RS 286 - Acts prohibited on licensed premises; suspension or revocation of permits
A. No person holding a retail dealer's permit, and no person permitted to sell alcoholic beverages at retail to consumers, and no agent, associate, employee, representative, or servant of any such person shall do or permit any of the following acts to be done on or about the licensed premises:
(1)(a) Sell or serve alcoholic beverages to any person under the age of twenty-one years, unless such person submits any one of the following means of identification or a similar means of verification provided through use of a real-time age verification system authorized by the commissioner:
(i) A valid, current, Louisiana driver's license which contains a photograph of the person presenting the driver's license.
(ii) A valid, current, driver's license of another state which contains a photograph of the person and birth date of the person submitting the driver's license.
(iii) A valid, current, special identification card issued by the state of Louisiana pursuant to R.S. 40:1321 containing a photograph of the person submitting the identification card.
(iv) A valid, current, passport or visa issued by the federal government or another country or nation, that contains a permanently attached photograph of the person and the date of birth of the person submitting the passport or visa.
(v) A valid, current, military or federal identification card issued by the federal government containing a photograph of the person and date of birth of the person submitting the identification card.
(vi) A valid, current, special identification card of another state which contains a photograph of the person and birth date of the person submitting the identification card.
(b) Each form of identification listed above must on its face establish the age of the person as twenty-one years or older, and there must be no reason to doubt the authenticity or correctness of the identification. No form of identification mentioned above shall be accepted as proof of age if it is expired, defaced, mutilated, or altered. If the state identification card or lawful identification submitted is a duplicate, the person shall submit additional information which contains the name, date of birth, and picture of the person. A duplicate driver's license shall be considered lawful identification for the purposes of this Paragraph, and a person shall not be required to submit additional information containing the name, date of birth, and picture of the person. In addition, an educational institution identification card, check cashing identification card, or employee identification card shall not be considered as lawful identification for the purposes of this Paragraph.
(2) Sell or serve beverages of low alcoholic content to any intoxicated person.
(3)(a) Intentionally entice, aid, or permit any person under the age of eighteen years to visit or loiter in or about any place where alcoholic beverages or beer are the principal commodities sold, handled, or given away. However, the provisions of this Section shall in no way prohibit the presence of any person under the age of eighteen years on or about a licensed premises for any function sponsored by a religious or charitable organization with tax exempt status under Section 501(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of the United States, or by a fraternal beneficiary society with tax exempt status under 501(8) of the said code, and no alcoholic beverages are sold, handled, given away, or accessible during the presence of any such person.
(b) Permit any person under eighteen years of age to work in any capacity unless that person is a musician performing in a band on the premises under written contract for a specified period of time by the permittee, and the musician is under direct supervision of his parent or legal guardian.
(4) Permit any prostitute to frequent the licensed premises, or to solicit patrons for prostitution on the licensed premises.
(5) Sell, offer for sale, possess, or permit the consumption on the licensed premises of any kind or type of alcoholic beverages, the sale, or possession of which is not authorized under his permit, except as provided for in R.S. 26:793(A)(5).
(6) Intentionally conduct illegal gambling, as defined by law, on the premises described in the application for the permit.
(7) Employ or permit persons, commonly known as B drinkers, to solicit patrons for drinks and to accept drinks from patrons and receive therefor any commission or any remuneration in any other way.
(8)(a) Employ anyone under the age of eighteen in any capacity in an establishment where the sale of alcoholic beverages constitutes its main business unless the minor is a musician performing in a band on the premises under written contract with the permittee for a specified time period and is under the direct supervision of his parent or guardian during such time. If the sale of alcoholic beverages does not constitute the main business of the establishment, anyone under the age of eighteen may be employed as long as the minor's employment does not involve the sale, mixing, dispensing, or serving of alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises.
(b) If the sale or handling of alcoholic beverages does not constitute the main business and alcoholic beverages are not sold for consumption on the premises, an employee under the age of eighteen years may be permitted to participate in the sale of packaged alcoholic beverages to collect the price and taxes and issue receipts therefor, or may be permitted to bag packaged alcoholic beverages, or both, where immediate supervision is provided.
(9) Allow the sale, dispensing, or distribution of beverages of low alcoholic content in any type of automatic mechanical vending machine activated by the use of a coin, token, or similar instrument, except in Class A establishments in accordance with rules promulgated pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act. Such rules shall include procedures for the prevention of access to the machines by underage or intoxicated persons. The provisions of this Paragraph shall not apply to establishments exempt from holding permits under this Chapter.
(10) Permit the playing of pool or billiards by any person under eighteen years of age, or permit such a person to frequent the licensed premises operating a pool or billiard hall, except in a structure where the position of the pool or billiards playing area is separate and distinct from the area where alcoholic beverages are dispensed to patrons.
(11) Illegally sell, offer for sale, possess, or permit the consumption on or about the licensed premises of any kind or type of controlled dangerous substances or other illegal substances.
(12) Accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program "SNAP" electronic benefit transfer cards as payment for alcoholic beverages in violation of the provisions of 7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq., and any federal regulation issued pursuant thereto.
(13) Permit any disturbance of the peace or obscenity, or any lewd, immoral, or improper entertainment, conduct, or practices on the licensed premises.
(14)(a) Play live or recorded music which is so unreasonably intrusive or offensive as to interfere with the comfortable enjoyment of the property of a person residing within two hundred feet of the premises. This prohibition shall not apply to any licensed premises which are not located within two hundred feet of a residence or which were not located within two hundred feet of a residence on the date that the first permit was granted for the premises or to any licensed premises which are not located in an unzoned unincorporated area. This prohibition shall not apply to any premises which provide an entry area with two separate doors or sets of doors separating the exterior of the entrance from the area where music is played. Any licensed premises which are not, on the effective date of this Paragraph, in compliance with the provisions of this Paragraph, shall have a reasonable time either to modify the premises to comply with this Paragraph or to cease the playing of music as described herein.
(b) Any person residing within two hundred feet of licensed premises on which is played live or recorded music which is so unreasonably intrusive or offensive as to interfere with the comfortable enjoyment of his property shall have a cause of action for damages and may obtain injunctive relief if the premises are not in compliance with the provisions of this Paragraph.
(15) Sell or serve any alcoholic beverages at a price fixed on an "all you can drink" basis after the hour of 10:00 p.m.
(16)(a) Sell, deliver, or give away any alcoholic beverage for dispensation by means of an alcoholic beverage vaporizer.
(b) Purchase, possess, or use an alcoholic beverage vaporizer on the licensed premises or any area related to the licensed business over which the licensee exercises control or for which the licensee is responsible.
(c) Allow or permit any customer or person to bring, keep, maintain, or use an alcoholic beverage vaporizer on the licensed premises or any area related to the licensed business over which the licensee exercises control or for which the licensee is responsible.
B. The following acts or conduct on licensed premises are deemed to constitute lewd, immoral, or improper entertainment as prohibited by this Section and therefore no on-sale permit for beverages of low alcoholic content shall be held at any premises where such conduct or acts are permitted:
(1) Employment or use of any person in the sale or service of alcoholic beverages in or upon the licensed premises while such person is unclothed or in such attire, costume, or clothing as to expose to view any portion of the female breast below the top of the areola or of any portion of the pubic hair, anus, cleft of the buttocks, vulva, or genitals.
(2) Employment or use of the services of any hostess or other person to mingle with the patrons while such hostess or other person is unclothed or in such attire, costume, or clothing as described in Paragraph (1) of this Subsection.
(3) Encouraging or permitting any person on the licensed premises to touch, caress, or fondle the breasts, buttocks, anus, or genitals of any other person.
(4) Permitting any employee or person to wear or use any device or covering, exposed to view, which simulates the breast, genitals, anus, pubic hair, or any portion thereof.
C. Acts or conduct on licensed premises in violation of this Section are deemed to constitute lewd, immoral, or improper entertainment as prohibited by this Section and therefore no on-sale permit for beverages of low alcoholic content shall be held at any premises where such conduct and acts are permitted.
D. Live entertainment is permitted on any licensed premises, except that no permittee shall permit any person to perform acts of or acts which simulate:
(1) Sexual intercourse, masturbation, sodomy, bestiality, oral copulation, flagellation, or any sexual acts which are prohibited by law.
(2) The touching, caressing, or fondling of the breast, buttocks, anus, or genitals.
(3) The displaying of the pubic hair, anus, vulva, genitals, or nipple of the female breast.
E. Subject to the provisions of Subsection D of this Section, entertainers whose breasts or buttocks are exposed to view shall perform only upon a stage at least eighteen inches above the immediate floor level and removed at least three feet from the nearest patron and shall be twenty-one years of age or older.
F. No permittee shall permit any person to use artificial devices or inanimate objects to depict any of the prohibited activities described above.
G. The following acts or conduct on licensed premises are deemed to constitute lewd, immoral, or improper entertainment as prohibited by this Section and therefore no on-sale permit for beverages of low alcoholic content shall be held at any premises where such conduct or acts are permitted: including the showing of film, still pictures, electronic reproduction, or other visual reproductions depicting:
(1) Acts or simulated acts of sexual intercourse, masturbation, sodomy, bestiality, oral copulation, flagellation or any sexual acts which are prohibited by law.
(2) Any person being touched, caressed, or fondled on the breast, buttocks, anus, or genitals.
(3) Scenes wherein a person displays the vulva or the anus or the genitals.
(4) Scenes wherein artificial devices or inanimate objects are employed to depict, or drawings are employed to portray, any of the prohibited activities described above.
H. Violation of this Section by a retail dealer's agent, associate, employee, representative, or servant shall be considered the retail dealer's act for purposes of suspension or revocation of the permit.
I. Violation of this Section is punishable as provided in R.S. 26:521 and is also sufficient cause for the suspension or revocation of a permit.
J. Notwithstanding the issuance of a permit by way of renewal, the commissioner may revoke or suspend such permit, as prescribed by this Chapter, for violations of this Section occurring during the permit period immediately preceding the issuance of such permit.
Amended by Acts 1956, No. 123, §4; Acts 1970, No. 396, §1; Acts 1972, No. 156, §1; Acts 1974, No. 279, §1; Acts 1974, No. 451, §1; Acts 1981, No. 130, §1; Acts 1982, No. 82, §1; Acts 1985, No. 243, §1; Acts 1985, No. 412, §1, eff. July 10, 1985; Acts 1986, No. 376, §1; Acts 1986, No. 1007, §1; Acts 1987, No. 696, §1; Acts 1990, No. 168, §1; Acts 1991, No. 985, §1; Acts 1992, No. 96, §1; Acts 1992, No. 602, §1; Acts 1992, No. 683, §1; Acts 1993, No. 623, §2; Acts 1995, No. 639, §2; Acts 1996, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 78, §2; Acts 2005, No. 83, §1; Acts 2006, No. 147, §1; Acts 2010, No. 953, §1, eff. July 2, 2010; Acts 2012, No. 28, §1; Acts 2012, No. 764, §1; Acts 2014, No. 357, §1; Acts 2016, No. 395, §1; Acts 2018, No. 170, §1; Acts 2019, No. 303, §1.