Georgia Code
Article 2 - Prohibited Acts
§ 3-3-21. Sales of Alcoholic Beverages Near Churches, School Buildings, or Other Sites

For purposes of this subsection, the term “college campus” shall include, but shall not be limited to, all buildings and grounds of any public or private technical school, vocational school, college, university, or other institution of postsecondary education.
History. Laws 1808, Cobb’s 1851 Digest, p. 851; Code 1863, § 4448; Code 1868, § 4490; Code 1873, § 4575; Code 1882, § 4575; Ga. L. 1890-91, p. 132, § 1; Penal Code 1895, § 434; Penal Code 1910, § 435; Code 1933, § 58-601; Ga. L. 1935, p. 73, § 15B; Ga. L. 1937, p. 148, § 2; Ga. L. 1937-38, Ex. Sess., p. 103, § 9; Ga. L. 1945, p. 447, §§ 1, 2; Ga. L. 1973, p. 610, § 1; Code 1933, § 5A-508, enacted by Ga. L. 1980, p. 1573, § 1; Ga. L. 1981, p. 1265, § 1; Ga. L. 1981, p. 1269, § 20; Ga. L. 1998, p. 1300, § 2; Ga. L. 1999, p. 81, § 3; Ga. L. 2000, p. 1653, § 1; Ga. L. 2013, p. 897, § 2/HB 517; Ga. L. 2015, p. 81, § 1/HB 85; Ga. L. 2017, p. 759, § 1/HB 510; Ga. L. 2020, p. 615, § 4/HB 879; Ga. L. 2021, p. 391, § 1/HB 392.
The 2017 amendment, effective July 1, 2017, substituted “Reserved.” for the former provisions of subsection (d), which read: “(d)(1) In counties having a population of not less than 175,000 nor more than 195,000, according to the United States decennial census of 1970 or any future such census, the distances provided in subparagraph (a)(1)(A) of this Code section for separation of businesses licensed under this title from churches and schools shall be measured as follows:
“(A) From the property line of the tract on which is located the business regulated under this title;
“(B) To the property line of the tract on which is located the church, school ground, or college campus; and
“(C) Along a straight line which describes the shortest distance between the two property lines.
“(2) No license in effect on April 13, 1979, shall be revoked before its date of expiration by reason of the method of measurement set out in this subsection if the license was granted in reliance on another method of measurement. No application for a license or for a renewal shall be denied by reason of the method of measurement set out in this subsection if the application is for premises for which a license was granted prior to April 13, 1979, in reliance on another method of measurement.”.
The 2020 amendment, effective August 3, 2020, deleted “and” at the end of paragraph (b)(2); in paragraph (b)(3), substituted “college campuses” for “colleges” and substituted “; and” for the period at the end; added paragraph (b)(4); and added the ending undesignated paragraph in subsection (b).
The 2021 amendment, effective May 4, 2021, deleted “school grounds,” following “any school building,” in the fourth sentence in subparagraph (a)(1)(B); and, in subsection (b), deleted “and” at the end of paragraph (b)(3), substituted “; and” for a period at the end of paragraph (b)(4), and added paragraph (b)(5).
Editor’s notes.
Ga. L. 2013, p. 897, § 1/HB 517, not codified by the General Assembly, provides that: “The General Assembly finds that there are neighborhoods and downtown areas in this state near college campuses that are underserved by grocery stores, making it difficult for residents who live in such neighborhoods and downtown areas to access daily essentials and adequate food supplies and nutrition, especially those residents who do not own automobiles. The General Assembly further finds that owners of grocery stores may be reluctant to locate such stores in areas in which it is not possible to sell packages of wine and malt beverages when such sales are permitted elsewhere in the county or municipality. The General Assembly further finds that allowing a local governing authority of a county or municipality to have local control of the distance requirements for the package sales of wine and malt beverages near college campuses will permit such local governments to determine how to best serve the public health, safety, and welfare of its citizens.”
Law reviews.
For article, “Lawyers Who Represent Local Governments,” see 23 Ga. St. B. J. 58 (1987).

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