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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>76354</law_id><section_number>4.1-128</section_number><catch_line>Local ordinances or resolutions regulating or taxing alcoholic beverages</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><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> No county, city, or town shall, except as provided in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Local licenses" href="/4.1-205/">4.1-205</a> or <a class="law" title="Local ordinances regulating time of sale of wine and beer" href="/4.1-129/">4.1-129</a>, adopt any <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> or resolution which regulates or prohibits the manufacture, bottling, <span class="dictionary">possession</span>, <span class="dictionary">sale</span>, wholesale distribution, handling, transportation, drinking, use, advertising or dispensing of <span class="dictionary">alcoholic beverages</span> in the Commonwealth. Nor shall any county, city, or town adopt an <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> or resolution that prohibits or regulates the storage, warehousing, and wholesaling of <span class="dictionary">wine</span> in accordance with Title 4.1, regulations of the <span class="dictionary">Board</span>, and federal <span class="dictionary">law</span> at a <span class="dictionary">licensed</span> <span class="dictionary">farm winery</span>.
			No provision of <span class="dictionary">law</span>, general or special, shall be construed to authorize any county, city or town to adopt any <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> or resolution that imposes a <span class="dictionary">sales</span> or excise tax on <span class="dictionary">alcoholic beverages</span>, other than the taxes authorized by &#xA7; <a class="law" title="To what extent and under what conditions cities and counties may levy local sales taxes; collection thereof by Commonwealth and return of revenue to each city or county entitled thereto" href="/58.1-605/">58.1-605</a>, <a class="law" title="County food and beverage tax" href="/58.1-3833/">58.1-3833</a> or <a class="law" title="Certain excise taxes permitted" href="/58.1-3840/">58.1-3840</a>. The foregoing limitation shall not affect the <span class="dictionary">authority</span> of any county, city or town to impose a license or <span class="dictionary">privilege</span> tax or fee on a business engaged in whole or in part in the <span class="dictionary">sale</span> of <span class="dictionary">alcoholic beverages</span> if the license or <span class="dictionary">privilege</span> tax or fee (i) is based on an annual or per event flat fee specifically authorized by general <span class="dictionary">law</span> or (ii) is an annual license or <span class="dictionary">privilege</span> tax specifically authorized by general <span class="dictionary">law</span>, which includes <span class="dictionary">alcoholic beverages</span> in its taxable measure and treats <span class="dictionary">alcoholic beverages</span> the same as if they were nonalcoholic beverages. <a id="paragraph-274089" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/4.1-128/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> However, the governing body of any county, city, or town may adopt an <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> that (i) prohibits the acts described in subsection A of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Drinking alcoholic beverages, or offering to another, in public place; penalty; exceptions" href="/4.1-308/">4.1-308</a> subject to the provisions of subsections B, E, and F of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Drinking alcoholic beverages, or offering to another, in public place; penalty; exceptions" href="/4.1-308/">4.1-308</a>, or the acts described in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Drinking or possessing alcoholic beverages in or on public school grounds; penalty" href="/4.1-309/">4.1-309</a>, and may provide a <span class="dictionary">penalty</span> for violation thereof and (ii) subject to subsection C of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Drinking alcoholic beverages, or offering to another, in public place; penalty; exceptions" href="/4.1-308/">4.1-308</a>, regulates or prohibits the <span class="dictionary">possession</span> of opened alcoholic beverage <span class="dictionary">containers</span> in its local public parks, playgrounds, public streets, and any sidewalk adjoining any public street. <a id="paragraph-274090" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/4.1-128/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> Except as provided in this section, all local acts, including charter provisions and <span class="dictionary">ordinances</span> of cities and towns, inconsistent with any of the provisions of this subtitle, are repealed to the extent of such inconsistency. <a id="paragraph-274091" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/4.1-128/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 4-98; 1983, c. 340; 1993, c. 866; 2000, cc. 381, 450; 2007, cc. 140, 454; 2015, cc. 38, 730; 2017, cc. 157, 492; 2024, c. 492.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
