§ 3-4-407 - Violation of local closing hours laws. - Arkansas Statutes

3-4-407. Violation of local closing hours laws.

(a) The General Assembly, by legislation, and the Alcoholic Beverage Control Division, by regulations, have created general closing hours for establishments which sell or dispense alcoholic beverages. However, the General Assembly and the division have also given the power to local city governments or local county quorum courts to adopt hours of operation which are more restrictive than the general hours of operation stated for certain permits issued by the division. It is recognized that it is more convenient for local authorities to change local ordinances on a basis that can be more frequent than the basis with which the General Assembly meets or the division adopts regulations. For that reason, local control of these issues, as allowed by Code sections and regulations, is desirable. It is also recognized that when a city or county adopts a more restrictive law in this area it is unnecessary and burdensome for the city or county to notify the division each time that a modification is made to local laws, and for this reason enforcement of more restrictive ordinances should be by local law enforcement personnel who are attached to the jurisdiction which creates the more restrictive hours-of-operations law.

(b) It is hereby provided that when any permittee of the division is cited with a violation of any local closing hour ordinance adopted by a city government or a county government, that violation of an ordinance which is more restrictive than provided for by the state shall be punishable by a fine of one hundred dollars ($100) to five hundred dollars ($500) and that violation shall not be considered to be an administrative violation against the permit issued by the division.

(c) Enforcement of the more restrictive local ordinances and the issuance of citations for violations thereof shall be by local law enforcement officers within the jurisdiction where such ordinance is in effect. Such citations shall be heard only in a local court of competent jurisdiction.