§ 23049. Legislative intent
It is the intention of the Legislature in enacting this chapter to provide a governmental organization which will ensure a strict, honest, impartial, and uniform administration and enforcement of the liquor laws throughout the State.
(Added by Stats. 1954, 1st Ex. Sess., Ch. 20.)
§ 23050. Establishment of department; Administration; Director of Alcoholic Beverage Control; Appointment; Compensation
There is in the state government, in the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency, a Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. The department shall be administered through a civil executive officer who shall be known as the Director of Alcoholic Beverage Control. The director shall be appointed and shall serve as provided in Section 22 of Article XX of the Constitution and shall receive an annual salary as provided for by Chapter 6 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 147, Sec. 3. (SB 1039) Effective January 1, 2013. Operative July 1, 2013, by Sec. 23 of Ch. 147.)
§ 23051. Succession to powers, duties, purposes, responsibilities, and jurisdiction of State Board of Equalization
On and after January 1, 1955, the department shall succeed to all of the powers, duties, purposes, responsibilities, and jurisdiction now conferred on the State Board of Equalization under Section 22 of Article XX of the Constitution and this division, except the power to assess and collect such excise taxes as are or may be imposed by law on account of the manufacture, importation, and sale of alcoholic beverages in this State, which shall remain the exclusive power of the State Board of Equalization.
All other laws heretofore or hereafter applicable to the State Board of Equalization with respect to alcoholic beverages, except as to excise taxes, shall hereafter be construed to apply to the department.
Any license issued by the board and in effect on December 31, 1954, shall be deemed on and after January 1, 1955, to be a license of the department.
(Added by Stats. 1954, 1st Ex. Sess., Ch. 20.)
§ 23052. Application of specified Government Code provisions
The provisions of Chapter 2, Part 1, Division 3, Title 2 of the Government Code shall govern and apply to the conduct of the department in every respect the same as if such provisions were herein set forth at length, and wherever in that chapter the term “head of the department” or similar designation occurs, for the purposes of this section it shall mean the director.
(Added by Stats. 1954, 1st Ex. Sess., Ch. 20.)
§ 23053. Power of director to appoint employees; Responsibility of employees to director
The director shall be the appointing power of all employees within the department, and all heads of divisions, bureaus and other employees in the department shall be responsible to the director for the proper carrying out of the duties and responsibilities of their respective positions.
(Added by Stats. 1954, 1st Ex. Sess., Ch. 20.)
§ 23053.1. Injunctive relief
The director may bring an action to enjoin a violation or the threatened violation of any provision of this division, including, but not limited to, subdivision (e) of Section 24200 regarding a licensee’s failure to correct objectionable conditions following notice, or any rule promulgated pursuant to the provisions of this division. The action may be brought in the county in which the violation occurred or is threatened to occur. Any proceeding brought hereunder shall conform to the requirements of Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 525) of Title 7 of Part 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
(Amended by Stats. 1994, Ch. 627, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1995.)
§ 23053.5. Investigation of violations; Fees from licensees
The department shall have the function of investigation of violations of Chapters 10, 11 and 15 of this division and rules of the department relating thereto. To the end that such provisions are more adequately and strictly enforced, funds for support of this program shall be derived as follows: In addition to fees otherwise provided for in this division, the following amounts shall be paid to the department by holders of the following types of licenses:
| (a) Retail package off-sale general license …………………… | $24 per year |
| (b) Rectifier’s license …………………… | $52 per year |
| (c) Distilled spirits wholesaler’s license …………………… | $52 per year |
| (d) Distilled spirits manufacturer’s agent’s license …………………… | $52 per year |
| (e) Distilled spirits manufacturer’s license …………………… | $52 per year |
| (f) Distilled spirits importer’s general license …………………… | $52 per year |
| (g) California winegrower’s agent’s license …………………… | $52 per year |
Payment of those amounts shall be made upon issuance or transfer of these types of licenses, and shall be made by the holders of these types of licenses at the time specified in this division for payment of annual renewal fees therefor.
The provisions of Section 23322 shall apply to the amounts to be paid under this section. All money collected from the fees provided for in this section shall be deposited in the Alcohol Beverage Control Fund as provided in Section 25761.
(Amended by Stats. 1992, Ch. 900, Sec. 2. Effective September 24, 1992.)
§ 23054. Transfer of employees in state civil service under State Board of Equalization to department; Power of director to reorganize department
All persons in the state civil service employed on the operative date hereof in the State Board of Equalization in carrying out functions transferred to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control by this article are transferred to the department and retain their respective positions in the state civil service, subject to the provisions of Article XXIV of the Constitution and laws continued in force thereby or adopted pursuant thereto.
The transfer of personnel made by this section shall be subject to the power of the director, in accordance with the State Civil Service Act, to reorganize the department, to discipline employees transferred for incompetency, inefficiency, inexcusable neglect of duty, prior or subsequent to the transfer, or for any other cause for discipline provided by law, and to lay off and demote employees for lack of funds, in accordance with the State Civil Service Act.
(Added by Stats. 1954, 1st Ex. Sess., Ch. 20.)
§ 23055. Report to Legislature upon request
(a) Notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, upon request from the Legislature, the director shall prepare and submit to the Legislature a report on the department’s activities and post the report on the department’s Internet Web site. The report shall include, but not be limited to, the following information for any previous fiscal year requested by the Legislature:
(1) The amount of funds allocated and spent by the department for licensing, enforcement, and administration.
(2) The number of licenses issued, renewed, denied, suspended, and revoked, by license category.
(3) The average time for processing license applications, by license category.
(4) The number and type of enforcement activities conducted by the department and by local law enforcement agencies in conjunction with the department.
(5) The number, type, and amount of penalties, fines, and other disciplinary actions taken by the department.
(b) The report submitted to the Legislature shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
(Amended by Stats. 2015, Ch. 257, Sec. 1. (SB 325) Effective January 1, 2016.)
§ 23056. Copy of information sheet describing Designated Driver Program to on–sale licensees
The department shall send a copy of the information sheet prepared by the Department of the California Highway Patrol pursuant to Section 2426 of the Vehicle Code with each renewal notice to any on-sale licensee.
(Amended by Stats. 1992, Ch. 838, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1993.)
§ 23057. Information to be provided with renewal notices
The department shall send, with each renewal notice to any on-sale or off-sale licensee, information regarding the use of persons under the age of 21 years by peace officers to apprehend licensees, or the employees or agents of licensees, who sell alcoholic beverages to persons under the age of 21 years.
(Amended by Stats. 1996, Ch. 124, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 1997.)
§ 23058. Facilitation of Sales and Use Tax Law; Report on licenses issued or transferred
In order to facilitate the board’s administration of the Sales and Use Tax Law (Part 1 (commencing with Section 6001) of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code), the department shall, each quarter at no cost to the board, electronically transmit to the board a report on the licenses issued or transferred pursuant to this division. The report shall include the names and addresses of all persons to whom the license is issued or transferred, the type of license issued or transferred, and the effective date of the license or transfer. With respect to transfers, the report shall additionally include the names and addresses of the transferors. The information shall be transmitted to the board in a format agreed upon by both the board and the department.
(Added by Stats. 2005, Ch. 172, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2006.)