Conn. Gen. Stat. § 30-20

Current with legislation from the 2024 Regular and Special Sessions.

Section 30-20 - Package store permit. Grocery store beer permit

(a) For the purposes of this section, "grocery store" (1) means any store that (A) is commonly known as a delicatessen, food store, grocery store or supermarket, and (B) is primarily engaged in the retail sale of various canned goods and dry goods such as coffee, flour, spices, sugar and tea, whether packaged or in bulk, regardless of whether such store sells fresh fruits and vegetables or fresh, prepared or smoked fish, meat and poultry, and (2) does not include any store that is primarily engaged in the retail sale of bakery products, candy, nuts and confectioneries, dairy products, eggs and poultry, fruits and vegetables or seafood.

(b)

(1) A package store permit shall allow the retail sale of alcoholic liquor in sealed bottles or containers not to be consumed on the permit premises. The holder of a package store permit may, in accordance with regulations adopted by the Department of Consumer Protection pursuant to the provisions of chapter 54, (A) offer free samples of alcoholic liquor for tasting on the permit premises, (B) conduct fee-based wine or spirits education and tasting classes and demonstrations, and (C) conduct tastings or demonstrations provided by a permittee or backer of the package store for a nominal charge to charitable nonprofit organizations. Any offering, tasting, wine or spirits education and tasting class or demonstration held on permit premises shall be conducted only during the hours the package store may sell alcoholic liquor under section 30-91. No tasting of wine on the permit premises shall be offered from more than ten uncorked bottles at any one time. No holder, backer or permittee shall offer or provide to any customer (i) more than one-half ounce of any single spirit for sampling or tasting per day, or (ii) a total of more than two ounces of spirits for sampling or tasting per day. No tasting shall be provided below cost.

(2) No store operating under a package store permit shall sell any commodity other than alcoholic liquor except, notwithstanding any other provision of law, such store may sell (A) cigarettes and cigars, (B) publications, (C) bar utensils, including, but not limited to, corkscrews, beverage strainers, stirrers or other similar items used to consume, or related to the consumption of, alcoholic liquor, (D) gift packages of alcoholic liquor shipped into the state by a manufacturer or out-of-state shipper, which gift packages may include nonalcoholic items, other than food or tobacco products, if the dollar value of the nonalcoholic items in such gift package does not exceed the dollar value of the alcoholic items in such gift package, (E) complementary fresh fruits used in the preparation of mixed alcoholic beverages, (F) cheese, crackers or both, (G) olives, (H) nonalcoholic beverages, (I) concentrates used in the preparation of mixed alcoholic beverages, (J) beer and wine-making kits and products related to such kits, (K) ice in any form, (L) articles of clothing imprinted with advertising related to the alcoholic liquor industry, (M) gift baskets or other containers of alcoholic liquor, (N) multiple packages of alcoholic liquors, provided in all such cases the minimum retail selling price for such alcoholic liquor shall apply, (O) lottery tickets authorized by the Department of Consumer Protection, if licensed as an agent to sell such tickets by the department, (P) devices and related accessories designed primarily for accessing and extracting a beverage containing alcohol from prepackaged containers, including, but not limited to, pods, pouches or similar containers, but excluding devices, including, but not limited to, household blenders, that are not designed primarily for such purposes, (Q) alcohol-infused confections containing not more than one-half of one per cent of alcohol by weight and which the commissioner has approved for sale under section 21a-101, (R) gift baskets containing only containers of alcoholic liquor and commodities authorized for sale under subparagraphs (A) to (Q), inclusive, of this subdivision, (S) infused beverages, as defined in section 26 of this act, provided (i) the package store permittee (I) paid to the department the annual fee for an infused beverage endorsement pursuant to this subdivision, and (II) purchased such infused beverages from the holder of a wholesaler permit or a wholesaler permit for beer issued under section 30-17, and (ii) such sales are made in accordance with the provisions of section 28 of this act, and (T) legacy infused beverages, as defined in section 30 of this act, provided all such sales shall be made (i) during the period beginning on July 1, 2024, and ending September 30, 2024, and (ii) in accordance with (I) a waiver issued pursuant to section 30 of this act, and (II) the requirements set forth in section 30 of this act. A package store permit shall also allow the taking and transmitting of orders for delivery of such merchandise in other states. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a package store permit shall allow the participation in any lottery ticket promotion or giveaway sponsored by the department. The annual fee for a package store permit shall be five hundred thirty-five dollars. The annual fee for an infused beverage endorsement to a package store permit shall be five hundred dollars, and shall be deposited by the department in the consumer protection enforcement account established in section 21a-8a.

(1) A package store permit shall allow the retail sale of alcoholic liquor in sealed bottles or containers not to be consumed on the permit premises. The holder of a package store permit may, in accordance with regulations adopted by the Department of Consumer Protection pursuant to the provisions of chapter 54, (A) offer free samples of alcoholic liquor for tasting on the permit premises, (B) conduct fee-based wine education and tasting classes and demonstrations, and (C) conduct tastings or demonstrations provided by a permittee or backer of the package store for a nominal charge to charitable nonprofit organizations. Any offering, tasting, wine education and tasting class or demonstration held on permit premises shall be conducted only during the hours the package store may sell alcoholic liquor under section 30-91. No tasting of wine on the permit premises shall be offered from more than ten uncorked bottles at any one time.

(2) No store operating under a package store permit shall sell any commodity other than alcoholic liquor except, notwithstanding any other provision of law, such store may sell (A) cigarettes and cigars, (B) publications, (C) bar utensils, including, but not limited to, corkscrews, beverage strainers, stirrers or other similar items used to consume, or related to the consumption of, alcoholic liquor, (D) gift packages of alcoholic liquor shipped into the state by a manufacturer or out-of-state shipper, which gift packages may include nonalcoholic items, other than food or tobacco products, if the dollar value of the nonalcoholic items in such gift package does not exceed the dollar value of the alcoholic items in such gift package, (E) complementary fresh fruits used in the preparation of mixed alcoholic beverages, (F) cheese, crackers or both, (G) olives, (H) nonalcoholic beverages, (I) concentrates used in the preparation of mixed alcoholic beverages, (J) beer and wine-making kits and products related to such kits, (K) ice in any form, (L) articles of clothing imprinted with advertising related to the alcoholic liquor industry, (M) gift baskets or other containers of alcoholic liquor, (N) multiple packages of alcoholic liquors, provided in all such cases the minimum retail selling price for such alcoholic liquor shall apply, (O) lottery tickets authorized by the Department of Consumer Protection, if licensed as an agent to sell such tickets by the department, (P) devices and related accessories designed primarily for accessing and extracting a beverage containing alcohol from prepackaged containers, including, but not limited to, pods, pouches or similar containers, but excluding devices, including, but not limited to, household blenders, that are not designed primarily for such purposes, (Q) alcohol-infused confections containing not more than one-half of one per cent of alcohol by weight and which the commissioner has approved for sale under section 21a-101, and (R) gift baskets containing only containers of alcoholic liquor and commodities authorized for sale under subparagraphs (A) to (Q), inclusive, of this subdivision. A package store permit shall also allow the taking and transmitting of orders for delivery of such merchandise in other states. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a package store permit shall allow the participation in any lottery ticket promotion or giveaway sponsored by the department. The annual fee for a package store permit shall be five hundred thirty-five dollars.

(c) A grocery store beer permit may be granted to any grocery store and shall allow the retail sale of beer in standard size containers not to be consumed on the permit premises. The holder of a grocery store beer permit shall post, in a prominent location adjacent to the beer display, the retail price for each brand of beer and such retail price shall include all applicable federal and state taxes, including, but not limited to, the applicable state sales taxes. The annual fee for a grocery store beer permit shall be one hundred seventy dollars, or, for a grocery store that has annual sales of food and grocery items of at least two million dollars, one thousand five hundred dollars.

(d) The holder of a package store permit or a grocery store beer permit issued under this section may allow curbside pick-up of previously purchased alcoholic liquor by (1) the consumer who purchased such alcoholic liquor, or (2) the holder of an in-state transporter's permit issued under section 30-19f, or such holder's agent. Such curbside pick-up shall be limited to the space immediately adjacent to, or in a parking lot abutting, the permit premises. The holder of such package store permit or grocery store beer permit may allow such curbside pick-up only during the hours the package store or grocery store is allowed to sell alcoholic liquor under subsection (d) of section 30-91, unless a more restrictive municipal ordinance limits such curbside pick-up hours.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 30-20

(1949 Rev., S. 4242; 1951, S. 2157d; 1963, P.A. 274, S. 2; 485; February, 1965, P.A. 479; 1967, P.A. 230, S. 1; 347, S. 1; 1969, P.A. 294; 1971, P.A. 747, S. 2; 1972, P.A. 41, S. 1; P.A. 73-300; P.A. 75-259, S. 2, 8; 75-641, S. 4; P.A. 78-49; P.A. 79-404, S. 39, 45; P.A. 80-482, S. 342, 343, 345, 348; P.A. 81-367, S. 3, 9; P.A. 82-332, S. 2, 13; P.A. 84-78; 84-350, S. 1; P.A. 87-69, S. 1, 2; P.A. 90-32; P.A. 91-353 , S. 2 , 7 ; P.A. 93-52 ; 93-139 , S. 14 ; P.A. 95-115 , S. 1 ; 95-195 , S. 23 , 83 ; P.A. 96-7 , S. 4 , 5 ; P.A. 00-24 ; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 146 (d); P.A. 04-169 , S. 17 ; 04-189 , S. 1 ; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 , S. 334 ; P.A. 11-51 , S. 182 ; 11-81 , S. 6 ; P.A. 12-17 , S. 5 ; P.A. 13-11 , S. 1 ; P.A. 14-22 , S. 1 ; P.A. 15-24 , S. 9 .)

Amended by P.A. 24-0085,S. 6 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2024 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2024.

Amended by P.A. 24-0076,S. 33 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2024 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2024.

Amended by P.A. 22-0104, S. 4 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2022 Regular Session, eff. 5/24/2022.

Amended by P.A. 21-0050, S. 2 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2021 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2021.

Amended by P.A. 21-0037, S. 105 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2021 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2021.

Amended by P.A. 15-0024, S. 9 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2015 Regular Session, eff. 6/4/2015.

Amended by P.A. 14-0022, S. 1 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2014 Regular Session, eff. 5/16/2014.

Cited. 118 Conn. 252 ; 123 Conn. 35 ; 127 C. 275 . "Grocery store beer permit" not a package store permit within meaning of ordinance. 139 C. 379. Cited. 140 C. 582 ; 148 Conn. 412 ; Id., 443; Id., 721; 184 Conn. 75 . Cited. 3 Conn. Cir. Ct. 674, 682; 5 Conn. Cir. Ct. 373.

See Sec. 30-6b re prohibition on regulation requiring that certain beer coolers be locked. See Sec. 30-51a re leasing of part of premises operating under a grocery store beer permit.