CHAPTER 327
An Act to amend and reenact § 4.1-206.3 of the Code of Virginia, relating to alcoholic beverage control; retail licenses; commercial lifestyle center licenses.
[S 14]
Approved April 6, 2026
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That § 4.1-206.3 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§ 4.1-206.3 . Retail licenses.
A. The Board may grant the following mixed beverages licenses:
1. Mixed beverage restaurant licenses, which shall authorize the licensee to sell and serve mixed beverages for on-premises consumption in dining areas and other designated areas of such restaurant or off-premises consumption. Such license may be granted only to persons (i) who operate a restaurant and (ii) whose gross receipts from the sale of food cooked, or prepared, and consumed on the premises and nonalcoholic beverages served on the premises, after issuance of such license, amount to at least 45 percent of the gross receipts from the sale of mixed beverages and food. For the purposes of this subdivision, other designated areas shall include outdoor dining areas, whether or not contiguous to the licensed premises, which outdoor dining areas may have more than one means of ingress and egress to an adjacent public thoroughfare, provided such areas are under the control of the licensee and approved by the Board. Such noncontiguous designated areas shall not be approved for any retail license issued pursuant to subdivision A 5 of § 4.1-201 .
If the restaurant is located on the premises of a hotel or motel with no fewer than four permanent bedrooms where food and beverage service is customarily provided by the restaurant in designated areas, bedrooms, and other private rooms of such hotel or motel, such licensee may (a) sell and serve mixed beverages for on-premises consumption in such designated areas, bedrooms, and other private rooms or off-premises consumption and (b) sell spirits packaged in original closed containers purchased from the Board for on-premises consumption to registered guests and at scheduled functions of such hotel or motel only in such bedrooms or private rooms. However, with regard to a hotel classified as a resort complex, the Board may authorize the sale and on-premises consumption of alcoholic beverages in all areas within the resort complex deemed appropriate by the Board. Nothing herein shall prohibit any person from keeping and consuming his own lawfully acquired spirits in bedrooms or private rooms.
If the restaurant is located on the premises of and operated by a private, nonprofit, or profit club exclusively for its members and their guests, or members of another private, nonprofit, or profit club in another city with which it has an agreement for reciprocal dining privileges, such license shall also authorize the licensees to (1) sell and serve mixed beverages for on-premises or off-premises consumption and (2) sell spirits that are packaged in original closed containers with a maximum capacity of two fluid ounces or 50 milliliters and purchased from the Board for on-premises consumption. Where such club prepares no food in its restaurant but purchases its food requirements from a restaurant licensed by the Board and located on another portion of the premises of the same hotel or motel building, this fact shall not prohibit the granting of a license by the Board to such club qualifying in all other respects. The club's gross receipts from the sale of nonalcoholic beverages consumed on the premises and food resold to its members and guests and consumed on the premises shall amount to at least 45 percent of its gross receipts from the sale of mixed beverages and food. The food sales made by a restaurant to such a club shall be excluded in any consideration of the qualifications of such restaurant for a license from the Board.