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SB614 • 2026

Alcoholic beverage control; advertising materials, purchase and display of barrels.

<p class=ldtitle>A BILL to amend and reenact § 4.1-216.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to alcoholic beverage control; advertising materials; purchase and display of barrels.</p>

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Pillion
Last action
2026-01-30
Official status
Continued
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill does not provide specific details on how retailers should handle damaged barrels or lids during delivery, nor does it address what happens after display is no longer needed.

Alcoholic Beverage Control; Advertising Materials and Barrel Display

This bill allows retail stores that sell alcoholic beverages to receive and display the physical barrel or lid of a distilled spirits barrel in addition to purchasing its contents, as long as it follows certain rules.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows retail stores selling alcohol to get the actual barrel or lid along with buying the bottled drinks inside from a manufacturer through a barrel purchase agreement supplied to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority.
  • Specifies that such physical barrel or lid shall not be considered a gift and may be displayed on the retailer's premises if they choose.
  • Requires retailers who purchase the contents of a distilled spirits barrel, physical barrel, or lid to comply with all terms and conditions set forth in a barrel purchase agreement supplied to the Authority.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Retail stores licensed to sell alcoholic beverages
  • Manufacturers of distilled spirits

Terms To Know

retail licensee
A store that is allowed by law to sell alcohol directly to customers.
manufacturer
The company that makes or bottles alcoholic drinks, like a distillery or brewery.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify what happens if the barrel or lid is damaged during delivery.
  • Does not explain how retailers should handle barrels or lids after they are no longer needed for display.
  • The bill does not change other rules about advertising materials that do not come from manufacturers.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-30 Rehabilitation and Social Services

    Continued to 2027 in Rehabilitation and Social Services (14-Y 0-N)

  2. 2026-01-26 Senate

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB614)

  3. 2026-01-14 Senate

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26103117D

  4. 2026-01-14 Rehabilitation and Social Services

    Referred to Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services

Official Summary Text

Alcoholic beverage control; advertising materials; purchase and display of barrels.
Allows a retail licensee to elect to receive the physical barrel or lid in addition to purchasing the bottled contents of a distilled spirits barrel from a manufacturer through a barrel purchase agreement supplied to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority. The bill provides that such physical barrel or lid shall not be considered a gift and may be displayed on the retail licensee's premises.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
A BILL to amend and reenact §
4.1-216.1
of the Code of Virginia, relating to alcoholic beverage control; advertising materials; purchase and display of barrels.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §
4.1-216.1
of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§
4.1-216.1
. Point-of-sale advertising materials authorized under certain conditions; civil penalties.

A. As used in this section:

"Alcoholic beverage advertising material" or "advertising material" means any item, other than an illuminated device, which contains one or more references to a brand of alcoholic beverage and which is used to promote the sale of alcoholic beverages within the interior of a licensed retail establishment and which otherwise complies with Board regulations.

"Authorized vendor" or "vendor" means any person, other than a wholesale wine or beer licensee, that a manufacturer has authorized to engage in a business consisting in whole or in part of the sale and distribution of any articles of tangible personal property bearing any of the manufacturer's alcoholic beverage trademarks.

"Manufacturer" means any brewery, winery, distillery, bottler, broker, importer and any person that a brewery, winery, or distiller has authorized to sell or arrange for the sale of its products to wholesale wine and beer licensees in Virginia or, in the case of spirits, to the Board.

B. Notwithstanding the provisions of §
4.1-215
or
4.1-216
and Board regulations adopted thereunder, a manufacturer or its authorized vendor and a wholesale wine and beer licensee may lend, buy for, or give to a retail licensee any alcoholic beverage advertising material made of paper, cardboard, canvas, rubber, foam, or plastic, provided the advertising materials have a wholesale value of $40 or less per item.

C.
Notwithstanding
any other provision of this subtitle or
Board regulations adopted thereunder, a retail licensee may elect to receive the physical barrel or lid in addition to purchasing the bottled contents of a distilled spirits barrel from a manufacturer through a barrel purchase agreement supplied to the Authority. Such physical barrel or lid shall not be considered a gift and
may
be displayed
on
the retail licensee
'
s premises.
A retail licensee who purchases the contents of a distilled spirits barrel,
physical
barrel, or lid
shall be responsible for complying with all terms and conditions set forth i
n
a
barrel purchase agreement supplied to the Authority.

D.
Alcoholic beverage advertising materials, other than those authorized by subsection B to be given to a retailer, may be displayed by a retail licensee in the interior of its licensed establishment provided:

1. The wholesale value of the advertising material does not exceed $250 per item, and

2. The advertising material is not obtained from a manufacturer, its authorized vendor, or any wholesale wine or beer licensee.

A retail licensee shall retain for at least two years a record of its procurement of, including any payments for, such advertising materials along with an invoice or sales ticket containing a description of the item so purchased or otherwise procured.

D.
E.
Except as otherwise provided in this subtitle, a retail licensee shall not display in the interior of its licensed establishment any alcoholic beverage advertising materials, other than those that may be lawfully obtained and displayed in accordance with this section or Board regulation.

E.
F.
Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit any advertising materials permitted under Board regulations in effect on January 1, 2007.