TITLE 3

Alcoholic Beverages

CHAPTER 3-7

Retail Licenses

SECTION 3-7-7



   § 3-7-7  Class B license. –

(a)(1) A retailer's Class B license is issued only to a licensed bona fide

tavern keeper or victualer whose tavern or victualing house may be open for

business and regularly patronized at least from nine o'clock (9:00) a.m. to

seven o'clock (7:00) p.m. provided no beverage is sold or served after one

o'clock (1:00) a.m., nor before six o'clock (6:00) a.m. Local licensing boards

may fix an earlier closing time within their jurisdiction, at their discretion.

The East Greenwich town council may, in its discretion, issue full and limited

Class B licenses which may not be transferred, but which shall revert to the

town of East Greenwich if not renewed by the holder. The Cumberland town

council may, in its discretion, issue full and limited Class B licenses which

may not be transferred to another person or entity, or to another location, but

which shall revert to the town of Cumberland if not renewed by the holder.



   The Pawtucket city council may, in its discretion, issue full

and limited Class B licenses which may not be transferred to another person or

entity, or to another location, but which shall revert to the city of Pawtucket

if not renewed by the holder. This legislation shall not affect any Class B

license holders whose licenses were issued by the Pawtucket city council with

the right to transfer.



   (2) The license authorizes the holder to keep for sale and

sell beverages including beer in cans, at retail at the place described and to

deliver them for consumption on the premises or place where sold, but only at

tables or a lunch bar where food is served. It also authorizes the charging of

a cover, minimum, or door charge. The amount of the cover, or minimum, or door

charge is posted at the entrance of the establishments in a prominent place.



   (3) Holders of licenses are not permitted to hold dances

within the licensed premises, unless proper permits have been properly obtained

from the local licensing authorities.



   (4) Any holder of a Class B license may, upon the approval of

the local licensing board and for the additional payment of two hundred dollars

($200) to five hundred dollars ($500), open for business at twelve o'clock

(12:00) p.m. and on Fridays and Saturdays and the night before legal state

holidays may close at two o'clock (2:00) a.m. All requests for a two o'clock

(2:00) a.m. license shall be advertised by the local licensing board in a

newspaper having a circulation in the county where the establishment applying

for the license is located.



   (5) A holder of a retailer's Class B license is allowed to

erect signs advertising his or her business and products sold on the premises,

including neon signs, and is allowed to light those signs during all lawful

business hours, including Sundays and holidays.



   (6) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) and/or

§ 3-7-16.4, a holder of a retail class B and/or class ED license may apply

to the municipality in which such licensee is located for a permit to conduct a

so-called "Lock-In Event", under the following conditions:



   (i) A "Lock-In Event" is defined as an event where a

specified group of individuals are permitted to remain in a licensed premises

after closing hours including, but not limited to, the hours of 1:00 a.m. to

6:00 a.m.



   (ii) A Lock-In Event must have the approval of the municipal

licensing authority pursuant to a permit issued for each such event, subject to

such conditions as such may attach to the permit. The fee for the permit shall

be not less than fifty dollars ($50.00) nor more than one hundred dollars

($100). The granting or denial of a Lock-In Event permit shall be in the sole

discretion of the municipal licensing authority and there shall be no appeal

from the denial of such a permit.



   (iii) During the entire period of any Lock-In Event, all

alcoholic beverages must be secured in place or removed from the public portion

of the premises and secured to the satisfaction of the municipality issuing the

Lock-In Event permit.



   (iv) During the Lock-In Event, the establishment shall be

exclusively occupied by the Lock-In Event participants and no other patrons

shall be admitted to the premises who are not participants. It shall be a

condition of the permit that participants shall not be admitted more than

thirty (30) minutes after the permitted start time of the Lock-In Event, except

in the event of unforeseen travel delays, nor permitted to re-enter the event

if they leave the licensed premises.



   (v) As part of the Lock-In Event, food shall be served.



   (vi) The municipal licensing authority may, in its sole

discretion, require the presence of a police detail, for some or all of the

event, and the number of officers required, if any, shall be determined by the

municipality as part of the process of issuing the Lock-In Event permit. The

licensee shall be solely responsible for the cost of any such required police

detail.



   (b) The annual license fee for a tavern keeper shall be four

hundred dollars ($400) to two thousand dollars ($2,000), and for a victualer

the license fee shall be four hundred dollars ($400) to two thousand dollars

($2,000). In towns with a population of less than two thousand five hundred

(2,500) inhabitants, as determined by the last census taken under the authority

of the United States or the state, the fee for each retailer's Class B license

shall be determined by the town council, but shall in no case be less than

three hundred dollars ($300) annually. If the applicant requests it in his or

her application, any retailer's Class B license may be issued limiting the sale

of beverages on the licensed premises to malt and vinous beverages containing

not more than twenty percent (20%) alcohol by volume, and the fee for that

limited Class B license shall be two hundred dollars ($200) to one thousand

five hundred dollars ($1,500) annually. The fee for any Class B license shall

in each case be prorated to the year ending December 1 in every calendar year.



   (1) Upon the approval and designation of a district or

districts within its city or town by the local licensing board, the local

licensing board may issue to any holder of a Class B license or a Class ED

license, an extended hours permit to extend closing hours on Thursdays, Fridays

and Saturdays, the night before a legal state holiday or such other days as

determined by the local board, for one hour past such license holder's legal

closing time as established by the license holder's license or licenses

including, but not limited to, those issued pursuant to subdivision (4) hereof.

The extended hours permit shall not permit the sale of alcohol during the

extended one-hour period and shall prohibit the admittance of new patrons in

the establishment during the extended one-hour period. The designation of such

district(s) shall be for a duration of not less than six (6) months. Prior to

designating any such district, the local licensing authority shall hold a

hearing on the proposed designation. The proposed designation shall include the

boundaries of the proposed district, the applicable days for the extended

hours, and the duration of the designation and the conditions imposed. The

proposed designation shall be advertised at least once per week for three (3)

weeks prior to the hearing in a newspaper in general circulation in the city or

town. The city or town will establish an application process for an extended

hours permit for such license holder and may adopt rules and regulations to

administer the permit.



History of Section.

(P.L. 1933, ch. 2013, § 5; P.L. 1934, ch. 2088, § 2; P.L. 1935, ch.

2270, § 1; G.L. 1938, ch. 163, § 3; P.L. 1939, ch. 659, § 2;

P.L. 1940, ch. 814, § 1; P.L. 1941, ch. 1037, § 1; P.L. 1970, ch.

197, § 1; P.L. 1971, ch. 153, § 1; P.L. 1975, ch. 71, § 1; P.L.

1976, ch. 22, § 1; P.L. 1977, ch. 225, § 1; P.L. 1978, ch. 338,

§ 1; P.L. 1981, ch. 408, § 1; P.L. 1982, ch. 257, § 1; P.L.

1995, ch. 244, § 1; P.L. 1995, ch. 301, § 1; P.L. 2003, ch. 376, art.

7, § 11; P.L. 2004, ch. 237, § 1; P.L. 2004, ch. 410, § 1; P.L.

2008, ch. 17, § 1; P.L. 2008, ch. 82, § 1; P.L. 2008, ch. 269, §

1; P.L. 2008, ch. 318, § 1; P.L. 2009, ch. 357, § 1; P.L. 2014, ch.

158, § 1; P.L. 2014, ch. 171, § 1.)