Council toughens penalties for alcohol sales to underage after ABC data shows sharp rise in violations

The Metropolitan Council on Aug. 6 voted to amend Title 9 — licensing and regulation of trades and occupations — to increase fines and tighten suspensions for businesses and individuals who sell alcohol to minors and to underage buyers (ages 18–20). The change followed ABC board testimony describing a sharp rise in unlawful sales discovered in compliance checks.

Chris, an ABC board representative, told the council that the compliance rate for unlawful sales rose from roughly 6–7% historically to more than 25% in 2024 and about 35% in early 2025. He said the board documented 91 sales in 359–356 compliance checks in 2024 and 59 sales in 168 compliance checks so far in 2025. The board reported increasing numbers of second and third offenses, which guided the authors to propose stiffer penalties.

Under the amendment discussed at the meeting, penalties for business violations would increase substantially from the current levels discussed in the package. The ABC board representative described proposals that would raise business fines for sales to minors and underage buyers into the thousands of dollars and impose minimum suspension periods — for example, a $2,500 business fine with a minimum 30-day suspension for first offenses in certain categories, escalating for subsequent offenses. For sales to persons 17 and under, the ordinance retains mandatory minimum suspensions and fines that the council said the board would still be able to mitigate in limited cases.

Council members raised court-jurisdiction concerns. Councilmember Rocca and the parish attorney’s office explained that Baton Rouge City Court has a jurisdictional cap of $1,000 for misdemeanor fines and penalties and that criminal citations with fines above that threshold would move cases to the Nineteenth Judicial District Court. City-Parish legal staff proposed a floor amendment to separate business penalties (administrative enforcement by the ABC board) from individual criminal fines. Under that amendment, business-level fines and suspensions could be set higher and handled administratively, while individual criminal fines would be capped at $1,000 to allow prosecution in Baton Rouge City Court; the amendment was adopted.

Council members stressed education alongside enforcement. Councilman Hudson and others emphasized expanded training and in-person classes for businesses as a complement to increased penalties. Several council members thanked ABC enforcement staff for on-the-ground work and supported the ordinance as sending a clear message that sales to underage persons will not be tolerated.

The council approved the ordinance as amended. The motion to approve was put by Councilwoman Rocca and seconded by Councilman Hudson; the motion carried.

Key clarifying details from the meeting: ABC board compliance checks showed a rise from roughly 6% noncompliance historically to about 35% in early 2025; the proposed business fine increases discussed in the meeting were in the thousands (e.g., $2,500 and up), and minimum suspension periods were increased, with escalating penalties for second and third offenses. The parish attorney proposed, and the council adopted, an amendment to preserve city-court jurisdiction for individual criminal fines by capping those fines at $1,000 so affected criminal cases remain in Baton Rouge City Court.