18B-404. Additional provisions for purchase and transportation by mixed beverage permittees.
(a) Designated Employee. - A mixed beverages permittee may designate an employee to purchase and transport spirituous liquor as authorized by the permittee's permit.
(b) Issuance. - If mixed beverages sales have been approved for an establishment under G.S. 18B-603(d1) or under G.S. 18B-603(e), or for an establishment located in a township in which mixed beverages have been approved the purchase-transportation permit for that establishment may be issued by the local board of any city located in the same county as the establishment, provided the city has approved the sale of mixed beverages. Otherwise a licensed establishment may obtain a mixed beverages purchase-transportation permit only from the local board for the jurisdiction in which it is located. If there is no ABC store within the establishment's jurisdiction, then the mixed beverages permittee shall obtain a mixed beverages purchase-transportation permit from the nearest and most convenient ABC store.
(c) Designated Store. - A local board may designate a store within its system to make sales to mixed beverages permittees.
(d) Size of Bottles. - A purchase-transportation permit for a mixed beverages permittee shall authorize the purchase and transportation only of 355 milliliter or larger containers. A purchase-transportation permit for a mixed beverages permittee who is also a guest room cabinet permittee may authorize the purchase and transportation of containers in sizes approved by the Commission.
(e) Electronic Payment. - A local board shall accept electronic payments for any spirituous liquor purchased by a mixed beverages permittee. A local board may not charge a fee for accepting electronic payments under this subsection. For purposes of this subsection, the term "electronic payment" means payment by debit card or by electronic funds transfer as defined in G.S. 105-228.90, but does not include payment by charge card or credit card.
(f) (Effective July 1, 2022) [Delivery Service. -] A local board shall offer delivery service to mixed beverage permittees. In providing delivery of purchased products to mixed beverage permittees, the local board may use its employees or contract with one or more independent contractors and may charge a fee to the permittee. A local board in a Tier 1 or Tier 2 county, as defined in G.S. 143B-472.35(a2)(18), may request an exemption to this requirement from the ABC Commission. The Commission shall grant the request if the local board can show evidence of unreasonable hardship or difficulty incurred by implementing delivery service.