§ 24011. Notice to applicant; Petition.
Immediately upon the denial of any application for a license, the department shall notify the applicant in writing. Within 10 days after the department mails the notice, the applicant may present his written petition for a license to the department.
(Amended by Stats. 1955, Ch. 447.)
§ 24012. Setting petition for hearing.
Upon receipt by the department of a petition for a license in proper form, the petition shall be set for hearing.
(Amended by Stats. 1983, Ch. 1034, Sec. 2. Effective September 22, 1983.)
§ 24013. Protests.
(a) Protests may be filed at any office of the department within 30 days from the first date of posting the notice of intention to engage in the sale of alcoholic beverages at the premises, within 30 days of the mailing of the notification pursuant to Section 23985.5, or within 30 days of the mailing of the notices of the department to public officials as required by Section 23987, whichever is later. The time within which a local law enforcement agency may file a protest shall be extended by the period prescribed in Section 23987, pursuant to a request made under that section.
(b)
- The department may reject protests, except protests made by a public agency or public official or protests made by the governing body of a city or county, if it determines the protests are false, vexatious, frivolous, invalid or unreasonable, or without reasonable or probable cause at any time before hearing thereon, notwithstanding Section 24016 or 24300. If, after investigation, the department recommends that a license be issued notwithstanding a protest by a public agency, a public official, or the governing body of a city or county, the department shall notify the agency, official, or governing body in writing of its determination and the reasons therefor, in conjunction with the notice of hearing provided to the protestant pursuant to Section 11509 of the Government Code. If the department rejects a protest as provided in this section and issues a license, a protestant whose protest has been rejected may, within 10 days after the issuance of the license, file an accusation with the department alleging the grounds of protest as a cause for revocation of the license and the department shall hold a hearing as provided in Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
- The department shall promulgate regulations by January 1, 2016, to implement this provision.
(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed as prohibiting or restricting any right that the individual making the protest might have to a judicial proceeding.
(Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 502, Sec. 2. (AB 593) Effective January 1, 2014.)
§ 24013.1. Waiting period before refiling application withdrawn voluntarily due to protest.
If an application for a license is voluntarily withdrawn as a result of any protest being filed opposing the issuance of such license, such applicant may not refile an application for the same location for a period of one year from the date of such withdrawal.
(Added by Stats. 1978, Ch. 454.)
§ 24013.2. Verified protests valid against subsequent applications at same premises.
If an application for issuance of a license at a premises is withdrawn pursuant to Section 24013.1, all verified protests filed against the issuance of the license at the premises in such application shall remain valid against any subsequent applications filed for that premises for a period of one year from the date of withdrawal.
(Added by Stats. 1978, Ch. 454.)
§ 24013.5. Time requirements.
(a) No license shall be issued for any premises for which a license has been denied or revoked, for reasons pertaining to the premises, unless one year has elapsed from the date the order becomes final.
(b) No license shall be issued for any premises for which a license has been denied, for reasons pertaining to the premises, twice within a 36-month period, unless two years have elapsed from the date that the last order becomes final.
(Added by Stats. 1996, Ch. 538, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1997.)
§ 24014. Verification of protest.
(a) A protest made by any person other than an employee of the department or a public officer shall be verified. Verification may be on information and belief.
(b) A protest made pursuant to this section shall be submitted by an individual and shall be limited to one signatory.
(Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 502, Sec. 3. (AB 593) Effective January 1, 2014.)
§ 24015. Notice of license; Request for hearing of protest.
(a) If, after investigation, the department recommends that a license be issued, with or without conditions, notwithstanding that one or more protests have been accepted by the department, the department shall notify the applicant and all protesting parties whose protests have been accepted in writing of its determination.
(b) Any person who has filed a verified protest in a timely fashion pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 24013, that has been accepted pursuant to this article may request that the department conduct a hearing on the issue or issues raised in the protest. The request shall be in writing and shall be filed with the department within 15 business days of the date the department notifies the protesting party of its determination as required under subdivision (a).
(c) At any time prior to the issuance of the license, the department may, in its discretion, accept a late request for a hearing upon a showing of good cause. Any determination of the department pursuant to this subdivision shall not be an issue at the hearing nor grounds for appeal or review.
(d) If a request for a hearing is filed with the department pursuant to subdivision (b), the department shall schedule a hearing on the protest. The issues to be determined at the hearing shall be limited to those issues raised in the protest or protests of the person or persons requesting the hearing.
(e) Notwithstanding that a hearing is held pursuant to subdivision (d), the protest or protests of any person or persons who did not request a hearing as authorized in this section shall be deemed withdrawn.
(f) If no request for a hearing is filed with the department pursuant to this section, any protest or protests shall be deemed withdrawn and the department may issue the license without any further proceeding.
(g) If the person filing the request for a hearing fails to appear at the hearing, the protest shall be deemed withdrawn.
(Repealed and added by Stats. 2004, Ch. 345, second Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2005.)