Colorado legislature passes extension of to-go alcohol sales through July 2021

DENVER (KRDO) -- The Colorado House and Senate have agreed on a plan to extend to-go alcohol sales in the state for the next year, and the bill will soon be sent to Gov. Jared Polis.

SB20-213 was cleared in the state Senate last week and the House voted to approve it on Saturday. Monday, the legislature concurred on amendments made to the bill, meaning the next step is to send it to the governor to be signed into law.

Originally, the bill aimed at extending to-go alcohol sales through 2022. The final bill text amends that to say the provisions expire on July 1, 2021.

To-go alcohol sales came about in Colorado in response to the COVID-19 pandemic forcing the closure of restaurants and breweries across the state. The bill follows many of the regulations that were put in place with the original order for to-go alcohol.

According to the legislature, the following requirements will be in place for retailers who want to sell alcohol to-go:

• The customer must be 21 years of age or older;
• If the governor has not declared an emergency, or the retailer is not a wholesaler, a manufacturer that operates a sales room, a brew pub, a vintner's restaurant, or a distillery pub, the order may contain no more than 750 milliliters of vinous liquors and spirituous liquors and no more than 72 fluid ounces of malt liquors, fermented malt beverages, and hard cider;
• If the governor has not declared an emergency or the retailer is not a wholesaler or manufacturer that operates a sales room, the retailer must derive no more than 50% of its gross annual revenues for sales of food and alcohol beverages from the sale of alcohol beverages through takeout orders and that the retailer delivers;
• If the governor has not declared an emergency, the retailer must have a permit to sell takeout or deliver alcohol beverages; and
• Delivery must be made by an employee of the licensee who is 21 years of age or older and who has satisfactorily completed seller and server training under the responsible vendor program.

You can read the full text of the bill here.