2008 Initiative Petitions
Approved for Circulation in Missouri

Statutory Amendment to Chapter 311, Pertaining to Liquor Control Laws, 2008-006

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT

 

Be it enacted by the people of the state of Missouri:  that the legal age for the sale, purchase, and possession of alcohol is changed to eighteen years. Chapter 311 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri, 2007, is amended as follows:

Section 311.300 is repealed and sections 311.055, 311.310, 311.320, 311.325, 311.326, 311.328, 311.329, 311.462, 311.480, 311.710, and 311.722, are modified by deleting the words within brackets and inserting the underlined words as follows:

311.055. No person at least [twenty-one] eighteen years of age shall be required to obtain a license to manufacture nonintoxicating beer, as defined in section 312.010, RSMo, or intoxicating liquor, as defined in section 311.020, for personal or family use. The aggregate amount of nonintoxicating beer or intoxicating liquor manufactured per household shall not exceed two hundred gallons per calendar year if there are two or more persons over the age of [twenty-one] eighteen years in such household, or one hundred gallons per calendar year if there is only one person over the age of [twenty-one] eighteen years in such household.

[Persons eighteen years of age or older may sell or handle liquor or beer, when.

311.300. 1. Except as provided in subsections 2, 3 and 4 of this section, no person under the age of twenty-one years shall sell or assist in the sale or dispensing of intoxicating liquor or nonintoxicating beer.
2. In any place of business licensed in accordance with section 311.200, or section 312.040, RSMo, persons at least eighteen years of age may stock, arrange displays, operate the cash register or scanner connected to a cash register and accept payment for, and sack for carryout, intoxicating liquor or nonintoxicating beer. Delivery of intoxicating liquor or nonintoxicating beer away from the licensed business premises cannot be performed by anyone under the age of twenty-one years. Any licensee who employs any person under the age of twenty-one years, as authorized by this subsection, shall, when at least fifty percent of the licensee’s gross sales does not consist of nonalcoholic sales, have an employee twenty-one years of age or older on the licensed premises during all hours of operation.
3. In any distillery, warehouse, wholesale distributorship, or similar place of business which stores or distributes intoxicating liquor or nonintoxicating beer but which does not sell intoxicating liquor or nonintoxicating beer at retail, persons at least eighteen years of age may be employed and their duties may include the handling of intoxicating liquor or nonintoxicating beer for all purposes except consumption, sale at retail, or dispensing for consumption or sale at retail. Any wholesaler licensed pursuant to this chapter or chapter 312, RSMo, may employ persons of at least eighteen years of age to rotate, stock and arrange displays at retail establishments licensed to sell intoxicating liquor or nonintoxicating beer.
4. Persons eighteen years of age or older may, when acting in the capacity of a waiter or waitress, accept payment for or serve intoxicating liquor or nonintoxicating beer in places of business which sell food for consumption on the premises if at least fifty percent of all sales in those places consists of food; provided that nothing in this section shall authorize persons under twenty-one years of age to mix or serve across the bar intoxicating beverages or nonintoxicating beer.]

Sale to minor--certain other persons, misdemeanor--exceptions --permitting drinking or possession by a minor, penalty, exception--defenses.

311.310. 1. Any licensee under this chapter, or his employee, who shall sell, vend, give away or otherwise supply any intoxicating liquor in any quantity whatsoever to any person under the age of [twenty-one] eighteenyears, or to any person intoxicated or appearing to be in a state of intoxication, or to a habitual drunkard, and any person whomsoever except his parent or guardian who shall procure for, sell, give away or otherwise supply intoxicating liquor to any person under the age of [twenty-one] eighteen years, or to any intoxicated person or any person appearing to be in a state of intoxication, or to a habitual drunkard, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, except that this section shall not apply to the supplying of intoxicating liquor to a person under the age of [twenty-one] eighteen years for medical purposes only, or to the administering of such intoxicating liquor to any person by a duly licensed physician. No person shall be denied a license or renewal of a license issued under this chapter solely due to a conviction for unlawful sale or supply to a minor when serving in the capacity as an employee of a licensed establishment.

2. Any owner, occupant, or other person or legal entity with a lawful right to the exclusive use and enjoyment of any property who knowingly allows a person under the age of [twenty-one] eighteen to drink or possess intoxicating liquor or knowingly fails to stop a person under the age of [twenty-one] eighteen from drinking or possessing intoxicating liquor on such property, unless such person allowing the person under the age of [twenty-one] eighteen to drink or possess intoxicating liquor is his or her parent or guardian, is guilty of a class B misdemeanor. Any second or subsequent violation of this subsection is a class A misdemeanor.

3. It shall be a defense to prosecution under this section if:

(1) The defendant is a licensed retailer, club, drinking establishment, or caterer or holds a temporary permit, or an employee thereof;

(2) The defendant sold the intoxicating liquor to the minor with reasonable cause to believe that the minor was [twenty-one] eighteen or more years of age; and

(3) To purchase the intoxicating liquor, the person exhibited to the defendant a driver’s license, Missouri nondriver’s identification card, or other official or apparently official document, containing a photograph of the minor and purporting to establish that such minor was [twenty-one] eighteen years of age and of the legal age for consumption of intoxicating liquor.

Misrepresentation of age by minor to obtain liquor--use of altered driver’s license, passport or I.D. cards, penalties.

311.320. 1. Any person of the age of seventeen years and under the age of [twenty-one] eighteen years who shall represent that he has attained the age of [twenty-one] eighteen years for the purpose of purchasing, asking for or in any way receiving any intoxicating liquor, except in cases authorized by law, shall upon conviction be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor. Any person under the age of seventeen years who shall represent that he has attained the age of [twenty-one] eighteen years for the purpose of purchasing, asking for or in any way receiving any intoxicating liquor, except in cases authorized by law, may be considered a delinquent child and may be dealt with in accordance with the provisions of chapter 211, RSMo.

2. In addition to any other penalties established in subsection 1 of this section and established in sections 577.500 to 577.530, RSMo, any person who is less than [twenty-one] eighteen years of age who uses a reproduced, modified or altered chauffeur’s license, motor vehicle operator’s license, identification card issued by any uniformed service of the United States, passport or identification card established in section 302.181, RSMo, for the purpose of purchasing, asking for or in any way receiving any intoxicating liquor, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be subject to a fine of five hundred dollars for each separate offense.

Purchase or possession by minor, a misdemeanor--container need not be opened and contents verified, when--burden of proof on violator to prove not intoxicating liquor--section not applicable to certain students, requirements.

311.325. 1. Any person under the age of [twenty-one] eighteen years, who purchases or attempts to purchase, or has in his or her possession, any intoxicating liquor as defined in section 311.020 or who is visibly intoxicated as defined in section 577.001, RSMo, or has a detectable blood alcohol content of more than two-hundredths of one percent or more by weight of alcohol in such person’s blood is guilty of a misdemeanor. For purposes of prosecution under this section or any other provision of this chapter involving an alleged illegal sale or transfer of intoxicating liquor to a person under [twenty-one] eighteen years of age, a manufacturer-sealed container describing that there is intoxicating liquor therein need not be opened or the contents therein tested to verify that there is intoxicating liquor in such container. The alleged violator may allege that there was not intoxicating liquor in such container, but the burden of proof of such allegation is on such person, as it shall be presumed that such a sealed container describing that there is intoxicating liquor therein contains intoxicating liquor.

2. For purposes of determining violations of any provision of this chapter, or of any rule or regulation of the supervisor of alcohol and tobacco control, a manufacturer-sealed container describing that there is intoxicating liquor therein need not be opened or the contents therein tested to verify that there is intoxicating liquor in such container. The alleged violator may allege that there was not intoxicating liquor in such container, but the burden of proof of such allegation is on such person, as it shall be presumed that such a sealed container describing that there is intoxicating liquor therein contains intoxicating liquor.

[3. The provisions of this section shall not apply to a student who:

(1) Is eighteen years of age or older;

(2) Is enrolled in an accredited college or university and is a student in a culinary course;

(3) Is required to taste, but not consume or imbibe, any beer, ale, porter, wine, or other similar malt or fermented beverage as part of the required curriculum; and

(4) Tastes a beverage under subdivision (3) of this subsection only for instructional purposes during classes that are part of the curriculum of the accredited college or university.

The beverage must at all times remain in the possession and control of an authorized instructor of the college or university, who must be twenty-one years of age or older. Nothing in this subsection may be construed to allow a student under the age of twenty-one to receive any beer, ale, porter, wine, or other similar malt or fermented beverage unless the beverage is delivered as part of the student’s required curriculum and the beverage is used only for instructional purposes during classes conducted as part of the curriculum.]

Expungement of record permitted, when.

311.326. After a period of not less than one year, or upon reaching the age of [twenty-one] eighteen, whichever occurs first, a person who has pleaded guilty to or has been found guilty of violating section 311.325 for the first time, and who since such conviction has not been convicted of any other alcohol-related offense, may apply to the court in which he or she was sentenced for an order to expunge all official records of his or her arrest, plea, trial and conviction. If the court determines, upon review, that such person has not been convicted of any other alcohol-related offense at the time of the application for expungement, and the person has had no other alcohol-related enforcement contacts, as defined in section 302.525, RSMo, the court shall enter an order of expungement. The effect of such an order shall be to restore such person to the status he or she occupied prior to such arrest, plea or conviction, as if such event had never happened. No person as to whom such order has been entered shall be held thereafter under any provision of any law to be guilty of perjury or otherwise giving a false statement by reason of his or her failure to recite or acknowledge such arrest, plea, trial, conviction or expungement in response to any inquiry made of him or her for any purpose whatsoever. A person shall be entitled to only one expungement pursuant to this section. Nothing contained in this section shall prevent courts or other state officials from maintaining such records as are necessary to ensure that an individual receives only one expungement pursuant to this section.

Identification, acceptable forms.

311.328. 1. A valid and unexpired operator’s or chauffeur’s license issued under the provisions of section 302.177, RSMo, or a valid and unexpired operator’s or chauffeur’s license issued under the laws of any state or territory of the United States to residents of those states or territories, or a valid and unexpired identification card as provided for under section 302.181, RSMo, or a valid and unexpired identification card issued by any uniformed service of the United States, or a valid and unexpired passport shall be presented by the holder thereof upon request of any agent of the division of alcohol and tobacco control or any licensee or the servant, agent or employee thereof for the purpose of aiding the licensee or the servant, agent or employee to determine whether or not the person is at least [twenty-one] eighteen years of age when such person desires to purchase or consume alcoholic beverages procured from a licensee. Upon such presentation the licensee or the servant, agent or employee thereof shall compare the photograph and physical characteristics noted on the license, identification card or passport with the physical characteristics of the person presenting the license, identification card or passport.
2. Upon proof by the licensee of full compliance with the provisions of this section, no penalty shall be imposed if the supervisor of the division of alcohol and tobacco control or the courts are satisfied that the licensee acted in good faith.
3. Any person who shall, without authorization from the department of revenue, reproduce, alter, modify, or misrepresent any chauffeur’s license, motor vehicle operator’s license or identification card shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be subject to a fine of not more than one thousand dollars, and confinement for not more than one year, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

Reproduction or alteration of identification card, penalty.

311.329. Any person who has in his possession a reproduced, modified or altered motor vehicle driver’s license, nondriver’s license issued by any uniformed service of the United States, or identification card established in section 302.181, RSMo, or any other such identification card which indicates that the person represented on the card is over [twenty-one] eighteen years of age, is guilty of a class A misdemeanor.

Interstate reciprocal wine shipments, allowed when, limitations --solicitation prohibited.

311.462. 1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an adult resident or holder of an alcoholic beverage license in this state or a state which affords Missouri licensees or adult residents an equal reciprocal shipping privilege may ship, for personal use and not for resale, not more than two cases of wine, each case containing not more than nine liters, per year to any adult resident of this state. Delivery of a shipment pursuant to this section shall not be deemed to constitute a sale in this state.

2. The shipping container of any wine sent into or out of this state under this section shall be clearly labeled to indicate that the package cannot be delivered to a person under the age of [twenty-one] eighteen years or to an intoxicated person.

3. No broker within this state may solicit consumers to engage in interstate reciprocal wine shipments under this section. No shipper located outside this state may advertise such interstate reciprocal wine shipments in this state.

Eating places, drinking of intoxicating and nonintoxicating liquor on premises, license required, when, hours--regulations --penalties--exceptions.

311.480. 1. It shall be unlawful for any person operating any premises where food, beverages or entertainment are sold or provided for compensation, who does not possess a license for the sale of intoxicating liquor or nonintoxicating beer, to permit the drinking or consumption of intoxicating liquor or nonintoxicating beer in the premises, without having a license as in this section provided.

2. Application for such license shall be made to the supervisor of alcohol and tobacco control on forms to be prescribed by him, describing the premises to be licensed and giving all other reasonable information required by the form. The license shall be issued upon the payment of the fee required in this section. A license shall be required for each separate premises and shall expire on the thirtieth day of June next succeeding the date of such license. The license fee shall be sixty dollars per year and the applicant shall pay five dollars for each month or part thereof remaining from the date of the license to the next succeeding first of July. Applications for renewals of licenses shall be filed on or before the first of May of each year.

3. The drinking or consumption of intoxicating liquor or nonintoxicating beer shall not be permitted in or upon the licensed premises by any person under [twenty-one] eighteen years of age, or by any other person between the hours of 1:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. on any weekday, and between the hours of 1:30 a.m. Sunday and 6:00 a.m. Monday. Licenses issued hereunder shall be conditioned upon the observance of the provisions of this section and the regulations promulgated thereunder governing the conduct of premises licensed for the sale of intoxicating liquor or nonintoxicating beer by the drink. The provision of this section regulating the drinking or consumption of intoxicating liquor or nonintoxicating beer between certain hours and on Sunday shall apply also to premises licensed under this chapter to sell intoxicating liquor or nonintoxicating beer by the drink. In any incorporated city having a population of more than twenty thousand inhabitants, the board of aldermen, city council, or other proper authorities of incorporated cities may, in addition to the license fee required in this section, require a license fee not exceeding three hundred dollars per annum, payable to the incorporated cities, and provide for the collection thereof; make and enforce ordinances regulating the hours of consumption of intoxicating liquors or nonintoxicating beer on premises licensed hereunder, not inconsistent with the other provisions of this law, and provide penalties for the violation thereof. No person shall be granted a license hereunder unless such person is of good moral character and a qualified legal voter and a taxpaying citizen of the county, town, city or village, nor shall any corporation be granted a license hereunder unless the managing officer of such corporation is of good moral character and a qualified legal voter and taxpaying citizen of the county, town, city or village.

4. Any premises operated in violation of the provisions of this section, or where intoxicating liquor or nonintoxicating beer is consumed in violation of this section, is hereby declared to be a public and common nuisance, and it shall be the duty of the supervisor of alcohol and tobacco control and of the prosecuting or circuit attorney of the city of St. Louis, and the prosecuting attorney of the county in which the premises are located, to enjoin such nuisance.

5. Any person operating any premises, or any employee, agent, representative, partner, or associate of such person, who shall knowingly violate any of the provisions of this section, or any of the laws or regulations herein made applicable to the conduct of such premises, is guilty of a class A misdemeanor.

6. The supervisor of alcohol and tobacco control is hereby empowered to promulgate regulations necessary or reasonably designed to enforce or construe the provisions of this section, and is empowered to revoke or suspend any license issued hereunder, as provided in this chapter, for violation of this section or any of the laws or regulations herein made applicable to the conduct of premises licensed hereunder.

7. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the sale or delivery of any intoxicating liquor or nonintoxicating beer during any of the hours or on any of the days specified in this section by a wholesaler licensed under the provisions of section 311.180 to a person licensed to sell the intoxicating liquor or nonintoxicating beer at retail.

8. No intoxicating liquor or nonintoxicating beer may be served or sold on any premises used as a polling place on election day.

Additional complaints--by whom made--procedure.

311.710. 1. In addition to the penalties and proceedings for suspension or revocation of licenses provided for in this chapter, and without limiting them, proceedings for the suspension or revocation of any license authorizing the sale of intoxicating liquor at retail may be brought in the circuit court of any county in this state, or in the city of St. Louis, in which the licensed premises are located and such proceedings may be brought by the sheriff or any peace officer of that county or by any eight or more persons who are taxpaying citizens of the county or city for any of the following offenses:

(1) Selling, giving or otherwise supplying intoxicating liquor to a habitual drunkard or to any person who is under or apparently under the influence of intoxicating liquor;

(2) Knowingly permitting any prostitute, degenerate, or dissolute person to frequent the licensed premises;

(3) Permitting on the licensed premises any disorderly conduct, breach of the peace, or any lewd, immoral or improper entertainment, conduct or practices;

(4) Selling, offering for sale, possessing or knowingly permitting the consumption on the licensed premises of any kind of intoxicating liquors, the sale, possession or consumption of which is not authorized under his license;

(5) Selling, giving, or otherwise supplying intoxicating liquor to any person under the age of [twenty-one]eighteen years;

(6) Selling, giving or otherwise supplying intoxicating liquors between the hours of 12:00 midnight Saturday night and 12:00 midnight Sunday night.

Alcohol and tobacco control, minors not to be used in enforcement, exceptions--standards--minors immune from liability, when.

311.722. 1. The supervisor of alcohol and tobacco control shall not use minors to enforce the laws of this chapter or chapter 312, RSMo, unless the supervisor promulgates rules and regulations that establish standards for the use of minors. The standards shall include those in subsection 2 of this section.

2. The supervisor shall establish, by July 1, 2006, permissive standards for the use of minors in investigations by any state, county, municipal or other local law enforcement authority, and which shall, at a minimum, provide for the following: >

(1) The minor shall be [eighteen or nineteen] fifteen or sixteen years of age;

(2) The minor shall have a youthful appearance and the minor, if a male, shall not have facial hair or a receding hairline;

(3) The minor shall carry his or her own identification showing the minor’s correct date of birth and shall, upon request, produce such identification to the seller of the intoxicating liquor or nonintoxicating beer at the licensed establishment;

(4) The minor shall answer truthfully any questions about his or her age and shall not remain silent when asked questions regarding his or her age, nor misrepresent anything in order to induce a sale of intoxicating liquor or nonintoxicating beer.

3. The supervisor of alcohol and tobacco control shall not participate with any state, county, municipal, or other local law enforcement agency, nor discipline any licensed establishment when any state, county, municipal, or other law enforcement agency chooses not to follow the supervisor’s permissive standards.

4. Any minors used in investigations under this section shall be exempt from any violations under this chapter and chapter 312, RSMo, during the time they are under direct control of the state, county, municipal, or other law enforcement authorities.