§ 18B-112 — Tribal alcoholic beverage control

(a) Application of This Chapter. - The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, a federally recognized Indian tribe and sovereign nation, and the Catawba Indian Nation, a federally recognized Indian tribe and sovereign nation, shall be exempt from the provisions of this Chapter, except for those made applicable by this section. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the Catawba Indian Nation shall adopt by ordinance the provisions of this Chapter which are made applicable to each tribe by this section, and such ordinance shall be approved by the Secretary of the United States Department of the Interior and published in the Federal Register accordingly. Each tribe shall hold lawful tribal elections as set out in G.S. 18B-600(a), and if the result of such election authorizes the activity upon which a vote was held, the activity shall be deemed authorized by this section. For the purposes of this section, the tribal alcoholic beverage control commission shall possess the same powers and authority conveyed upon the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission by any section of this Chapter made applicable to the tribe by this section.
(b) Compliance Required. - The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the Catawba Indian Nation shall comply with the following provisions of this Chapter to the extent they apply to or can be made applicable to each tribe:
(1) The following provisions of Article 1. - General Provisions.
a. G.S. 18B-101(4), (7), (7c), (9), (10), (11), (12), (12a), (13), (14)(14a), (14b), and (15).
b. G.S. 18B-102.1.
c. G.S. 18B-104.
d. G.S. 18B-105, except that this section shall not apply to any establishment where gaming is permitted under a State compact and pursuant to federal law.
e. G.S. 18B-109(b).
f. G.S. 18B-110.
g. G.S. 18B-111.
h. G.S. 18B-112.
(2) Article 1A. - Compensation for Injury Caused by Sales to Underage Persons, to the extent it applies to retail establishments or the tribal alcoholic beverage control commission if it operates ABC stores, or any other permitted establishment, at retail pursuant to the provisions of this section.
(3) Article 3. - Sale, Possession, and Consumption, except for G.S. 18B-309.
(4) Article 4. - Transportation.
(5) Article 5. - Enforcement, except for G.S. 18B-500 and G.S. 18B-501.
(5a) Article 6. - Elections, compliance with only G.S. 18B-603(f) and (g) are required.
(6) Article 9. - Issuance of Permits, except for G.S. 18B-902(g) and (h) and G.S. 18B-906.
(7) Article 10. - Retail Activity.
(8) Article 11. - Commercial Activity, as clarified by the following:
a. The tribal alcoholic beverage control commission may issue commercial activity permits to any qualifying applicant that establishes a commercial business wholly on Indian Country lands and shall have sole enforcement authority over any permittee receiving a permit from the tribal alcoholic beverage control commission only to the extent the regulated conduct occurs on Indian Country lands.
b. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the Catawba Indian Nation shall recognize any permit issued by the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission allowing commercial activity in the same manner as if such permit was issued by the tribal alcoholic beverage control commission. The North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission shall recognize any commercial activity permit issued by the tribal alcoholic beverage commission in the same manner as if the permit were issued by the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission.
c. The North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission shall retain exclusive enforcement authority over all permits it issues to commercial activity permittees for violations of its rules or this Chapter.
Any provision of Articles 12 and 13 of this Chapter which has not been made applicable to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the Catawba Indian Nation by this section shall act as a bar to engaging in any activity authorized by that Article or section.
(b1) In accordance with G.S. 18B-1004(c), the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the Catawba Indian Nation may adopt an ordinance allowing for the sale of malt beverages, unfortified wine, fortified wine, and mixed beverages beginning at 10:00 A.M. on Sunday pursuant to the licensed premises' permit issued under the authority of G.S. 18B-112(d).
(c) Alcoholic Beverages Which May Be Sold. - No alcoholic beverage may be sold on Indian Country lands under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians or the Catawba Indian Nation pursuant to this section which has not been approved for sale in this State by the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission.
(d) Establishment of Tribal Commissions. - In accordance with the provisions of 18 U.S.C. § 1161, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the Catawba Indian Nation are each authorized to establish a tribal alcoholic beverage control commission to regulate the purchase, possession, consumption, sale, and delivery of alcoholic beverages on any land designated as Indian Country pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1151 under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Each tribal commission shall have exclusive authority to issue ABC permits to retail and commercial establishments located wholly on Indian Country lands under the jurisdiction of the tribe and to regulate the purchase, possession, consumption, sale, and delivery of alcoholic beverages at permitted outlets and premises. Permits issued by the tribal commission pursuant to this section shall be deemed issued by the State for the purposes of sales and delivery of beer and wine by wholesalers to the retail outlets located on Indian Country lands. The fees generated by the tribal alcoholic beverage control commission for the issuance of retail permits may be retained by each tribe to offset costs of operating the tribal alcoholic beverage control commission.
(e) Establishment of Rules. - The tribal alcoholic beverage control commission shall adopt the rules of the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission regulating retail outlet activity.
(f) Authority of the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission. - The North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission shall have the authority to enter into agreements with the tribal alcoholic beverage control commission to provide for the sale, delivery, and distribution of spirituous liquor to the tribal alcoholic beverage control commission. The tribal alcoholic beverage control commission shall purchase spirituous liquor for resale by the tribal alcoholic beverage control commission exclusively from the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission at the same price and on the same basis that such spirits are purchased by local boards. To the extent there is a conflict between the tribal alcoholic beverage control commission's authority or purpose and the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission's authority or purpose, the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission shall prevail.
(g) Discrimination. - The tribal alcoholic beverage control commission shall not discriminate against non-Indians in the application of the tribal ABC law. Non-Indians shall be entitled to apply for and receive ABC permits in the same manner as an Indian on Indian Country lands under the jurisdiction of each tribe.
(h) Resolution of Contested Cases. - If the tribal alcoholic beverage control commission levies a fine or suspends or revokes a permit pursuant to the provisions of G.S. 18B-104 for a violation of the provisions applicable to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the Catawba Indian Nation in this section, the permittee shall have the right of appeal of an agency final decision of the tribal commission to the tribal courts. Any further appeal shall be to the appellate courts of the tribe. All fines paid to the tribal commission in satisfaction of any penalty assessed by the tribal commission may be retained by the tribe to offset costs of operating the tribal alcoholic beverage control commission.
(i) Failure to Comply With Laws of This State. - If the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians or Catawba Indian Nation fails to adopt the provisions of this Chapter, made applicable to the tribe by this section, by ordinance; fails to amend tribal ordinances to comply with amendments to the provisions of this Chapter, made applicable to the tribe by this section, within six months of passage of such amendments; or fails to comply with the provisions of this Chapter, made applicable to the tribe by this section, as required by 18 U.S.C. § 1161, the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission is authorized to terminate and prohibit future delivery of any alcoholic beverages from any person to the tribal alcoholic beverage control commission until the tribe complies with the provisions of this Chapter made applicable to the tribe by this section and 18 U.S.C. § 1161.
(j) Conflict of Laws. - If any provision of this section or its application conflicts with federal law, the conflict of laws shall be resolved in favor of the federal law unless compliance with the federal law abrogates a right reserved to the State under the Constitution of the United States. (2011-333, s. 3; 2015-98, s. 3(a); 2017-87, s. 4(d); 2019-182, s. 14(c); 2024-41, s. 22(b).)