District of Columbia Code
Chapter 2 - Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration
§ 25–201. Establishment of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board — Appointment and responsibilities

(a) There is established an Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. The Board shall be composed of 7 members. The Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Council and according to the requirements set forth in § 25-206, shall nominate persons to serve on the Board. A nomination shall be submitted to the Council for a 90-day period of review, excluding days of Council recess. If the Council does not approve or disapprove the nomination by resolution within this 90-day review period, the nomination shall be deemed disapproved.
(b) The Board shall administer and enforce the provisions of this title and regulations issued under this title.
(c) The Board shall:
(1) Oversee ABRA;
(2) Receive and evaluate applications for licenses, transfers of licenses to new owners, and renewals of licenses;
(3) Issue, transfer, and renew licenses to qualified applicants;
(4) Regularly conduct inspections of the premises and the books and records of all licensees during day and evening hours and, on a reasonable number of occasions, without prior notification to the licensee or the licensee’s employees, for compliance with the requirements of this title and regulations issued under this title;
(5) Establish procedures to receive and respond timely to complaints from any person alleging a violation of any provision of this title or regulations issued under this title;
(6) Conduct investigations, on its own initiative or on the basis of valid complaints, to identify violations of this title or regulations issued under this title;
(7) Suspend or revoke licenses and impose civil fines as authorized by this title and regulations issued under this title; and
(8) Refer evidence of criminal misconduct to the Inspector General of the District of Columbia, the Attorney General for the District of Columbia, or the United States Attorney for the District, for investigation and prosecution.
(Jan. 24, 1934, 48 Stat. 321, ch. 4, §§ 4, 6; Aug. 27, 1935, 49 Stat. 897, ch. 756, § 2; Apr. 20, 1948, 62 Stat. 176, ch. 217, § 2; Oct. 28, 1949, 63 Stat. 972, ch. 782, title XI, § 1106(a); Mar. 3, 1979, D.C. Law 2-139, § 3205(h), 25 DCR 5740; Sept. 29, 1982, D.C. Law 4-157, §§ 3, 15, 29 DCR 3617; Mar. 8, 1984, D.C. Law 5-51, § 2(b)(1), (2), 30 DCR 5927; Sept. 26, 1984, D.C. Law 5-119, § 2, 31 DCR 4040; Mar. 14, 1985, D.C. Law 5-159, § 25(a), 32 DCR 30; Mar. 7, 1987, D.C. Law 6-217, § 3, 34 DCR 907; May 24, 1994, D.C. Law 10-122, § 2(b), (c), 41 DCR 1658; May 3, 2001, D.C. Law 13-298, § 101, 48 DCR 2959; June 12, 2003, D.C. Law 14-310, § 10, 50 DCR 1092; Feb. 21, 2020, D.C. Law 23-52, § 2(a), 67 DCR 21.)
1981 Ed., § 25-201.
1973 Ed., §§ 25-104, 25-106.
This section is referenced in § 25-101 and § 25-206.
D.C. Law 14-310, in subsec. (a), substituted “deemed disapproved” for “deemed approved”.