District of Columbia Code
Subchapter III - Denial of License
§ 25–335. Denial — Public health and safety restrictions

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, the Board shall deny a license if the evidence reasonably shows that:
(1) The establishment for which the license is sought is in violation of one or more of the Construction Codes for the District contained in Title 12 of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations, or any other law or rule of the District intended to protect public safety; or
(2) The applicant has knowingly permitted, at the place for which the license is sought, the illegal sale, or negotiations for sale, or the use, of any controlled substance in violation of the CSA, or the the possession, other than for personal use, or sale, or negotiations for sale, of drug paraphernalia in violation of the CSA, or Chapter 11 of Title 48. Successive sales, or negotiations for sale, over a continuous period of time constituting a recognizable pattern of activity shall be deemed evidence of knowing permission.
(b) For the purposes of this section, the term "personal use" means the possession of drug paraphernalia in circumstances where there is no evidence of an intent to distribute or manufacture a controlled substance.
(Jan. 24, 1934, 48 Stat. 327, ch. 4, § 14; Aug. 25, 1937, 50 Stat. 802, 803, ch. 766, §§ 1, 2; June 15, 1938, 52 Stat. 691, ch. 396, § 3; June 29, 1953, 67 Stat. 103, ch. 159, § 404(e), (f); Aug. 2, 1968, 82 Stat. 616, Pub. L. 90-450, title IV, § 404; Mar. 5, 1981, D.C. Law 3-146, § 4, 27 DCR 4753; Sept. 29, 1982, D.C. Law 4-157, §§ 8, 15, 29 DCR 3617; Mar. 8, 1984, D.C. Law 5-51, § 2(b)(4), (c), 30 DCR 5927; June 29, 1984, D.C. Law 5-97, § 2, 31 DCR 2556; Mar. 7, 1987, D.C. Law 6-217, § 9, 34 DCR 907; June 5, 1987, D.C. Law 7-7, § 2, 34 DCR 2640; Oct. 3, 1992, D.C. Law 9-174, § 2(b), (c), 39 DCR 5859; May 24, 1994, D.C. Law 10-122, § 2(f), 41 DCR 1658; Apr. 20, 1999, D.C. Law 12-261, § 2003(q)(2), 46 DCR 3142; Oct. 20, 1999, D.C. Law 13-39, § 2, 46 DCR 6548; May 3, 2001, D.C. Law 13-298, § 101, 48 DCR 2959; Apr. 11, 2019, D.C. Law 22-288, § 201(a), 66 DCR 1656.)
1981 Ed., § 25-335.
1973 Ed., § 25-115.
For temporary (90 days) repeal of applicability provision of D.C. Law 22-288, see § 7168 of Fiscal Year 2020 Budget Support Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2019 (D.C. Act 23-112, Sept. 4, 2019, 66 DCR 11964).
For temporary (90 days) repeal of applicability provision of D.C. Law 22-288, see § 7168 of Fiscal Year 2020 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2019 (D.C. Act 23-91, July 22, 2019, 66 DCR 8497).

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