Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control

The Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (Virginia ABC) is one of the eleven public safety agencies under the Secretariat of Public Safety and Homeland Security for the Commonwealth. The agency administers the state's ABC laws (created by the General Assembly) with an emphasis on public service and a focus on protecting citizens by ensuring a safe, orderly and regulated system for convenient distribution and responsible consumption of alcohol.

The agency is a leading revenue producer for Virginia. The profits that Virginia ABC contributes—collected from sales of distilled spirits at ABC stores, taxes collected on beer and wine sales, violation penalties and license fees—provide much needed funding for use in programs across all secretariats, thus benefiting citizens in all areas of the state whether they choose to drink or not.

Since its establishment in 1934, Virginia ABC has contributed $8.6 billion to the Commonwealth’s general fund, which supports major education, health and transportation initiatives.

Virginia ABC—made up of a team of nearly 3,500 statewide employees—works to ensure that adults of legal drinking age who choose to responsibly consume alcohol can do so in a safe environment that complies with the laws and regulations of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

As one of 17 control states and localities across the United States—where the state government manages the sale of distilled spirits at the wholesale level—ABC stores are the only retail outlets in Virginia where customers may purchase distilled spirits.

As part of modernization efforts, Virginia ABC recently debuted a redesigned website that is consumer-friendly and offers product information, availability and online ordering.

In response to the 21st amendment (repealing the 18th Prohibition amendment), Virginia Governor John Garland Pollard called the Virginia General Assembly into special session to legalize 3.2 percent alcoholic beverages. The assembly met in Richmond on August 17, 1933.

On October 3, 1933, in a special election, Virginia voted 99,640 to 58,518 to ratify the 21st amendment and 100,445 to 57,873 to devise a plan of liquor control to supersede state Prohibition.

Delegates elected by the voters formally ratified the 21st amendment at a special convention held October 25, 1933, making Virginia the 29th state to ratify the 21st amendment.

A committee responsible for recommending the best plan of liquor control for Virginia presented its report to the General Assembly in January 1934. The General Assembly voted to adopt the “liquor control plan” on March 22, 1934, marking a decisive moment in Virginia history by creating the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

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