NC Senate advances overhaul of state liquor laws. Here’s what could change
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Changes to the state’s liquor laws — including allowing wine shops to sell malt beverages and authorizing special event permits for nonprofit or political organizations — could soon go into effect.
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The state Senate on Thursday, with a vote of 36-6, chose to advance a lengthy bill that would alter North Carolina laws governing the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission. The bill now moves to the House for final approval.
The House could reject the bill, or it could work with the Senate to create a final, combined version between that bill and HB921, which has some overlapping provisions. That bill was sent to the House Finance Committee in May.
The bill that passed the Senate on Thursday, HB198, as approved would also allow the ABC Commission to get a one-time loan of $310 million for a new state automated warehouse. The commission would be required to repay the loan.
Sens. Alexander, Burgin, Daniel, Ford, Jarvis and Sanderson — all Republicans — voted against the bill.
Burgin told The News & Observer that he supports privatization of liquor versus the state’s current ABC system. He said he voted against the bill because it was additional provisions for the state-controlled laws.
“I knew the bill was probably going to pass, but there are a group of us that are just really concerned,” he said. “We’re not going to do away with alcohol. I think we need to be responsible. I think we need to make as much money off that as we can.”
Burgin filed SB 938 in April, which would end state and local operation of liquor sales and privatize the system. It was referred to the Senate Rules Committee in May. Carolina Champions for Growth, a social-welfare group, is running the Free Our Spirits NC campaign in an attempt to modernize North Carolina’s Prohibition-era laws, including exploring some privatization.
The ABC omnibus bill would allow businesses in a social district that don’t carry a mixed beverage license to permit customers to consume those types of drinks on the business’ premises.
It also would allow wine shops to hold a malt beverage permit, and for a malt beverage shop to hold a wine permit.
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One provision governing where mixed beverage permit holders are able to purchase liquor is included in both bills, but the proposed laws differ slightly. Under current law, mixed beverage permit holders may only buy from designated ABC stores that were assigned by the county ABC board.
HB198, which passed the Senate, would permit local boards to allow delivery service to mixed beverage permittees “operating in the same county … or any adjacent county” of the ABC board.
HB921, which is stuck in the Finance Committee, would allow for a waiver process in case the local ABC board cannot fulfill an order within the time period requested or because the product isn’t in stock. The waiver would allow mixed beverage permit holders to purchase the specific product — the unfulfilled order — from any ABC store in the state.
HB921 also would allow canned cocktails that contain liquor like High Noon to be sold in grocery stores like beer and wine.
Senate Leader Phil Berger told reporters on Thursday that there was not a ton of debate on the bill when it hit the floor because Sen. Tim Moffitt, a Hendersonville Republican, “had done a good job of vetting the bill with members of both sides of the aisle.”
“Folks knew what was in there, and I don’t think there was anything in there that was particularly controversial,” he said.
Berger added that “anytime we do an alcohol bill, there will be somewhere between five and 10 members who generally vote against them for reasons of local concerns about a particular provision or about the bill itself.”
This story was originally published June 22, 2026 at 5:24 PM with the headline “NC Senate advances overhaul of state liquor laws. Here’s what could change.”
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