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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>82559</law_id><section_number>4.1-123</section_number><catch_line>Referendum on Sunday wine and beer sales; exception</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>4.1-127</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="4.1">Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Control</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="I">Alcoholic Beverage Control Act</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="1">Definitions and General Provisions</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Either the qualified voters or the governing body of any county, city, town, or supervisor&#x2019;s election district of a county may file a <span class="dictionary">petition</span> with the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> of the county or city or of the county wherein the town or the greater part thereof is situated asking that a <span class="dictionary">referendum</span> be held on the question of whether the <span class="dictionary">sale</span> of <span class="dictionary">beer</span> and <span class="dictionary">wine</span> on Sunday should be permitted within that <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span>. The <span class="dictionary">petition</span> of voters shall be signed by qualified voters equal in number to at least ten percent of the number registered in the <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> on January 1 preceding its filing or at least 100 qualified voters, whichever is greater. Upon the filing of a <span class="dictionary">petition</span>, the <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall <span class="dictionary">order</span> the election officials of the county, city, or town, on the date fixed in the <span class="dictionary">order</span>, to conduct a <span class="dictionary">referendum</span> on the question. The clerk of the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall publish notice of the <span class="dictionary">referendum</span> in a newspaper of general circulation in the county, city, or town once a week for three consecutive weeks prior to the <span class="dictionary">referendum</span>.
			The question on the ballot shall be:
			&#x201C;Shall the <span class="dictionary">sale</span> of <span class="dictionary">wine</span> and <span class="dictionary">beer</span> between the hours of twelve o&#x2019;clock p.m. on each Saturday and six o&#x2019;clock a.m. on each Monday be permitted in _______________ (name of county, city, town, or supervisor&#x2019;s election district of the county)?&#x201D;
			The <span class="dictionary">referendum</span> shall be ordered and held and the results certified as provided in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="How referendum elections called and held, and the results ascertained and certified" href="/24.2-684/">24.2-684</a>. Thereupon the <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall enter of record an <span class="dictionary">order</span> certified by the clerk of the <span class="dictionary">court</span> to be transmitted to the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> and to the governing body of the county, city, or town.
			Notwithstanding an <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> adopted pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Local ordinances regulating time of sale of wine and beer" href="/4.1-129/">4.1-129</a>, an affirmative majority vote on the question shall be binding on the governing body of the county, city, or town, and the governing body shall take all actions required of it to legalize such Sunday <span class="dictionary">sales</span>. <a id="paragraph-295796" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/4.1-123/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection A or &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Local ordinances regulating time of sale of wine and beer" href="/4.1-129/">4.1-129</a>, where property that constitutes a <span class="dictionary">farm winery</span> lies within, or abuts, the boundaries of Floyd and Patrick Counties, the retail <span class="dictionary">sale</span> of <span class="dictionary">wine</span> by the <span class="dictionary">farm winery</span> <span class="dictionary">licensee</span> in the county that restricts the <span class="dictionary">sale</span> of <span class="dictionary">wine</span> and <span class="dictionary">beer</span> shall be allowed at one fixed location on a parcel of land that contains all or part of the <span class="dictionary">licensee</span>&#x2019;s producing vineyard and the <span class="dictionary">licensee</span>&#x2019;s vinification facilities.
			The <span class="dictionary">Board</span> may refuse to allow such <span class="dictionary">licensee</span> the exercise of his retail <span class="dictionary">sales</span> <span class="dictionary">privilege</span> in the county restricting the Sunday <span class="dictionary">sale</span> of <span class="dictionary">wine</span> and <span class="dictionary">beer</span> if the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> determines, after giving the <span class="dictionary">licensee</span> notice and a <span class="dictionary">hearing</span>, that (i) the owner of the <span class="dictionary">farm winery</span> had actual knowledge that the vinification facilities and all or part of the producing vineyard were going to be located in the county restricting the <span class="dictionary">sale</span> of <span class="dictionary">wine</span> and <span class="dictionary">beer</span> prior to construction of the vinification facilities or (ii) the primary business purpose of the <span class="dictionary">farm winery</span> <span class="dictionary">licensee</span> is to engage in the retail <span class="dictionary">sale</span> of <span class="dictionary">wine</span> in such county rather than the business of a <span class="dictionary">farm winery</span>.
			Nothing in this subsection shall apply to a <span class="dictionary">farm winery</span> <span class="dictionary">licensee</span> that has a retail <span class="dictionary">establishment</span> for the <span class="dictionary">sale</span> of its <span class="dictionary">wine</span> in the county adjoining the county that restricts the Sunday <span class="dictionary">sale</span> of <span class="dictionary">wine</span> and <span class="dictionary">beer</span> if the retail <span class="dictionary">establishment</span> is within one-half mile of the <span class="dictionary">farm winery</span>&#x2019;s vinification facilities. <a id="paragraph-295797" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/4.1-123/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1979, c. 621, &#xA7; 4-96.3; 1980, c. 543; 1993, c. 866; 2001, cc. 594, 783; 2007, c. 813.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
