A. Any person holding a dispenser's license in any local option district where a public celebration is to be held may dispense alcoholic beverages at the public celebration upon receiving written approval from the governing body in charge of the public celebration and upon the payment of fifty dollars ($50.00) to the department for a special dispenser's permit.
B. As used in this section, "public celebration" includes any state fair, county fair, community fiesta, cultural or artistic performance or professional athletic competition of a seasonal nature or activities held on an intermittent basis.
C. In addition to the state fee and if previously provided for by ordinance, the governing body of the local option district in which the public celebration is held may charge an additional fee not to exceed twenty-five dollars ($25.00) per day for each day the permittee dispenses alcoholic beverages. The permittee shall be subject to all state laws and regulations and all local regulations regulating dispenser's privileges and disabilities. All fees collected by the governing body of the local option district may be used to fund free ride home programs.
D. Any person holding a dispenser's license may be issued a special dispenser's permit by the director allowing the dispensing of alcoholic beverages at a function catered by that business, provided the governing body of the local option district has given the person seeking the permit written approval to dispense alcoholic beverages at the catered function. The permit shall be valid for no more than twelve hours. To apply for the permit, the holder of a dispenser's license shall submit a fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) together with such information as the director may require. The permittee shall be subject to all state laws and regulations and all local regulations except that the permittee shall not be required to suspend the dispensing of alcoholic beverages at the licensed premises solely because of the issuance of the special dispenser's permit.
E. The person holding a dispenser's license and his employees shall be the only persons permitted to dispense alcohol during the function for which the permit was sought. Issuance of the special dispenser's permit is within the director's discretion and is subject to any reasonable requirements imposed by the director.
F. Any person holding a dispenser's license in a local option district in which Sunday sales of alcoholic beverages are not otherwise permitted pursuant to the Liquor Control Act [60-3A-1 NMSA 1978] may dispense beer and wine on Sunday at any public celebration for which it has received a concession from the governing body in charge of the public celebration, provided the governing body of that local option district has by resolution expressly permitted such beer and wine sales on Sunday at that public celebration in accordance with the provisions of this section.
G. Any person holding a dispenser's license who dispenses alcoholic beverages at a church's public celebration under a special dispenser's permit pursuant to this section may donate to the church holding the public celebration any portion of the profits from the sale of alcoholic beverages at that public celebration. Employees of that dispenser or other individuals who have completed a certified alcohol server training program may donate to the church holding a public celebration their services as servers of alcoholic beverages at that public celebration.
History: Laws 1981, ch. 39, § 29; 1989, ch. 144, § 1; 1993, ch. 68, § 6; 1997, ch. 265, § 1; 1998, ch. 79, § 1.
ANNOTATIONSThe 1998 amendment effective May 20, 1998, deleted "board or other" following "from the" in Subsections A and F; rewrote Subsection E; and, substituted "pursuant to" for "under" near the beginning of Subsection F.
The 1997 amendment, effective June 20, 1997, added Subsection G.
The 1993 amendment, effective July 1, 1993, substituted "written approval" for "a concession" and "fifty dollars ($50.00)" for "ten dollars ($10.00)" in Subsection A; substituted "twenty-five dollars ($25.00)" for "ten dollars ($10.00)" in the first sentence of Subsection C; added the final sentence of Subsection C; added the proviso at the end of the first sentence of Subsection D; substituted "twenty-five dollars ($25.00)" for "ten dollars ($10.00)" and deleted "by regulation" at the end of the third sentence of Subsection D; substituted "and all local regulations" for "governing dispenser's privileges and disabilities" in the fourth sentence of Subsection D; added present Subsection E; and redesignated former Subsection E as present Subsection F.
Am. Jur. 2d, A.L.R. and C.J.S. references. — Construction and application of statute or ordinance respecting amusements on premises licensed for sale of intoxicating liquor, 4 A.L.R.2d 1216.