask beer sellers to share their product formulas to make sure this law is followed. This formula information will be kept private and won’t be publicly accessible.

You can't have, buy, sell, make, share, or use powdered alcohol. If you sell, make, or share it, you can be fined up to $500.

This law makes it illegal for anyone to have, buy, sell, offer, make, give out, or use powdered alcohol. If someone is caught buying, having, or using it, they'll have to pay a fine of $125 because it is considered an infraction.

Starting July 1, 2024, bars in California with a Type 48 license must sell drug testing devices that can detect substances like GHB and ketamine in drinks. They have to charge a reasonable price and post a clear notice about the availability of these devices. Bars can offer them for free if they want. They're not liable for any faulty results from these tests, but they must ensure the tests aren't expired. Violating this law isn't a crime. This requirement lasts until January 1, 2027.

This law defines terms related to drink spiking and the responsibilities of businesses with certain alcohol licenses when they suspect drink spiking has occurred. Businesses must contact law enforcement or emergency services if they receive a report or observe signs of drink spiking, such as positive drug test results, tampering observations, or a customer reporting they have been drugged. Staff should follow any instructions from authorities and monitor the affected customer until help arrives. Violating this law does not result in criminal charges.

If you have or are applying for a Type 48 alcohol license, you need to provide a lid for at least one type of drink container upon request. Plus, display a sign that alerts customers about lids and drug test kits. You can charge for the lids, but only a fair amount, or give them for free. Violating this section isn't a crime, but if you ignore it, you’ll get a warning first. This rule starts July 1, 2025, and ends on January 1, 2027.