47 Pa. Stat. § 4-491

Current through Pa Acts 2024-53, 2024-56 through 2024-92

Section 4-491 - Unlawful Acts Relative to Liquor, Alcohol and Liquor Licensees

It shall be unlawful--

Sales of liquor

(1) For any person, by himself or by an employe or agent, to expose or keep for sale, or directly or indirectly, or upon any pretense or upon any device, to sell or offer to sell any liquor within this Commonwealth, except in accordance with the provisions of this act and the regulations of the board. This clause shall not be construed to prohibit hospitals, physicians, dentists or veterinarians who are licensed and registered under the laws of this Commonwealth from administering liquor in the regular course of their professional work and taking into account the cost of the liquor so administered in making charges for their professional service, or a pharmacist duly licensed and registered under the laws of this Commonwealth from dispensing liquor on a prescription of a duly licensed physician, dentist or veterinarian, or selling medical preparations containing alcohol, or using liquor in compounding prescriptions or medicines and making a charge for the liquor used in such medicines, or a manufacturing pharmacist or chemist from using liquor in manufacturing preparations unfit for beverage purposes and making a charge for the liquor so used. All such liquors so administered or sold by hospitals, physicians, dentists, veterinarians, pharmacists or chemists shall conform to the Pharmacopoeia of the United States, the National Formulary, or the American Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia. This clause shall not be construed to prohibit an executor or an administrator of a decedent's estate from selling privately or at public auction liquor which was an asset of the decedent. This clause shall not be construed to prohibit the practice by a bed and breakfast homestead or inn of providing one bottle of wine to its paying guests at check-in while in an overnight status so long as that wine is produced by a licensed limited winery as provided for under section 505.2. For purposes of this paragraph, a "bed and breakfast homestead or inn" shall mean a private residence that contains ten or fewer bedrooms used for providing overnight accommodations to the public and in which breakfast is the only meal served and is included in the charge for the room. This clause shall not be construed to prohibit the practice of a business which is principally enagaged in the sale of gift baskets within this Commonwealth to sell a gift basket containing non liquor items and no more than one bottle of wine which has been lawfully purchased from the board, so long as that wine is produced by a licensed limited winery as provided for under section 505.2 and provided that delivery of the gift basket shall be by a licensed transporter for hire, which shall keep records as required under section 512 pertaining to the direct shipment of wine, and provided that the business complies with the provisions of section 488 relative to requiring proof of age and labeling advising that the package contains alcohol. The board shall establish regulations to ensure that State taxes from the sales will be paid by the estate from the proceeds of the sale. The board may not prohibit a sale of liquor for the reason that it was not lawfully acquired prior to January 1, 1934 or has not been purchased from a Pennsylvania Liquor Store or in compliance with Pennsylvania law.

Possession or Transportation of Liquor or Alcohol.

(2) Possession or Transportation of Liquor or Alcohol. For any person, except a manufacturer or the board or the holder of a sacramental wine license or of an importer's license, to possess or transport any liquor or alcohol within this Commonwealth which was not lawfully acquired prior to January first, one thousand nine hundred and thirty-four, or has not been purchased from a Pennsylvania Liquor Store or a licensed limited winery in Pennsylvania, except in accordance with section 488 or the board's regulations. In addition, it shall be lawful for anyone to possess miniatures totaling less than one gallon purchased in another state or a foreign country. The burden shall be upon the person possessing or transporting such liquor or alcohol to prove that it was so acquired. Notwithstanding this section or any other provision of the law, wine may be produced by any person without a license if the wine is not produced for sale and total production does not exceed two hundred gallons per calendar year. Wine produced in accordance with this clause may be used at organized affairs, exhibitions, competitions, contests, tastings or judgings if it is not sold or offered for sale.

None of the provisions herein contained shall prohibit nor shall it be unlawful for any person to import into Pennsylvania, transport or have in his possession, an amount of liquor not exceeding one gallon in volume upon which a State tax has not been paid, if it can be shown to the satisfaction of the board that such person purchased the liquor in a foreign country or United States territory and was allowed to bring it into the United States. Neither shall the provisions contained herein prohibit nor make it unlawful for (i) any member of the armed forces on active duty, or (ii) any retired member of the armed forces, or (iii) any totally disabled veteran, or (iv) the spouse of any person included in the foregoing classes of persons to import into Pennsylvania, transport or have in his possession an amount of liquor not exceeding one gallon per month in volume upon which the State tax has not been paid, so long as such liquor has been lawfully purchased from a package store established and maintained under the authority of the United States and is in containers identified in accordance with regulations issued by the Department of Defense. Such liquor shall not be possessed, offered for sale or sold on any licensed premises. The term "package store" as used in this clause shall mean those retail operations located on any of the United States military installations, including an installation of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps or Coast Guard.

None of the provisions herein contained shall prohibit nor shall it be unlawful for any consul general, consul or other diplomatic officer of a foreign government to import into Pennsylvania, transport or have in his possession liquor upon which a State tax has not been paid, if it can be shown to the satisfaction of the board that such person acquired the liquor in a foreign country and was allowed to bring it into the United States. Such liquor shall not be possessed, offered for sale or sold on any licensed premises.

Any person violating the provisions of this clause for a first offense involving the possession or transportation in Pennsylvania of any liquor in a package (bottle or other receptacle) or wine not purchased from a Pennsylvania Liquor Store or from a licensed limited winery in Pennsylvania, with respect to which satisfactory proof is produced that the required Federal tax has been paid and which was purchased, procured or acquired legally outside of Pennsylvania shall upon conviction thereof in a summary proceeding be sentenced to pay a fine of twenty-five dollars ($25) for each such package, plus costs of prosecution, or undergo imprisonment for a term not exceeding ninety (90) days. Each full quart or major fraction thereof shall be considered a separate package (bottle or other receptacle) for the purposes of this clause. Such packages of liquor shall be forfeited to the Commonwealth in the manner prescribed in Article VI of this act but the vehicle, boat, vessel, animal or aircraft used in the illegal transportation of such packages shall not be subject to forfeiture: Provided, however, That if it is a second or subsequent offense or if it is established that the illegal possession or transportation was in connection with a commercial transaction, then the other provisions of this act providing for prosecution as a misdemeanor and for the forfeiture of the vehicle, boat, vessel, animal or aircraft shall apply.

Purchase of liquor or alcohol

(3) For any person within this Commonwealth, by himself or by an employe or agent, to attempt to purchase, or directly or indirectly, or upon any pretense or device whatsoever, to purchase any liquor or alcohol from any person or source other than a Pennsylvania Liquor Store, except in accordance with the provisions of this act or the regulations of the board.

Possession and use of decanters

(4) For any person to use decanters of alcoholic beverages except that the use of decanters or other similar receptacles by licensees shall be permitted in the case of wines and then only in accordance with the regulations of the board, but nothing herein contained shall prohibit the manufacture and possession of wine as provided in clause (2) of this section.

Failure to properly dispose of empty liquor containers

(5) For any restaurant, hotel or club licensee, his servants, agents or employes, to fail to break any package in which liquors were contained, except those decanter packages that the board determines to be decorative, within twenty-four hours after the original contents were removed therefrom, unless the licensee participates in either a municipal recycling program, in accordance with the act of July 28, 1988 (P.L. 556, No. 101) , known as the "Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling and Waste Reduction Act," or a voluntary recycling program. The licensee shall provide proof in writing of the participation in a recycling program upon the demand of the Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement of the Pennsylvania State Police. The proof of participation shall be provided in a manner as prescribed by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.

Sales by restaurant and hotel liquor licensees

(6) For any restaurant or hotel licensee, his servants, agents or employes, to sell any liquor or malt or brewed beverages for consumption on the licensed premises except in a room or rooms or place on the licensed premises at all times accessible to the use and accommodation of the general public, but this section shall not be interpreted to prohibit a restaurant liquor licensee from providing private affairs the primary function of which is for catering only to weddings or special occasions arranged twenty-four hours in advance, nor to prohibit a hotel licensee, or a restaurant licensee when the restaurant is located in a hotel, from selling liquor or malt or brewed beverages in any room of such hotel occupied by a bona fide guest or to prohibit a restaurant licensee from selling liquor or malt or brewed beverages in a bowling alley where the restaurant and bowling alley are immediately adjacent and under the same roof.

Sales of liquor by manufacturers and licensed importers

(7) For any manufacturer or licensed importer of liquor in this Commonwealth, his agents, servants or employes, to sell or offer to sell any liquor in this Commonwealth except to the board for use in Pennsylvania Liquor Stores, and in the case of a manufacturer, to the holder of a sacramental wine license or an importer's license. Notwithstanding any other provision of this act, a manufacturer or licensed importer may sell or offer to sell liquor for delivery outside of this Commonwealth.

Importation and sales of alcohol

(8) For any person, to import alcohol into this Commonwealth, or to sell alcohol to any person, except in accordance with section 488 and the regulations of the board.

Possession of alcohol

(9) For any person, to have alcohol in his possession, except in accordance with the provisions of this act and the regulations of the board.

Fortifying, adulterating or contaminating liquor

(10) For any licensee or any employe or agent of a licensee or of the board, to fortify, adulterate or contaminate any liquor, except as permitted by the regulations of the board, or to refill wholly or in part, with any liquid or substance whatsoever, any liquor bottle or other liquor container.

Importation of liquor

(11) For any person, other than the board or the holder of a sacramental wine license, an importer's license or a direct wine shipper's license, to import any liquor whatsoever into this Commonwealth, but this section shall not be construed to prohibit railroad and pullman companies from purchasing and selling liquors purchased outside the Commonwealth in their dining, club and buffet cars which are covered by public service liquor licenses and which are operated in this Commonwealth.

Delivery of liquor by certain licensees

(12) Delivery of Liquor by Certain Licensees. For a liquor licensee permitted to deliver liquor, to make any deliveries except in his own vehicles bearing his name, address and license number on each side in letters not smaller than two inches in height, or in the vehicle of another person duly authorized to transport liquor within this Commonwealth.

Violation of certain rules and regulations of board

(13) For any person, to violate any rules and regulations adopted by the board to insure the equitable wholesale and retail sale and distribution of liquor and alcohol through the Pennsylvania Liquor Stores.

Offering commission or gift to members of board or state employe

(14) For any person selling or offering to sell liquor or alcohol to, or purchasing at wholesale liquor or alcohol from, the board, either directly or indirectly, to pay or offer to pay any commission, profit or remuneration, or to make or offer to make any gift to any member or employe of the board or other employe of the Commonwealth or to anyone on behalf of such member or employe.

Official seal, facsimile or reproduction

(15) Deleted by amendment. 1972, Oct. 11, P.L. 906, No. 215, § 3, imd. effective.

(16) Possession or sale of powdered alcohol. For any person to possess, purchase, sell, offer to sell or use powdered alcohol. This clause shall not apply to a hospital that operates primarily for the purpose of conducting scientific research, a State institution conducting bona fide research, a private college or university conducting bona fide research or a pharmaceutical company conducting bona fide research.

47 P.S. § 4-491

Amended by P.L. TBD 2016 No. 39, § 23, eff. 8/7/2016.

Amended by P.L. 1007 2012 No. 116, § 7, eff. 9/3/2012.

1951, April 12, P.L. 90, art. IV, § 491. Amended 1956, Feb. 17, P.L. (1955) 1078, § 1; 1959, Nov. 19, P.L. 1532, §§ 1, 2; 1961, July 18, P.L. 789, § 1; 1961, July 26, P.L. 886, § 1; 1969, Dec. 10, P.L. 355, § 1; 1970, May 5, P.L. 342, No. 110, § 2; 1971, Aug. 12, P.L. 318, No. 81, § 1; 1972, Oct. 11, P.L. 906, No. 215, § 3, imd. effective; 1974, Oct. 10, P.L. 692, No. 231, § 1; 1974, Oct. 2, P.L. 665, No. 220, § 1; 1980, Dec. 12, P.L. 1195, No. 221, § 10, imd. effective; 1984, Feb. 9, P.L. 21, No. 8, § 1, imd. effective. Reenacted and amended 1987, June 29, P.L. 32, No. 14, § 79, effective July 1, 1987. Amended 1994, Oct. 5, P.L. 522, No. 77, § 7, imd. effective; 2002, Feb. 21, P.L. 103, No. 10, § 19, effective in 60 days; 2002, Dec. 9, P.L. 1653, No. 212, § 23, effective in 60 days; 2003, July 17, P.L. 63, No. 15, § 6, imd. effective; 2006, July 7, P.L. 584, No. 84, § 5, effective in 60 days [Sept. 5, 2006]; 2011, Dec. 22, P.L. 530, No. 113, § 16, imd. effective.