In 1983, Utah became the first state to reduce its national blood alcohol level (BAC) for driving a vehicle from 0.10% to 0.08%. On December 30, 2018, Utah became the first state to lower its limit to 0.05% BAC. [33] Other vendors may be located in hotels and resorts for convenience. Many hotels offer alcoholic beverages via room service. Trader Joe`s, which started in California as a convenience store that began selling wine, only opened its first store in Utah in 2012. The store`s founder, Joe Coulombe, said, „We built Trader Joe`s first on wine and then on food.“ A cornerstone of his store`s sales is beer, wine and, in some cases, spirits. Due to Utah`s strict alcohol laws, alcoholic beverages were initially not available in Salt Lake City stores. Some theorize that Utah`s strict alcohol laws and the inevitable impact on the store`s margin were responsible for Trader Joe`s late entry into the Salt Lake City market. [36] Restaurants and bars open on those days are likely to serve alcohol.
Grocery stores and convenience stores are also often open and ready to sell you. Just be aware of their hours (as we mentioned earlier). Utah laws restrict supermarkets operating in the state from selling packaged beer up to 5.0% ABV (or 4.0% alcohol by weight). Beer that contains a higher alcohol content (as well as spirits and wine) can only be sold in state-controlled liquor stores. [27] On November 1, 2019, the law increased the permitted alcohol content in beers to 5.0% (or 4.0% alcohol by weight) after passing Utah`s SB 132 in March 2019. [28] The bill originally proposed an ABW of 4.8%, but was rejected by local breweries because the arbitrary limit seemed to favor major national brands. [29] In late 2019, this 3.2ABW/4.0 ABV beer began to disappear from shelves when Utah updated its laws. 5% ABV beer is now the maximum strength you can buy at grocery stores, gas stations, etc. The state of Utah has not conducted a cost analysis to determine whether Utah`s alcohol laws have impacted Utah`s business, economic growth or tourism industry. Companies that have decided to expand or relocate their operations to other states appear to be primarily alcohol-related.
Legislation passed in 2010 restored barriers as part of a broader compromise on alcohol reform. In 2013, the Utah legislature considered legislation that permanently removed barriers from all facilities,[13] although the law ultimately did not pass. [21] Utah residents and long-time visitors will remember the days of the „private club“ when Utah bars had to charge coverage or membership fees. Currently, establishments are classified as restaurants, bars or clubs, and each has different rules regarding alcohol. Yes. State law prohibits the consumption of alcohol in public places. A person must not be so intoxicated in a public place as to endanger himself or others or unduly disturb others. The consumption or presence of an open container containing alcohol in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle is prohibited. As a general rule, alcoholic beverages cannot be brought into a publicly accessible establishment if they are to be consumed locally. The wine can be brought to a restaurant approved for the sale of wine. Cork fees vary depending on the restaurant.
The exceptions are only for the consumption of alcohol at a public or municipal event authorized by the state to sell and serve alcoholic beverages. A valid piece of identification is scanned electronically before you can enter a bar. It is also checked at a restaurant or grocery store when you buy alcohol. Can a person under the age of 21 (a „minor“) be admitted to an intoxicated facility? In a restaurant, customers must order food with their alcoholic beverages, even if they are sitting at the bar. There is no requirement as to how much food a customer must order – so fries and salsa appetizer are usually enough to comply with the law. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which includes 55% of Utah`s residents,[6] advises its members not to drink alcohol[7] in the Word of Wisdom given in the Doctrine and Covenants. [8] Because of this traditional teaching of the Church and the large number of Latter-day Saints in Utah, alcohol laws in Utah were generally strict. However, several attempts to make Utah a dry state also failed, and on December 5, 1933, the 21-member Utah delegation to the Constitutional Convention voted unanimously for the 36th deciding vote to repeal the Eighteenth Amendment and ratify the Twenty-first Amendment, thereby repealing the national prohibition of alcohol. [9] The fact is that legislators regularly optimize the alcohol section of state law – known as 32B.