Like other states, Florida has very strict laws and
regulations which prohibit underage intake of alcohol or any liquor. It also
prohibits the sale of alcohol in schools as well as the sale of liquor to
anyone less than 21 years of age. A vendor has to get a special permit from the
Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco, in order to sell liquor.
This condition assures that licensees are familiar with the laws and rules and
helps ensure that minors are able to purchase alcohol. Many municipalities and
counties also restrict the sale of alcohol near school property.
A liquor license is a permit, which allows the vendor to sell
liquor in Florida. The Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco issues all permits.
All providers or vendors of alcoholic beverages for any public location must
acquire a permit to sell beer, wine or other liquor. In Florida, public schools
are not eligible to apply for a liquor permit, even for private events. This clearly
implies that public schools have no right or permission to serve alcohol on the
school premises. However, vendors on a college campus can acquire a liquor
license if that college permits the consumption of alcohol on campus and if the
vendor can prove that he/she takes necessary precautions to prevent the sale of
alcohol to minors. In the state of Florida, selling liquor near a public school
is a risky business because vendors have to take care to ensure that they do
not supply liquor to minors. It is unlawful to supply or sell liquor to a
person under 21, even if that person is in the presence of a legal guardian or
parent. The penalty for providing liquor to minors is $1000 for a first offence
as well as possible suspension of the permit for up to seven days. The fine is increased
to $3000 and permit suspension for thirty days for the second offense and if
there is a third offence, the state of Florida may revoke the vendor’s liquor
license altogether.
It is essential to maintain some sort of physical separation
between schools and areas where liquor is sold. Zoning restrictions and local
planning regulations provide local communities with controls over school areas
adjacent to liquor outlets. Although there is no overall Florida state law that
prohibits the sale of alcohol near schools, most municipalities and counties in
Florida have formed their own individual legislations to prevent this. Check
with the local zoning municipalities to find out about more about their
restrictions at https://www.municode.com/library/fl
No comments:
Post a Comment