{"data":{"id":"us-dc/d.c.-code-25-303","jurisdiction":"us-dc","citation":"D.C. Code § 25-303","heading":"Restrictions on holding a conflicting interest.","body":"(a)\nBefore issuing, transferring to a new owner, or renewing a license, the Board shall determine that the applicant is not disqualified because of a conflicting interest in another license, as follows:\n(1)\nNo licensee under a  wholesaler’s license shall hold a  license of any other class or kind.\n(1A)\nNo holder of a manufacturer's license shall hold a license of any other kind; provided, that a licensee under a manufacturer's license shall be permitted to hold another manufacturer's license of the same or a different class.\n(2)\nNo licensee under an on-premises retailer’s license, class C or D, shall  hold any other license except an on-premises retailer’s license, class C or D, a pub crawl license, as defined by regulation, or a caterer's license.\n(2A)\nNotwithstanding paragraph (2) of this subsection, a licensee under an on-premises retailer license, class CR, DR, CT, or DT, may hold an interest in one off-premises  retailer license, class A, B, AI, or BI, and a third-party alcohol delivery license.\n(3)\nNo licensee under an off-premises retailer’s license, class A or B, shall  hold an interest in any other license; except, that an off-premises retailer licensee, class A or B, may hold an interest in one on-premises retailer license class CR, DR, CT, or DT.\n(4)\nNo licensee under an off-premises retailer license, class AI or BI, shall hold an interest in any other license; except, that an off-premises retailer licensee, class AI or BI, or a full-service grocery store class B or 25% grocery store class A may hold an interest in a third-party alcohol delivery license and one on-premises retailer license, class CR, DR, CT, or DT, and up to 5 off-premises retailer licenses, Class AI or BI.\n(5)\nNo licensee under an on-premises retailer license, an off-premises retailer license, or a  manufacturer license shall hold a direct or indirect interest in a third-party alcohol delivery license; except, that an on-premises retailer licensee class CR, DR, CT, or DT, an off-premises retailer licensee class AI, BI, or full-service grocery store class B or 25% grocery store class A may hold a direct or indirect interest in a third-party alcohol delivery license.\n\n(b)\nThe Board shall not reject, solely on the basis of this section, the application of a franchisee who controls, or will control, the entire interest in the receipts, profits, inventory, purchases, pricing, and sales of beverages under the license, if the franchisee held a license, or had an application for a license pending, on June 22, 1982.\n\n(c)\nThe requirements of this section shall not apply to an applicant for an off-premises retailer’s license, class B, for the sale of alcoholic beverages in an establishment if:\n(1)\nThe primary business and purpose is the sale of a full range of fresh,  canned, and frozen food items, and the sale of alcoholic beverages is  incidental to the primary purpose;\n(2)\nThe sale of alcoholic beverages constitutes no more than 15% of the total  volume of gross receipts on an annual basis;\n(3)\nThe establishment is located in a C-1, C-2, C-3, C-4, or C-5 zone or, if located within the Southeast Federal Center, in the SEFC/C-R zone;\n(4)\n[Repealed].\n(5)\nThe opinion of the ANC, if any, has been given great weight; and\n(6)\nThe applicant does not hold a manufacturer’s or wholesaler’s license.\n\n(c-1)\nNotwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, the holder of an off-premises retailer's license, class B, that qualifies as a full-service grocery store pursuant to subsection (c) of this section shall be authorized to apply for an on-premises retailer's license, class CR, DR, CT, or DT.\n\n(c-2)\n(1)\nNotwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, the holder of an off-premises retailer license, class A or B, shall be permitted to apply for one 25% grocery store class A retailer license for a grocery store that is newly constructed with a certificate of occupancy issued after January 1, 2021, that meets the requirements of § 25-333(f) and is located in Ward 7, Ward 8, Ward 5 if located in a Qualified Supermarket Tax Incentive Area, as defined in § 47-3801, or Ward 6 if located in an area bounded by a line beginning at the intersection of 1st Street, S.W., and M Street, S.W., continuing east along M Street, S.W., to South Capitol Street, S.W., then continuing south along South Capitol Street, S.W., to the Anacostia River, then continuing along the northern bank of the Anacostia River to 2nd Street, S.W., then continuing north along 2nd Street, S.W., to the intersection of 2nd Street, S.W., and Canal Street, S.W., then continuing northeast along Canal Street, S.W., to the intersection of Canal Street, S.W., and N Street, S.W., then continuing east along N Street, S.W., to the intersection of N Street, S.W., and 1st Street, S.W., then continuing north along 1st  Street, S.W., to the intersection of 1st Street, S.W., and M Street, S.W..\n(2)\nAfter 12 months of operation in Ward 7, Ward 8, Ward 5 if located in a Qualified Supermarket Tax Incentive Area, as defined in § 47-3801, or Ward 6 if located in an area bounded by a line beginning at the intersection of 1st Street, S.W., and M Street, S.W., continuing east along M Street, S.W., to South Capitol Street, S.W., then continuing south along South Capitol Street, S.W., to the Anacostia River, then continuing along the northern bank of the Anacostia River to 2nd Street, S.W., then continuing north along 2nd Street, S.W., to the intersection of 2nd Street, S.W., and Canal Street, S.W., then continuing northeast along Canal Street, S.W., to the intersection of Canal Street, S.W., and N Street, S.W., then continuing east along N Street, S.W., to the intersection of N Street, S.W., and 1st Street, S.W., then continuing north along 1stStreet, S.W., to the intersection of 1st Street, S.W., and M Street, S.W., the holder of a 25% grocery store class A retailer license pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be permitted to apply for one additional 25% grocery store class A retailer license for a grocery store that is newly constructed with a certificate of occupancy issued after January 1, 2021, that meets the requirements of § 25-333(f) at a location in Wards 1 through 6.\n(3)\nFor the purposes of this subsection, the election ward boundaries in effect from January 1, 2012, through December 31, 2021, apply to each ward referenced in this subsection.\n\n(d)\n(1)\nA manufacturer, or its affiliate, licensed under this title, may hold an interest in a limited partnership providing financial assistance to a general partner wholesaler as described in paragraph (2) of this subsection, but shall only exercise such control of the limited partnership business as is permitted by this chapter. The limited partner shall not have or exercise managerial control or decision-making authority with respect to daily operations of the limited partnership. Upon a default by the general partner wholesaler, the limited partner shall not acquire or assume additional control, ownership, or financial interest in the limited partnership. The manufacturer, or its affiliate licensed in the District shall not have a financial or ownership interest in the general partner wholesaler.\n(2)\nThe only financial assistance allowed pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be the initial financial assistance to the limited partnership to acquire a licensed beer wholesaler. In that arrangement for financial assistance, the wholesaler license issued under this title shall be issued in the name of the general partner wholesaler on behalf of the limited partnership, and shall not be issued in the name of the limited partnership nor in the name of the manufacturer, or its affiliate.\n(3)\nThe limited partnership providing the financial assistance described in this section shall not exist for more than 10 years from the date of its creation, and shall not be recreated, renewed, or extended beyond that date.\n(4)\nThis section shall not amend or otherwise alter this title, except for the limited purpose of allowing a manufacturer, or its affiliate, which is licensed in the District, to provide financial assistance to a limited partnership for the exclusive purpose of acquiring a licensed beer wholesaler. A manufacturer or its affiliate shall not require the wholesaler to use the financial assistance as described above.\n\n(e)\nNothing in this section shall prohibit a wholesaler or other licensee under this title from obtaining, perfecting, or enforcing a security interest under Article 9 of Subtitle I of Title 28 in any personal property or fixtures of a retailer or other licensee, including inventory and accounts and other rights to payment.\n\n(f)\nThe requirements of this section shall not apply to an applicant for an off-premises retailer's license, class B, for the sale of alcoholic beverages in an establishment if the:\n(1)\nEstablishment will be located inside of a hotel and will have no direct public access to the street or the outside of the hotel's building;\n(2)\nOther license held by the applicant is an on-premises retailer's license, class CH, DH, CR, DR, CT, or DT, that is also located within the same hotel as the establishment's proposed location, or an off-premises retailer's license, class B, that is located within another hotel and has no direct public access to the street or the outside of the hotel's building.\n(3)\nEstablishment's sale of alcoholic beverages constitutes no more than 25% of the total volume of gross receipts on an annual basis; and\n(4)\nOpinion of the ANC, if any, has been given great weight.","path":["Title 25. Alcoholic Beverages. [Enacted title]","Chapter 3. Requirements To Qualify For License.","Subchapter I. Applicant Qualifications."],"source_url":"https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/25-303","current_through":"2026-08-20 (D.C. Law 26-175)","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-29T05:44:07Z","sha256":"4333951290b4e5cc90a44098e2aef375c609de4be2a6820c7e1da490e7eec7f7","source_id":"us-dc","stale":false,"prev":"us-dc/d.c.-code-25-302","next":"us-dc/d.c.-code-25-311"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}