District of Columbia Code
Subchapter I - Staff Requirements
§ 25–701. Board-approved manager required

(a) A person designated to manage an establishment shall possess a manager’s license.
(a-1)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, an establishment's owner or Board-approved manager shall be present on the premises at all times during the establishment's hours of sale, service, and consumption of alcoholic beverages.
(2) The presence of an establishment's owner or Board-approved manager shall not be required when:
(A) There are not any alcoholic beverages on the premises;
(B) The establishment is not open to the public;
(C) Alcoholic beverages are secure and not accessible to the public for sale, service, or consumption; or
(D) The license is in safekeeping pursuant to § 25-791.
(b) A licensee shall notify the Board within 7 calendar days of a manager’s conviction for other than a minor traffic violation.
(c) This section shall not apply to the holder of a wholesaler's license or off-premises retailer's license, class AI or BI, that is not open to the public or to licensees who personally superintend the establishment during licensed hours of sale.
(May 3, 2001, D.C. Law 13-298, § 101, 48 DCR 2959; July 18, 2008, D.C. Law 17-201, § 5(b), 55 DCR 6289; Oct. 30, 2018, D.C. Law 22-165, § 2(f)(2), 65 DCR 9366; Feb. 21, 2020, D.C. Law 23-50, § 2(b)(2), 67 DCR 9.)
D.C. Law 17-201, in subsec. (c), substituted “the holder of a wholesaler’s license that is not open to the public or to licensees” for “licensees”.