Tennessee ABC planning on more compliance checks to deter alcohol sales to minors

The Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission is hoping to crack down on the illegal sale of alcohol to minors through more compliance checks at businesses across the state.

The announcement comes amid the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and a shift in more sales of curbside and to-go alcohol. TABC said since the onset of the pandemic, 69 of the 177 establishments they checked sold alcohol to minors.

TABC Deputy Chief Brent Clayton called the compliance rate in May “dismal”, with half of checked businesses selling alcohol to minors, which only received warnings and citations due to significant marketplace disruption.

Moving forward, Clayton says businesses will receive citations along with monetary fines and servers responsible for the sale will receive misdemeanor criminal citations. Any establishment that received a warning or citation can expect to be rechecked within the next 90 days.

In addition to bars and restaurants, packaged stores and food stores licensed through the TABC will also be checked.

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