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2007 SESSION


CHAPTER 140
An Act to amend and reenact § 4.1-128 of the Code of Virginia, relating to alcoholic beverage control; local control of farm wineries.
[H 3120]
Approved March 8, 2007

 

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 4.1-128 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 4.1-128. Local ordinances or resolutions regulating or taxing alcoholic beverages.

A. No county, city, or town shall, except as provided in § 4.1-205 or § 4.1-129, adopt any ordinance or resolution which regulates or prohibits the manufacture, bottling, possession, sale, wholesale distribution, handling, transportation, drinking, use, advertising or dispensing of alcoholic beverages in the Commonwealth. Nor shall any county, city, or town adopt an ordinance or resolution that prohibits or regulates the storage, warehousing, and wholesaling of wine in accordance with Title 4.1, regulations of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, and federal law at a licensed farm winery.

No provision of law, general or special, shall be construed to authorize any county, city or town to adopt any ordinance or resolution that imposes a sales or excise tax on alcoholic beverages, other than the taxes authorized by §§ 58.1-605, 58.1-3833 or § 58.1-3840. The foregoing limitation shall not affect the authority of any county, city or town to impose a license or privilege tax or fee on a business engaged in whole or in part in the sale of alcoholic beverages if the license or privilege tax or fee (i) is based on an annual or per event flat fee specifically authorized by general law or (ii) is an annual license or privilege tax specifically authorized by general law, which includes alcoholic beverages in its taxable measure and treats alcoholic beverages the same as if they were nonalcoholic beverages.

B. However, the governing body of any county, city, or town may adopt an ordinance which (i) prohibits the acts described in subsection A of § 4.1-308 subject to the provisions of subsection B of § 4.1-308, or the acts described in § 4.1-309 and may provide a penalty for violation thereof and (ii) subject to subsection C of § 4.1-308, regulates or prohibits the possession of opened alcoholic beverage containers in its local public parks, playgrounds, and public streets.

C. Except as provided in this section, all local acts, including charter provisions and ordinances of cities and towns, inconsistent with any of the provisions of this title, are repealed to the extent of such inconsistency.