Tuesday, November 29, 2016

The Easiest Ways To Avoid A Liquor License Violation

By Betty Nelson


If you are opening a new restaurant, grocery store or quick stop shop in New Mexico, you are probably going to want to get a permit to sell alcohol. It may be a sound business idea, but you will have to get the city you do business in to agree. In order to do that you will have to fill out the forms and have the city commission or board review your application. They will consider your location, your business plan, and your personal history. They will also study how likely you are to commit a liquor license violation.

Although what is legal in one state may not be legal in another, it is never a good idea to sell alcohol to an underage individual. This is one of the fastest ways to lose your permit. A lot of young people will try to convince business owners they are old enough to purchase beer or wine. They may have identification that looks convincing, but if you have any doubts, you should refuse them service and make them leave your establishment.

Another rule that is pretty universal concerns selling to someone who is clearly intoxicated. This regulation applies whether you are selling by the drink in a bar or restaurant or bottled in a package or grocery store. It is not just the responsibility of the person who has had too much to drink, you also can be held accountable if the individual gets into a car and drives intoxicated.

In most cases, businesses that sell alcohol are not allowed to have gambling machines or let people play cards and other games for money. This does not apply to the sale of lottery tickets however, in the states that participate in that activity. Whether or not you can provide entertainment in a place where alcohol is sold depends on the type of license you have.

Disagreements in bars are not unusual, but you must take measures to see that you are running an establishment with a no tolerance rule. Offenders should be ejected and ordered off the property. If you have too many disruptions at your business, your permits might be revoked. Illegal drugs can never be permitted if you want to keep your business open.

Having a contest with the prize being a free round of drinks may seem like a good promotion and a way to get customers into your place of business, but it is illegal in some states. It can also be a violation to allow customers to run a bar tab.

You can't transfer a license to someone else or try to obtain a permit for someone else. Owners who decide to expand their space, or reduce it, will have to have their plans approved and may see some of the permit rules change as a result. A felony conviction is cause for revocation as well as refusing to cooperate with law enforcement.

Having the ability to offer alcoholic drinks in a restaurant or store can be great for your business, but you have to be careful to follow the law. If you lose your permit, you will probably have trouble getting it back.




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