§ 45-37-20 — Issuance and Regulation of Liquor Licenses

(a)(1) As used in this section, the following words and terms have the meanings hereby ascribed to them:
a. ABC LAW. Chapter 3 of Title 28, which establishes and governs the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board.
b. AUTHORITY. A civic center authority heretofore or hereafter established by and under Acts 1965, No. 547, 1965 Regular Session (Acts 1965, p. 797), approved August 20, 1965, (Appendix, Sections 1049(78) to 1049 (84)), and any board or commission created by ordinance by any municipality within the state for the purpose of operating a civic center.
c. BOARD. The Alcoholic Beverage Control Board.
d. CIVIC CENTER. The civic center established by the authority under Section 6 of Acts 1965, No. 547, 1965 Regular Session (Acts 1965, p. 797) (Appendix, Section 1049(83)), and also, any civic center operated by a board or commission created by ordinance by any municipal corporation within the state for the purpose of operating a civic center.
e. CIVIC CENTER LIQUOR LICENSE. The license which the act provides for issuance to an authority.
f. RESTAURANT LIQUOR LICENSE. The restaurant license for which the ABC law provides.
(2) Any word or term used in this section which is defined in the ABC law shall have the same meaning as that law ascribes to the word or term.
(b) The board may issue a civic center liquor license to any authority operating a civic center located in a city where a restaurant or club liquor license is otherwise authorized by law, which license shall entitle the authority to purchase liquor from an Alabama liquor store and, subject to the ABC law and the regulations made thereunder, not in conflict with the ABC law or with this section, to keep and sell in any part of its civic center for consumption therein any such liquor and also any malt or brewed beverages or vinous beverages the holder of a restaurant liquor license is entitled to keep and sell.
(c) When any license is issued pursuant to this section to an authority created by municipal ordinance, the city council or like governing body of the city wherein a civic center is located shall have the authority and the duty to fix reasonable rules and regulations for the sale of alcoholic beverages in such civic center, including rules and regulations as to times and places wherein alcoholic beverages may be sold within such civic center, and the types of meetings and functions at which the same may be sold.
(d)(1) The authority shall pay for the civic center liquor license a fee in the same amount as would be payable for the issuance of a restaurant liquor license in the city wherein the authority is located.
(2) The fee for the civic center liquor license shall be payable to the same officer to whom the restaurant liquor license is payable. The civic center liquor licenses shall be issued for the same periods as restaurant liquor licenses are issued. The laws governing the distribution of the fees paid for the issuance of restaurant liquor licenses shall govern the distribution of fees paid for civic center liquor licenses.
(3) A civic center liquor license shall entitle the authority holding the same to keep and sell beverages thereunder in any part of its civic center.
(4) Such license shall not be assignable, and no tenant, lessee, or concessionaire of the authority shall be entitled to sell beverages under the civic center liquor license.
(e) Except as amended by this section, the laws of the state and the regulations of the board shall apply to any authority in its operations under a civic center liquor license.

Legislative History

(Acts 1971, No. 409, p. 1104, §§1-4; Acts 1975 2nd Sp. Sess., No. 56, p. 182, §1.)