Plain English Breakdown
The official text is truncated at the end, so details regarding how cities or counties identify zones beyond Special Event Hospitality Zones may be incomplete.
AB-342: Extended Alcohol Sales in Hospitality Zones
This law allows licensed bars and restaurants in city-approved zones to sell alcohol until 4 a.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, or state holidays if they obtain an additional serving hours license.
What This Bill Does
- Allows businesses with the right license to sell or give alcoholic beverages until 4 a.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and specified state holidays within designated hospitality zones starting June 1, 2026.
- Requires cities or counties to pass local rules creating these zones before any business can apply for extended hours.
- Mandates that local law enforcement present a late-night policing plan analyzing public safety impacts before the zone is approved.
- Creates an 'additional serving hours license' with a $2,500 application and annual fee, adjusted yearly for inflation.
- Prohibits businesses from selling alcohol to take away during these extra late-night hours.
- Makes it a crime punishable by at least a $200 fine for anyone under 21 to enter or stay in licensed places during extended hours without lawful business.
Who It Names or Affects
- Bars, restaurants, and other businesses that serve alcohol on-site (on-sale licensees).
- City or county governments responsible for creating rules and safety plans for these zones.
- Local law enforcement agencies required to create late-night policing plans.
Terms To Know
- Hospitality Zone
- A specific area defined by a city or county where businesses can apply for later alcohol sales hours, including both standard and special event zones.
- Special Event Hospitality Zone
- A temporary zone created for specific events that allows extended alcohol sales times, with boundaries and duration identified on a map by local officials.
- On-sale licensee
- A business licensed to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises.
Limits and Unknowns
- The law allows cities and counties to begin submitting ordinances starting January 1, 2026, but alcohol sales under this new rule cannot start until June 1, 2026.
- Businesses cannot transfer this special license to a different location or use it for take-out alcohol sales.
- Local governments must draw maps showing the exact boundaries and time limits for each Special Event Hospitality Zone.