HOUSE BILL REPORT
HB 1698
As Passed House:
March 4, 2025
Title: An act relating to updating liquor permit and licensing provisions.
Brief Description: Updating liquor permit and licensing provisions.
Sponsors: Representatives Waters and Reed; by request of Liquor and Cannabis Board.
Brief History:
Committee Activity:
Consumer Protection & Business: 2/11/25, 2/18/25 [DP].
Floor Activity:
Passed House: 3/4/25, 95-0.
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Makes changes to definitions under the alcohol server permit statutes clarifying that all persons selling and serving alcohol for on-premise consumption at a licensed facility need to obtain an alcohol server permit. 
  • Eliminates a special liquor permit and the public house liquor license. 
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON CONSUMER PROTECTION & BUSINESS
Majority Report: Do pass.Signed by 15 members:Representatives Walen, Chair; McClintock, Ranking Minority Member; Dufault, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Abbarno, Berry, Corry, Donaghy, Fosse, Kloba, Morgan, Reeves, Ryu, Santos, Steele and Volz.
Staff: Megan Mulvihill (786-7304).
Background:

Alcohol Server Permits. 

An alcohol server permit is required for persons who serve, mix, sell, or handle the sale of alcohol for on-premise consumption.  The permit is issued after the successful completion of a mandatory alcohol server training (MAST) and the associated examination.  Most MAST classes are provided online, but a few are offered in person.  A class 12 permit is issued for individuals who are 21 years of age and older.  A more limited class 13 permit is issued for individuals ages 18 to 20.  

 

Special Liquor Permits. 

Various special liquor permits exist to authorize individuals to engage in certain activities related to the sale, service, and consumption of alcohol.  Examples include a permit allowing liquor consumption at banquets, wine or beer consumption at bed and breakfasts for overnight guests served free of charge, and a permit for authorized representatives of a military installation operated by or for any of the armed forces within Washington to purchase liquor for use on the military installation.

 

Public House Liquor License. 

A public house license allows a licensee:

  • to annually manufacture no less than 250 gallons and no more than 2,400 barrels of beer on the licensed premise;
  • to sell their product at retail for consumption on the licensed premise;
  • to sell beer and wine not manufactured on premise for on-premise consumption if the beer or wine was purchased from a licensed beer or wine wholesaler; and 
  • to apply for and be licensed as a spirits, beer, and wine restaurant at the same location.
Summary of Bill:

Alcohol Server Permits.

The defined term "retail licensed premises" is changed to "on-premise licensed facility" for statutes regulating alcohol servers.  The definition is modified by removing references to specific licenses and instead referencing all licensed facilities who sell or serve alcohol by the glass, drink, or in original containers primarily for on-premise consumption, including on-premise tasting activities, regulated under the state's alcohol laws.  Breweries and microbreweries, along with beer and wine specialty shops and spirit retailers who have tasting activities, are included in the definition of on-premise licensed facility. 

 

It is clarified that no licensee of an on-premise licensed facility as authorized under the state's alcohol laws may employ or accept the services of any person without a class 12 or class 13 permit, if that person has duties that include the compounding, sale, service, or handling of liquor. 

 

The requirement for the Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) to require all alcohol servers applying for a class 13 alcohol server permit to view a video training session and for the LCB to provide copies of the videotaped training programs to retail liquor licensees is eliminated.

 

Special Liquor Permits. 

The special liquor permit authorizing a representative of a military installation operated by or for any of the armed forces within Washington to purchase liquor for use on such military installation is eliminated. 

 

Public House License. 

The public house liquor license is eliminated. 
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) This is not a complicated proposal, but it has several small, important changes to clarify the MAST statutes.  The bill would clarify that if you are an employee involved with the selling of alcohol on premises, then you need to have a permit.  Every licensee should know what is expected of them, but the statutes are confusing.  In one place it specifies that everyone working at a licensed premise needs a permit, and it is unclear whether this also includes a janitor.  The legislation also eliminates a license that no one holds, as the microbrewery license has superseded it.  In addition, the LCB does not do training by videotape anymore as the training is all online. 

 

(Opposed) None.
Persons Testifying:

Representative Kevin Waters, prime sponsor; and Marc Webster, Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board.
Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.