Controlled Access Liquor Cabinet Systems

PURPOSE: The purpose for this rule is to allow qualifying licensees to make sales using a controlled access liquor cabinet system. (1) As used in this section, the following terms mean: (A) “Controlled access liquor cabinet,” a closed container, either refrigerated in whole or in part or nonrefrigerated, access to the interior of which is restricted by means of a locking device which requires the use of a key, access by means of a locking device as hereinabove described; (B) “Controlled access liquor cabinet system,” a system for the sale of intoxicating liquor in qualified packages or containers in the rooms provided for the overnight accommodation of transient guests in a qualified establishment by means of a controlled access liquor cabinet, and such system shall permit the licensee to maintain in the rooms provided for the overnight accommodation of transient guests a controlled access liquor cabinet in which such licensee may maintain for sale intoxicating liquor in qualified packages or containers, together with, if desired, other beverages or food, and such system shall permit the adult registered guests of the room in which such controlled access liquor cabinet is located to use the key, magnetic card or other similar device to gain access to such controlled access liquor cabinet to obtain the intoxicating liquor or other beverages or food for consumption; (C) “Qualified establishment,” any establishment having at least forty (40) rooms for the overnight accommodation of transient guests and having a restaurant or similar facility on the premises at least sixty percent (60%) of the gross income of which is derived from the sale of prepared meals or food, which restaurant’s annual gross food sales for the past two (2) years immediately preceding its application for a license shall not have been less than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) per year or, if such restaurant has been in operation for less than two (2) years, such restaurant has been in operation for at least ninety (90) days preceding the application for license for sale of intoxicating liquor by means of controlled access liquor cabinets and has a projected experience based upon its sale of food during the preceding ninety (90) days which would exceed one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) per year; (D) “Qualified packages or containers,” packages or containers for intoxicating liquor, other than beer or other malt liquor, which hold not less than fifty (50) milliliters and not more than two hundred (200) milliliters, and any packages or containers for beer or other malt liquor; (E) “Registered guest,” each person who signs his/her name to the guest register of the qualified establishment or takes some other equivalent action for the purpose of registering as a guest of such qualified establishment; (F) “Room,” a room in a qualified establishment which is intended to be used as, and which is provided for, the overnight accommodation of transient guests. (2) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter to the contrary, any person who possesses the qualifications required by this chapter, and who now or hereafter meets the requirements of and complies with the provisions of this chapter, and who operates a qualified establishment and who is licensed to sell liquor by the drink at retail with respect to such qualified establishment, may apply for, and the commission may issue, a license to sell intoxicating liquor in the rooms of such qualified establishment by means of a controlled access liquor cabinet system on and subject to the following terms and conditions: (A) The key, magnetic card or other similar device required to attain access to the controlled access liquor cabinet in a particular room may be provided only to each adult registered guest who is registered to stay in such room; (B) Prior to providing a key, magnetic card or other similar device required to attain access to the controlled access liquor cabinet in a particular room to the registered guest, the licensee shall verify that each such registered guest to whom such key, magnetic card or similar device is to be provided is not under twenty-one (21) years of age; (C) All employees handling the intoxicating liquor to be placed in the controlled access liquor cabinet, including without limitation any employee who inventories and/or restocks and replenishes the intoxicating liquor in the controlled access liquor cabinet, shall be at least eighteen (18) years of age; (D) Registered guests may use the key, magnetic card or other similar device required to attain access to the controlled access liquor cabinet in such registered guest’s room at any time; provided, however, that no controlled access liquor cabinet may be restocked or replenished with intoxicating liquor, nor shall any intoxicating liquor be delivered to a room in order to restock or replenish the supply of intoxicating liquor in the controlled access liquor cabinet, at any time when the restaurant operated at the qualified establishment is not permitted to sell liquor by the drink at retail pursuant to the provisions of this chapter; (E) Upon request from the registered guest at any time, the qualified establishment shall cause all intoxicating liquor to be removed from the controlled access liquor cabinet in the room of such registered guest as soon as reasonably practicable; and (F) The qualified establishment shall have the right to collect payment for the intoxicating liquor or other beverages or food taken from the controlled access liquor cabinet in the room of a registered guest in such manner as it shall determine to be appropriate, including without limitation the inclusion of such charges together with the charges made to such registered guest for the use of the room or for purchase of meals at the restaurant operated at such qualified establishment. (3) Any new qualified establishment having been in operation for less than ninety (90) days may be issued a temporary license to sell intoxicating liquor in the rooms of such qualified establishment by means of a controlled access liquor cabinet system for a period not to exceed ninety (90) days if such establishment can show a projection of an annual business from prepared meals or food which would exceed not less than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) per year. (4) In addition to any right to sell granted pursuant to any other provision of this chapter, a duly licensed wholesaler shall be permitted to sell intoxicating liquor to a qualified establishment in any size of qualified packages or containers for use in a controlled access liquor cabinet system; provided, however, that as to any size of qualified packages or containers which could not be legally sold to the qualified establishment except for the provisions of this section, any such size of qualified packages or containers shall be sold by the qualified establishment only by means of the controlled access liquor cabinet system. AUTHORITY: sections 313.004 and 313.805, RSMo 2000 and 313.840, RSMo Supp. 2004.* Original rule filed April 3, 2001, effective Oct. 30, 2001. Amended: Filed Aug. 3, 2005, effective Feb. 28, 2006. *Original authority: 313.004, RSMo 1993, amended 1994; 313.805, RSMo 1991, amended 1993, 1994, 2000; and 313.840, RSMo 1991, amended 1993, 1994, 2001.