{"data":{"id":"us-wa/rcw-66.44.290","jurisdiction":"us-wa","citation":"RCW 66.44.290","heading":"Minor purchasing or attempting to purchase liquor—Penalty.","body":"(1) Every person under the age of twenty-one years who purchases or attempts to purchase liquor shall be guilty of a violation of this title. This section does not apply to persons between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one years who are participating in a controlled purchase program authorized by the *liquor control board under rules adopted by the board. Violations occurring under a private, controlled purchase program authorized by the *liquor control board may not be used for criminal or administrative prosecution.\n(2) An employer who conducts an in-house controlled purchase program authorized under this section shall provide his or her employees a written description of the employer's in-house controlled purchase program. The written description must include notice of actions an employer may take as a consequence of an employee's failure to comply with company policies regarding the sale of alcohol during an in-house controlled purchase.\n(3) An in-house controlled purchase program authorized under this section shall be for the purposes of employee training and employer self-compliance checks. An employer may not terminate an employee solely for a first-time failure to comply with company policies regarding the sale of alcohol during an in-house controlled purchase program authorized under this section.\n(4) Every person between the ages of eighteen and twenty, inclusive, who is convicted of a violation of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable as provided by RCW 9A.20.021, except that a minimum fine of two hundred fifty dollars shall be imposed and any sentence requiring community restitution shall require not fewer than twenty-five hours of community restitution.","path":["Title 66","Chapter 66.44"],"source_url":"https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=66.44.290","current_through":"July 15, 2026","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-06T03:43:37Z","sha256":"8411c6b200814291fa3241ba0c1ce045a7a6d3150d8e1e0c9b21be87a4b975a6","source_id":"us-wa","stale":false,"prev":"us-wa/rcw-66.44.280","next":"us-wa/rcw-66.44.292"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}