San Bernardino Alcohol Beverage Compliance Lawyer

San Bernardino Alcohol Beverage Compliance Attorney

Many owners of restaurants, bars, and other alcohol-friendly businesses in San Bernardino depend on their alcohol sales to keep the lights on. When business owners realize they may lose their privilege to serve and/or sell alcohol to their customers, it is vital to call a San Bernardino alcohol beverage compliance lawyer to learn about their options.

Hire an Alcohol Beverage Compliance Lawyer With Local Experience

Blake & Ayaz alcohol beverage compliance lawyers have more than 100 years of combined experience. We have represented countless business owners who were struggling to meet the standards of California’s strict alcohol beverage compliance laws. No matter how large or small your alcohol beverage compliance matter is, with our guidance, you can meet those standards.

California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control Compliance

The ABC strives to check the compliance of 48,078 licensed restaurants, bars, and other venues. In an attempt to crack down on noncompliant establishments and enforce compliance requirements, the ABC has been known to do sweeping compliance inspections. These efforts typically result in hundreds of citations being issued.

In 2024, ABC agents, in partnership with local law enforcement officers, conducted special event operations at 32 events, including sporting events, concerts, and festivals. At these events, 350 people were arrested, many of them minors using a fake ID or in possession of alcohol. Arrests also included sales of alcohol without a license.

The ABC strongly enforces licensees’ responsibility not to sell alcohol to minors. This is because underage drinking is a serious problem nationwide. Furthermore, underage drinking is the main factor in vehicle collisions involving drivers between 16 and 20 years of age.

The ABC’s Responsible Beverage Service Program

The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control mandates training for California alcohol servers. In 2024, the Responsible Beverage Service, or RBS, training program registered its 500,000th participant. The department certifies and trains more than 10,000 servers of alcohol each month. These licensed servers and managers work at more than 56,000 establishments across the state of California.

RBS training delivers important educational training to servers of alcohol. For instance, participants learn how to check customers’ ID and how to respond when a customer makes excuses for not having identification. It teaches such lessons as how you can tell when a patron has obviously consumed too much alcohol and is overly intoxicated, and that these types of customers should be cut off from alcohol service.

Other important details taught in RBS instruction include how to identify server certification, as well as how to provide hospitality when serving alcohol. For instance, recommendations include offering a glass of water when serving alcohol, serving only one beverage to a patron at a time, and always offering food and encouraging customers to order food when they are ordering drinks. Preventing customers from getting too intoxicated is part of a server’s responsibility.

This training is mandatory, and if you have servers not in compliance, you could lose your license. All businesses that hold alcohol beverage licenses have a responsibility to follow the requirements associated with their specific license type.

Even with all the efforts of the ABC, there are going to be some alcohol beverage compliance cases. If you are one of these, connect with a reputable San Bernardino alcohol beverage compliance lawyer for advice and guidance on bringing your business up to code.

How a San Bernardino Alcohol Beverage Compliance Lawyer Can Help

An alcohol beverage compliance attorney understands the laws that are applicable to your license type. They can help you to meet the obligations necessary to maintain compliance. Some specific ways a San Bernardino alcohol beverage compliance attorney can help are listed below:

• Review the type of license you hold and check compliance, as well as confirm that all required documentation and permits are current
• Audit operational requirements, such as verifying allowable hours of sale, confirming staff training for ID-check policies is up-to-date, and ensuring signage, record-keeping, and other conditions are compliant
• Assist with new license applications, renewals, transfers, changes, and upgrades
• Provide guidance in keeping events compliant, such as confirming extended hours permissions and avoiding high-risk circumstances
• Represent alcohol beverage compliance cases amid investigations, hearings, and actions of compliance enforcement

If achieving or maintaining compliance is something you struggle with, you can take action now to proactively address risky areas of your business. In doing so, you not only reduce the likelihood of being cited, fined, or worse, but you also fulfill your duty to uphold the laws of the state.

While some of these laws may seem extreme, they do serve an important purpose. The purpose is to provide an enjoyable environment where all Californians can coexist in a safe and harmonious way.

When to Call a San Bernardino Alcohol Beverage Compliance Lawyer

If you are wondering whether you should call a San Bernardino alcohol beverage compliance lawyer, chances are, you probably need to. More specifically, the answer is yes if any of the following situations are familiar to your situation:

• You are planning to apply for an alcohol beverage license.
• You are opening a new alcohol-licensed business, have bought an already established alcohol-licensed business, or are transferring ownership of an alcohol-licensed business.
• You anticipate a high-risk season in which you are hosting larger-than-normal events, running longer-than-normal hours, or expect to be busier than usual due to an upcoming holiday celebration.
• You got a letter or notice from the ABC, or you think you might get one.
• You want to confirm your business, staff, and practices are in compliance with state laws to avoid trouble in the future.

Partner With an Experienced San Bernardino Alcohol Beverage Compliance Lawyer

Early action and preparation can provide more control and protection for your business. Even if you have waited, it is not too late to hire an alcohol beverage compliance lawyer. Whether you own a restaurant in the Hospitality Lane area or a liquor store on Highland Avenue, our seasoned legal team can help you save your business from compliance uncertainty, as we have in so many successful alcohol beverage compliance cases before.

Contact Blake & Ayaz to meet our attorneys and get started.