WashingtonWashington snack bars may serve beer and wine for on-site drinking
Washington law provides for snack bar licenses that let qualifying businesses serve beer or wine for customers to drink on the premises.
What it does
Snack bars may sell beer by the opened bottle or can, wine by the glass, or both, for customers to drink there. Alcohol sales cannot be their main business.
Argument forSnack bar customers could have beer or wine with their visit, while the business must keep alcohol sales secondary.
Argument againstServing beer or wine at places where alcohol sales are secondary could make alcohol easier to access in more settings.
More detail
Washington law provides for a snack bar license to sell beer, wine, or both for customers to drink on the premises. The license is for places where selling beer or wine is not the main business. Beer may be sold by the opened bottle or can, and wine by the glass. Selling beer or wine cannot be the business's main activity.
Where do you stand?
Choose your position
Tell your reps
Take a position to see your representatives and ways to contact them.
Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Mar 24Effective date 6/11/2026.Latest
- Mar 24Chapter 192, 2026 Laws.Major
- Mar 24Governor Bob Ferguson signed.Became Law
- Mar 12Delivered to Governor.To Governor
- Vote recorded Final Passage as Amended by the Senate (#4). Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 12President signed.Major
- Mar 12Speaker signed.Passed Senate
- Mar 12Passed final passage; yeas, 87; nays, 9; absent, 0; excused, 2.Passed House
- Mar 12House concurred in Senate amendments.
- Mar 3Third reading, passed; yeas, 47; nays, 2; absent, 0; excused, 0.Minor
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading & Final Passage as Amended by the Senate (#26). Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 3Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.Minor
- Mar 3Committee amendment(s) adopted with no other amendments.
- Feb 27Placed on second reading consent calendar.Minor
- Feb 25Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- Feb 24LC - Majority; do pass with amendment(s).Minor
- Feb 24Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Labor & Commerce at 10:45 AM.
- Feb 23Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Labor & Commerce at 10:30 AM.
- Feb 19First reading, referred to Labor & Commerce.Minor
- Feb 17Third reading, passed; yeas, 90; nays, 7; absent, 0; excused, 1.Minor
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#22). Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 17Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.Minor
- Feb 17Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading.Minor
- Jan 12By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.
- 2025
- Mar 19Returned to Rules Committee for second reading.
- Mar 11Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading.Minor
- Feb 10Referred to Rules 2 Review.Minor
- Feb 5Minority; do not pass.Minor
- Feb 5CPB - Majority; do pass.Minor
- Feb 5Executive action taken in the House Committee on Consumer Protection & Business at 1:30 PM.
- Jan 29Public hearing in the House Committee on Consumer Protection & Business at 1:30 PM.
- Jan 23First reading, referred to Consumer Protection & Business.Introduced
Consumer Protection