The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) recently announced a $3.7 million grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to fund critical programs that promote responsible beverage service and help prevent underage drinking across the state. The funding comes at a pivotal time, as California continues to strengthen enforcement and education around responsible alcohol sales and consumption.
With the new grant money, ABC plans to expand several key initiatives over the next two years, including:
Minor Decoy and Shoulder Tap Operations: ABC will conduct operations statewide where underage operatives attempt to purchase alcohol directly or recruit adults to purchase it for them. These programs aim to identify and cite businesses that sell to minors or “shoulder tap” adults.
Fake ID Enforcement: Using sophisticated technology, ABC will crack down on underage persons using fraudulent IDs to purchase alcohol. Retailer education and compliance checks will be a focus.
Delivery Service Stings: As more consumers use delivery apps and services to get alcohol, ABC will conduct operations to ensure drivers are checking IDs and refusing sales to underage decoys. Fines and penalties for non-compliant businesses are a deterrent.
Special Event Monitoring: At concerts, sporting events, and other venues where alcohol flows freely, ABC will monitor compliance with laws prohibiting sales to visibly intoxicated persons and minors. Permitted events draw heavy scrutiny.
Underage Retail Theft: ABC will partner with local law enforcement to identify stores where youth are stealing alcohol and work with those retailers to improve security procedures and responsible sales practices.
LEAD Training: The Licensee Education on Alcohol and Drugs program trains bar owners, managers, servers, and sellers on safely and legally providing alcohol in California. ABC plans to expand LEAD training especially in communities with high rates of underage drinking and DUIs.
TRACE Investigations: When alcohol is a factor in vehicle crashes, hospital visits, or other emergency responses, the TRACE program investigates how the alcohol was obtained unlawfully. Underage persons and negligent sellers are held accountable.
Major geographic areas of focus for these programs include Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Fresno, and other major cities where late-night alcohol service poses risks.
ABC is also granting up to $40,000 each to local law enforcement agencies that conduct alcohol compliance checks and underage drinking enforcement during peak holidays. Over 25 agencies have been approved for grant funding and collaborative operations.
According to ABC Director Joseph McCullough, “These expanded efforts around retailer education and strong enforcement aim to curb dangerous underage drinking in our communities. We’re grateful to OTS and NHTSA for their partnership and for valuing public safety.”
As more young people return to bars, concerts, and sporting events in a post-COVID world, responsible beverage service training is more critical than ever. California retailers face heavy fines and permit sanctions if they fail to properly ID customers, refuse sales to minors, or let intoxicated persons buy more alcohol. That’s why these grant-funded programs will work to enhance compliance through a combination of community education and tough enforcement.
Responsible beverage service training teaches sellers and servers how to identify fake IDs, recognize signs of intoxication, legally refuse alcohol sales, safely eject disruptive customers, and avoid citations or civil liability for overserving. California requires all licensees and their employees complete such training. Together with vigorous underage drinking prevention and statewide enforcement, California aims to be a model for responsible alcohol service nationwide.
The local law enforcement agencies who have been selected by ABC to receive grant funding are as follows:
Corona Police Department
Costa Mesa Police Department
Davis Police Department
Emeryville Police Department
Escondido Police Department
Folsom Police Department
Gardena Police Department
Hermosa Beach Police Department
Hollister Police Department
Lakeport Police Department
Milpitas Police Department
National City Police Department
Oxnard Police Department
Pasadena Police Department
Pomona Police Department
Redlands Police Department
Rio Del Police Department
Riverside County Sheriff’s Office – Lake Elsinore Station
San Jose Police Department
San Luis Obispo Police Department
Sanger Police Department
Santa Maria Police Department
Soledad Police Department
Tulare County Sheriff’s Office
Turlock Police Department
Westminster Police Department