ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE PERMT: Provides relative to the location of a premises for the issuance and revocation of an alcohol permit

HLS 26RS-1189 ORIGINAL
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 687
BY REPRESENTATIVE KNOX
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE PERMT: Provides relative to the location of a premises for the
issuance and revocation of an alcohol permit
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 26:81(C) and (D) and 281(C), (D), and (F) and to enact R.S.
3 26:81.2 and 281.2, relative to the location of a premises having an alcohol permit;
4 to limit the issuance of an alcohol permit in certain areas; to provide for revocation
5 of a valid permit upon the sale of a commercial premises located in certain areas; to
6 permit the re-application for an alcohol permit; and to provide for related matters.
7 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8 Section 1. R.S. 26:81(C) and (D) and 281(C), (D), and (F) are hereby amended and
9 reenacted and R.S. 26:81.2 and 281.2 are hereby enacted to read as follows:
10 §81. Location of business limited
11 * * *
12 C.(1) When prohibited by municipal or parish ordinance, no permit shall be
13 granted for any premises situated within three hundred feet or less, as fixed by the
14 ordinance, of a public playground or of a building used exclusively as a church or
15 synagogue, public library, school, full-time day care center as defined in R.S.
16 17:405(A)(4), or a correctional facility housing inmates, including but not limited to
17 a halfway house, or a residence located within a historic neighborhood. In
18 municipalities and in unincorporated areas which are divided into subdivisions with
19 streets, blocks, and sidewalks, subject to the adoption of the alternate method of
20 measurement as provided for in Paragraph (2) of this Subsection, this distance shall
21 be measured as a person walks using the sidewalk from the nearest point of the
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HLS 26RS-1189 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 687
1 property line of the church, synagogue, public library, public playground, school,
2 full-time day care center, or correctional facility housing inmates, including but not
3 limited to a halfway house, or a residence located within a historic neighborhood to
4 the nearest point of the premises to be licensed.
5 (2) A municipality may adopt an ordinance establishing an alternate method
6 of measurement of the three hundred foot limitation by measuring in a straight line
7 from the nearest point of the property line of the church or synagogue, public library,
8 school, or full-time day care center to the nearest point of the premises to be
9 licensed, or a residence located within a historic neighborhood. Such alternate
10 method of measurement shall only apply prospectively to the issuance of a new
11 alcohol permit issued on or after the date the ordinance has been adopted.
12 D. Outside of municipalities and unincorporated areas which are not divided
13 into subdivisions with streets, blocks, or sidewalks, parish ordinances may extend the
14 prohibition to a distance of five hundred feet of the church, synagogue, public
15 library, school, full-time day care center, playground, or a correctional facility
16 housing inmates, including but not limited to a halfway house, or a residence located
17 within a historic neighborhood. The measurement of this distance shall be made in
18 the same manner as the measurement is made in municipalities.
19 * * *
20 §81.2. Revocation of permits; location of a purchased premises
21 When a permit has been granted for any premises described in R.S. 26:81 that
22 is situated within three hundred feet or less of a public playground or of a building
23 used exclusively as a church or synagogue, public library, school, full-time day care
24 center as defined in R.S. 17:405(A)(4), a correctional facility housing inmates,
25 including but not limited to a halfway house, or a residence located within a historic
26 neighborhood and the premises is sold, the permit shall be revoked as of the date of
27 the sale of the premises. Nothing shall prevent the reapplication for the issuance of
28 a permit as provided for in this Chapter.
29 * * *
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HLS 26RS-1189 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 687
1 §281. Location of business limited; exception
2 * * *
3 C.(1)(a) When prohibited by municipal or parish ordinance, no permit shall
4 be granted for any premises situated within three hundred feet or less, as fixed by the
5 ordinance, of a public playground, of a building used exclusively as a church or
6 synagogue, public library, school, or full-time day care center as defined in R.S.
7 17:405(A)(4), or correctional facility housing inmates, including but not limited to
8 a halfway house, or a residence located within a historic neighborhood. In
9 municipalities and in unincorporated areas which are divided into subdivisions with
10 streets, blocks, sidewalks, etc., subject to the adoption of the alternate method of
11 measurement as provided for in Paragraph (2) of this Subsection, this distance shall
12 be measured as a person walks using the sidewalk from the nearest point of the
13 property line of the church or synagogue, public library, public playground, school,
14 full-time day care center, or a correctional facility housing inmates, including but not
15 limited to a halfway house to the nearest point of the premises to be licensed.
16 (b) A municipality may adopt an ordinance establishing an alternate method
17 of measurement of the three hundred foot limitation by measuring in a straight line
18 from the nearest point of the property line of the church or synagogue, public library,
19 school, or full-time day care center to the nearest point of the premises to be
20 licensed, or a residence located within a historic neighborhood. Such alternate
21 method of measurement shall only apply prospectively to the issuance of a new
22 alcohol permit issued on or after the date the ordinance has been adopted.
23 (2) The commissioner shall not deny any applicant located outside a
24 municipality a permit based on the distance requirements of this Subsection, if the
25 parish governing authority and the organization that operates the public playground
26 or owns the building used exclusively as a church or synagogue, public library,
27 school, full-time day care center, or the correctional facility housing inmates,
28 including but not limited to a halfway house, or a residence located within a historic
29 neighborhood waive opposition to the applicant's permit. The provisions of this
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HLS 26RS-1189 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 687
1 Paragraph shall does not apply in the parishes of Pointe Coupee, West Baton Rouge,
2 East Feliciana, West Feliciana, and St. Bernard.
3 D. Police juries may enact ordinances extending the distances between
4 licensed premises and the property line of churches, synagogues, public libraries,
5 public playgrounds, schools, full-time day care centers, and correctional facilities
6 housing inmates, including but not limited to halfway houses to five hundred feet,
7 and a residence located within a historic neighborhood.
8 * * *
9 F. Should any premises licensed to deal in beverages of low alcoholic
10 content be located within a distance less than that provided by a municipal or parish
11 ordinance pursuant to this Section from property which is purchased or acquired after
12 the license was obtained for the construction, erection, movement, or development
13 of a public playground or a building used exclusively as a church or synagogue,
14 public library, school, full-time day care center, or correctional facility housing
15 inmates, including but not limited to a halfway house, or a residence located within
16 a historic neighborhood, such subsequent purchase or acquisition shall not be
17 grounds for the revocation, withholding, denial, or refusal to renew the permit on
18 said premises either by state or local authorities.
19 * * *
20 §281.2. Revocation of permits; location of a purchased premises
21 When a permit has been granted for any premises pursuant to R.S. 26:281
22 that is situated within three hundred feet or less of a public playground or of a
23 building used exclusively as a church or synagogue, public library, school, full-time
24 day care center as defined in R.S. 17:405(A)(4), a correctional facility housing
25 inmates, including but not limited to a halfway house, or a residence located within
26 a historic neighborhood and the premises is sold, the permit shall be revoked as of
27 the date of the sale of the premises. Nothing shall prevent the reapplication for the
28 issuance of a permit as provided for in this Chapter.
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HLS 26RS-1189 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 687
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 687 Original 2026 Regular Session Knox
Abstract: Provides relative to the issuance and revocation of an alcohol permit in certain
areas.
Present law prohibits the granting of an alcoholic beverage permit of high or low alcoholic
content for any premises situated within 300 feet or less of a public playground, church or
synagogue, public library, school, or full-time day care center, or a correctional facility
housing inmates when prohibited by municipal or parish ordinance.
Present law provides that in municipalities and in unincorporated areas which are divided
into subdivisions with streets, blocks, and sidewalks, the distance is measured as a person
walks using the sidewalk from the nearest point of the property line to the nearest point of
the premises to be licensed.
Present law provides that outside of municipalities and unincorporated areas which are not
divided into subdivisions with streets, blocks, or sidewalks, parish ordinances may extend
the prohibition to a distance of 500 feet.
Proposed law retains present law and prohibits the granting of an alcoholic beverage permit
of high or low alcoholic content for any premises situated within 300 feet or less of a
residence located within a historic neighborhood.
Proposed law further provides that when a public playground, church or synagogue, public
library, school, full-time day care center, a correctional facility housing inmates, or a
residence located within a historic neighborhood is sold, the alcohol permit is revoked as of
the date of the sale of the premises.
Proposed law provides that a reapplication for the issuance of an alcoholic beverage permit
of high or low alcoholic content is not prohibited.
(Amends R.S. 26:81(C) and (D) and 281(C), (D), and (F); Adds R.S. 26:81.2 and 281.2)
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