Effective April 10, 2018, the "Revised ABRA Civil Penalty Schedule Resolution of 2017" amended the civil penalties associated with several infractions in the current Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration's (ABRA) Civil Penalty Schedule set forth in the D.C. Municipal Regulations. The changes, supported unanimously by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, accomplished two primary objectives.

First, the changes incorporated new infractions and penalties for violations created by the "Omnibus Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Amendment Act of 2016". For example, the proposed revised Civil Penalty Schedule includes violations for tampering with or refilling bottles, selling or offering to sell powdered alcohol and forging or altering a license issued by ABRA. These new infractions and penalties are necessary to ensure that ABRA has the tools to take enforcement action against a licensee when violations are discovered.

Second, the revised schedule increases the number of violations for which the Board is permitted to issue a discretionary warning. For example, the revised schedule provides the Board with the authority to issue discretionary warnings for various hours violations. The revised schedule also permits the Board to issue discretionary warnings in those instances where a licensed manager is not present at a business. These changes were necessary to assist the Board in deciding the appropriate action and penalty for the enforcement cases it must adjudicate.

Review the complete Civil Penalty Schedule.