Washington alcohol laws

What it would do: Requires the Liquor and Cannabis Board to publish and annually update a data dashboard on its website tracking compliance rates, citations, youth survey data, health outcomes, funding, taxes, and cannabis market diversion related to liquor, cannabis, cigarettes, tobacco, and vapor products, using only existing agency resources.

What it would do: Creates a bonded and nonbonded beer warehouse license authorizing storage and handling of beer in bond and tax-paid beer for breweries and licensed entities, with a $150 annual fee unless already licensed under wine warehouse provisions, and amends wine warehouse licensing to waive additional fees for applicants holding both licenses.

What it would do: Allows a licensed domestic winery to hold a spirits, beer, and wine restaurant license at one or more of its additional winery locations with the same privileges and endorsements as those attached to the spirits, beer, and wine restaurant license.

What it would do: Adopts a budget and appropriates funds for state agencies and offices for the fiscal biennium July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2027, including allocations for legislative, judicial, executive, and other state operations.

What it would do: Exempts wineries selling less than 20,000 gallons of table wine or cider annually from most excise taxes, charging only $0.0528 per liter instead of the standard rate, while maintaining certain commission taxes.

What it would do: Requires tavern, nightclub, hotel, and sports entertainment facility licensees to offer drug testing devices for sale to customers in age-restricted areas, with charges not exceeding reasonable wholesale cost, and requires prominent signage advertising availability.

What it would do: Requires the Washington state institute for public policy to study Washington's alcohol taxation and fee system, including tax types, rates, sales data, and revenues for spirits, beer, and wine, with a final report due December 31, 2025.

What it would do: Eliminates per-transaction volume limits for spirits sales by retailers licensed to sell spirits to other retailers for resale, removing the twenty-four liter cap that previously applied to such sales.

What it would do: Requires retailers to pay all defense expenses and monetary judgments in civil actions against their servers for allegedly selling liquor to apparently intoxicated persons, with judgment creditors seeking satisfaction only from the retailer.

What it would do: Reorganizes the Washington state liquor and cannabis board into two separate five-member boards appointed by legislative and executive officials, with a jointly-employed director overseeing shared administrative functions and two deputy directors managing liquor and cannabis programs respectively.

What it would do: Amends the sports entertainment facility liquor license to include facilities where patrons engage in sports, amusement, or recreational activities for a price, in addition to venues presenting sporting events for admission.

What it would do: Requires the Department of Revenue to study Washington's alcohol taxation and fee system and submit a report to the legislature by December 31, 2025, including historical data, current rates, and comparative analysis with other states.

What it would do: Adds a new special permit category allowing manufacturers and retailers of beer, wine, or spirits to hold events open to the general public for tasting and selling their own products, requiring $10 per event, 30-day advance notice, local approval, event maps, operating plans, and limiting each licensee to 12 events annually.

What it would do: Amends the caterer's license for alcohol to allow events open to the public or limited to invited guests without requiring a society or organization sponsor, and expands eligible sponsors to include corporations, businesses, and other for-profit or nonprofit entities.

What it would do: Allows cities and counties designated as fan zones or host cities for an international sports competition in 2026 to authorize expanded alcohol sales and service by certain liquor licensees in specified areas during June and July 2026, with shared service areas and relaxed requirements subject to board approval.

What it would do: Amends liquor sales revenue distribution to allocate 0.3% to border areas, 50% to the state general fund, 10% to counties based on unincorporated population, and 40% to incorporated cities and towns, and repeals the prior spirits license fee distribution statute.

What it would do: Defines low-proof beverages as 16 ounces or less containing 0.5-7% alcohol by volume, excludes them from spirits license fees, imposes a $2.50 per gallon tax on their distribution and sale, and exempts them from spirits sales taxes.