IMPORTANT NEWS...
Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco Announces Retailer Compliance Rate for Fiscal Year 2009/2010
July 8, 2010
TALLAHASSEE—Today, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco announced that for fiscal year 2009/2010, which ended July 1, an average of 88 percent of retailers tested did not sell alcohol to underage youth.
“With a new law now in effect that increases penalties for those who sell or provide alcohol to underage individuals, it’s especially gratifying to see that our ABT agents continue to find such a high compliance rate,” said Interim Secretary Charlie Liem. “We will continue to perform compliance checks to ensure our retailers are abiding by the law.”
Retailer compliance checks are conducted using investigative aides under 21 years old who attempt to purchase alcohol at randomly selected licensed establishments. Retailers that sell alcohol to the investigative aides are issued notices to appear in court and educated on checking identification. The information below shows the fiscal year compliance rate by ABT district offices:
District (counties) |
Compliance Rate |
Pensacola (Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa) |
93% |
Panama City (Jackson, Calhoun, Gulf, Bay, Washington, Walton, Holmes) |
82% |
Tallahassee (Gadsden, Leon, Wakulla, Liberty Franklin, Jefferson, Madison, Taylor) |
90% |
Jacksonville (Nassau, Duval, St. Johns, Putnam, Clay, Baker) |
88% |
Gainesville (Sumter, Citrus, Marion, Levy, Alachua, Gilchrest, Dixie, Bradford, Union, Columbia, Lafayette, Suwannee, Columbia, Hamilton) |
86% |
Orlando (Brevard, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Lake) |
92% |
Tampa (Hernando, Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Polk, Hardee, Desoto, Highlands) |
87% |
Daytona Beach (Volusia, Flagler) |
83% |
Ft. Myers (Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Glades, Lee, Hendry, Collier) |
88% |
Ft. Pierce (Indian River, Okeechobee, St. Lucie, Martin) |
94% |
West Palm Beach (Palm Beach) |
93% |
Ft. Lauderdale (Broward) |
90% |
Miami (Dade, Monroe) |
88% |
Establishments that sell alcohol to individuals under the age of 21 three times within a 12-week period face up to a $1,000 fine and a seven-day license suspension. Individuals who sell or give alcohol to underage youth face a maximum penalty of 60 days in jail and a $500 fine. The new law stiffens criminal penalties for anyone caught two or more times giving alcohol to underage drinkers. Anyone who facilitates underage drinking will be subject to a first-degree misdemeanor on the second offense.
The mission of ABT is to keep alcohol and tobacco out of the hands of underage persons, to ensure that licensed establishments are in compliance with the laws and rules regulating the industry in Florida, and to collect taxes and fees related to these industries.
The Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s mission is to license efficiently and regulate fairly. The department licenses more than one million businesses and professionals ranging from real estate agents, veterinarians, and accountants to contractors and cosmetologists. For more information, please visit MyFloridaLicense.com.