(1) Every person under the age of twenty-one years who purchases or attempts to purchase liquor shall be guilty of a violation of this title. This section does not apply to persons between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one years who are participating in a controlled purchase program authorized by the *liquor control board under rules adopted by the board. Violations occurring under a private, controlled purchase program authorized by the *liquor control board may not be used for criminal or administrative prosecution.

Terms Used In Washington Code 66.44.290

  • Board: means the liquor and cannabis board, constituted under this title. See Washington Code 66.04.010
  • Employee: means any person employed by the board. See Washington Code 66.04.010
  • Liquor: includes the four varieties of liquor herein defined (alcohol, spirits, wine, and beer), and all fermented, spirituous, vinous, or malt liquor, or combinations thereof, and mixed liquor, a part of which is fermented, spirituous, vinous or malt liquor, or otherwise intoxicating; and every liquid or solid or semisolid or other substance, patented or not, containing alcohol, spirits, wine, or beer, and all drinks or drinkable liquids and all preparations or mixtures capable of human consumption, and any liquid, semisolid, solid, or other substance, which contains more than one percent of alcohol by weight shall be conclusively deemed to be intoxicating. See Washington Code 66.04.010
  • Person: means an individual, copartnership, association, or corporation. See Washington Code 66.04.010
  • Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
(2) An employer who conducts an in-house controlled purchase program authorized under this section shall provide his or her employees a written description of the employer’s in-house controlled purchase program. The written description must include notice of actions an employer may take as a consequence of an employee‘s failure to comply with company policies regarding the sale of alcohol during an in-house controlled purchase.
(3) An in-house controlled purchase program authorized under this section shall be for the purposes of employee training and employer self-compliance checks. An employer may not terminate an employee solely for a first-time failure to comply with company policies regarding the sale of alcohol during an in-house controlled purchase program authorized under this section.
(4) Every person between the ages of eighteen and twenty, inclusive, who is convicted of a violation of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable as provided by RCW 9A.20.021, except that a minimum fine of two hundred fifty dollars shall be imposed and any sentence requiring community restitution shall require not fewer than twenty-five hours of community restitution.
[ 2003 c 53 § 301; 2001 c 295 § 1; 1965 c 49 § 1; 1955 c 70 § 4. Prior: 1935 c 174 § 6(1); 1933 ex.s. c 62 § 37(1); RRS § 7306-37(1).]

NOTES:

*Reviser’s note: The “state liquor control board” was renamed the “state liquor and cannabis board” by 2015 c 70 § 3.
Intent—Effective date—2003 c 53: See notes following RCW 2.48.180.
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