Kentucky alcohol laws

What it would do: Amends DUI laws to increase penalties for fourth or subsequent offenses to Class D felonies with mandatory minimum imprisonment and alcohol purchase prohibitions. Creates special licenses with red stripes and "No Alcohol Sale" markings for convicted offenders and prohibits retailers from selling alcohol to them.

What it would do: Imposes state regulatory license fees on alcoholic beverage and cannabis-infused beverage retailers (4% of gross receipts), wholesalers and distributors (per milliliter of alcohol), and retailers of hemp-derived cannabinoids and kratom products (per milligram), effective July 1, 2027, with fees transferred to the general fund.

What it would do: Authorizes the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to issue licenses for cannabis-infused beverages in wet territories, allowing retail sale by the drink and package, and permits sampling up to twelve ounces per person daily.

What it would do: Creates a new definition and regulatory framework for cigar bars in Kentucky, permitting them to operate where other alcohol-licensed establishments are allowed, with requirements that they generate at least 15% annual income from cigars and tobacco products, prohibit persons under 21, and prevent smoke from entering adjacent structures.

What it would do: Establishes the Department of Psychoactive Substances to regulate hemp-derived cannabinoids, kratom, kava, psychoactive mushrooms, and cannabis-infused beverages. Creates licensing framework for processors, retailers, wholesalers, and testing facilities, with age restrictions of 21 years for adult-use products.

What it would do: Creates a regulatory framework for hemp-derived cannabinoid products in Kentucky, establishes testing and laboratory approval requirements, permits cannabis-infused beverages with up to 5mg THC per 12oz serving, and prohibits certain synthetic cannabinoids without prior authorization.

What it would do: Amends Kentucky's alcoholic beverage definitions to add cannabis-infused beverages as a properly permitted adult-use cannabinoid liquid product containing no more than ten milligrams of intoxicating cannabinoids per twelve ounce serving.

What it would do: Amends the quota retail package license requirements for counties with first-class cities to maintain one license per 1,500 residents and require one mile distance between premises, while grandfathering existing locations and allowing their renewal despite the new distance requirement.

What it would do: Amends vintage distilled spirits licensing requirements by requiring monthly reporting of purchases with detailed seller information, limiting purchases to 24 packages per seller annually with exceptions for collections of 25+ packages, and establishing penalties of $500 to $5,000 for seller violations.

What it would do: Amends Kentucky law to allow holders of small farm winery licenses who also hold retail drink licenses to sell alcoholic beverages by the drink at one or more locations on the winery premises without obtaining a supplemental bar license.

What it would do: Amends caterer's license rules to remove restrictions on restaurant operations and Sunday sales, eliminates minimum customer and event limits, and establishes a licensing system for tobacco, nicotine, and vapor product retailers effective February 1, 2027, with annual $500 fees and enforcement provisions.

What it would do: Allows qualified historic site license holders to sell alcoholic beverages by the package at public or private functions, and permits holders of certain retail drink licenses and limited restaurant licenses to also hold limited nonquota package licenses.

What it would do: Amends Kentucky's alcoholic beverage statutes to define cannabis-infused beverages containing specified cannabinoid limits and regulate their manufacture, distribution, and retail sale under the Department for Public Health rather than the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board.

What it would do: Amends Kentucky law to allow auctioneers and charitable organizations to conduct alcoholic beverage auctions and raffles, with auctioneers able to ship purchased beverages directly to buyers and conduct auctions online, and extends caterer license privileges to charitable fundraising events with special temporary auction licenses.

What it would do: Authorizes fire protection districts and volunteer fire departments to assess fees on premises for fire protection costs, and establishes a distillery environmental fund financed by a $0.25 per barrel annual fee to reimburse property owners for cleaning expenses from whiskey fungus within three miles of distilleries.

What it would do: Creates an exception allowing vintage distilled spirits licensees and sellers to purchase or sell entire collections of 25+ bottles without counting toward the 24-package limit, up to 12 times per year, and permits sellers to ship spirits to licensees without a direct shipper license.

What it would do: Requires applicants and licensees for retail drink licenses to maintain liquor liability insurance of at least $250,000 per person or $500,000 for multiple persons per incident, with proof submitted to the department.

What it would do: Creates a cause of action allowing persons injured or killed by an intoxicated minor to sue anyone who knew a minor consumed alcohol or controlled substances in their home or on their property, and anyone other than the minor's parent who furnished such substances to the minor.