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Senate revises single‑event alcohol permit structure to give organizers more flexibility
Summary
SB165 rewrites single-event alcoholic beverage permit rules to offer two permitting tracks — four 5‑day permits or twelve 72‑hour permits — to give event organizers more flexibility; sponsor said DABC expressed no opposition and the bill passed on third reading.
The Utah Senate approved Senate Bill 165, which restructures the state's single‑event alcoholic beverage permit framework. Sponsor Senator McCoy said the change was prompted by arts and event organizations that host numerous short events across a season and now must rely on surrogate applicants to cover schedules under the current four‑permit limit.
Under SB165, an applicant would select one of two tracks at the beginning of the year: the existing track of four permits valid for up to five days each, or an alternative track allowing up to 12 permits that last 72 hours each. The bill preserves the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control's review and approval authority and does not expand the classes of entities eligible to apply.
Senator McCoy described the bill as a reasonable accommodation for event organizers such as the Salt Lake Arts Council, which runs multiple festivals and concert series. He said the Business and Labor Committee unanimously passed the bill and that DABC expressed support. The Senate read the bill for a third time and recorded a final passage (26 yes, 0 nay, 3 absent).
