Delaware Code Title 4 Sec. 514 – Gathering licenses; consumption on premises
(a) If alcoholic liquors are to be sold during a gathering of persons, the manager or person in charge of such gathering, or the owner, tenant or person in charge of the premises in which the gathering is being held, must obtain 1 of the types of gathering licenses provided for in this section. Either of said licenses shall permit consumption of alcohol on the premises where sold and shall permit sale of alcohol for consumption off the premises where sold by way of a raffle or auction, live or silent, so long as the amount of alcohol sold for consumption off of the premises where sold does not exceed 10 gallons (or 38 liters) in a single day.
Terms Used In Delaware Code Title 4 Sec. 514
- Alcohol: means ethyl alcohol produced by the distillation of any fermented liquid, whether rectified or diluted with water or not, whatever may be the origin thereof, and includes synthetic ethyl alcohol, but it does not mean ethyl alcohol, diluted or not, that has been denatured or otherwise rendered unfit for beverage purposes. See Delaware Code Title 4 Sec. 101
- alcoholic liquors: include the 5 varieties of liquor defined in this section (alcohol, spirits, wine, beer and alcoholic cider) as well as every liquid or solid, patented or not, containing alcohol, spirits, wine, beer or alcoholic cider and capable of being consumed by a human being, and any liquid or solid containing more than 1 of the 5 varieties defined in this section is considered as belonging to that variety which usually has the higher percentage of alcohol. See Delaware Code Title 4 Sec. 101
- Beer: means any beverage containing more than 1/2 of 1% of ethyl alcohol by volume, obtained by the alcoholic fermentation of any infusion or decoction of barley malt and hops in water and includes, among other things, ale, porter, stout and other malt or brewed liquors. See Delaware Code Title 4 Sec. 101
- Bottle: means any vessel that is corked, capped or stopped or arranged so to be and intended to contain or to convey liquids. See Delaware Code Title 4 Sec. 101
- Commissioner: means the person appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate who serves as the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commissioner for the State. See Delaware Code Title 4 Sec. 101
- gathering: means a banquet, picnic, bazaar, fair or similar private gathering or similar public gathering where food or drink are sold, served or dispensed by nonprofit organizations such as churches, colleges and universities, volunteer fire companies, political parties or other similar nonprofit groups having a common civic, social, educational or religious purpose, or where entrance tickets are sold or entrance fees are required by those nonprofit organizations. See Delaware Code Title 4 Sec. 101
- Importer: means the person transporting or ordering, authorizing or arranging the transportation or shipment of alcoholic liquors into this State, whether the person is a resident or citizen of this State or not, said person being permitted to sell said alcoholic liquors only to those persons licensed to resell alcoholic liquors; provided, however, that nothing contained in this definition shall be construed as prohibiting an importer from selling such alcoholic liquors to either an active owner of that business for that person's use and not for resale or to a full-time, bona fide employee of that business for that person's use and not for resale; and provided further, that nothing contained in this definition shall be construed as prohibiting an importer from selling beer in "half-barrel" or "quarter-barrel" containers to the holders of a personal license. See Delaware Code Title 4 Sec. 101
- License: means any license or permit to manufacture, to sell, to purchase, to transport, to import or to possess alcoholic liquor authorized or issued by the Commissioner under the provisions of Chapter 5 of this title. See Delaware Code Title 4 Sec. 101
- Person: includes an individual, a partnership, a corporation, a club or any other association of individuals. See Delaware Code Title 4 Sec. 101
- Residence: means the place occupied by a person as a domicile or otherwise, either permanently or temporarily, and includes not only the premises occupied, but also every annex or dependency thereof held under the same title as the premises occupied. See Delaware Code Title 4 Sec. 101
- Retailer: means the person permitted to sell alcoholic liquors in a store in the State, not for consumption on the premises. See Delaware Code Title 4 Sec. 101
- Sale: means every act of selling as defined in this section. See Delaware Code Title 4 Sec. 101
- Sell: means : solicit or receive an order for; keep or expose for sale; deliver for value or in any other way than purely gratuitously; keep with intent to sell; keep or transport in contravention of this title; traffic in; or for any valuable consideration, promised or obtained, directly or indirectly, or under any pretext or by any means whatsoever, procure or allow to be procured for any other person, to carry alcoholic liquors on one's person or to transport with one and with intent to sell the same, but not in any establishment where the sale thereof is allowed. See Delaware Code Title 4 Sec. 101
(b) There shall be 2 types of gathering licenses which may be granted hereunder:
(1) Gathering License — Group. — The manager or person in charge of a gathering of persons at which alcoholic liquors are to be sold shall apply for a group type gathering license, which license, if granted, shall be valid only for the time, and at the location, specified in the application therefor. A group gathering license shall not be required if the said gathering is being held on premises which are validly licensed under a biennial premises gathering license issued pursuant to paragraph (2) of this subsection.
(2) Gathering License — Biennial Premises. — The owner, tenant or person in charge of the premises, other than a residence, on which gatherings of persons are held, may apply for a biennial premises type gathering license, which license shall be valid for the entire 2 years for gatherings of persons at the location specified in the application therefor.
(c) A holder of a gathering license may purchase alcoholic liquors for sale at a gathering of persons from either retailers or importers and such retailers and importers shall be permitted to make deliveries to persons holding gathering licenses. A holder of a gathering license granted pursuant to this section shall be exempt from paying the application process fee as provided in subsection (x) of § 554 of this title.
(d) For purposes of this section only, the price paid for alcoholic liquors to be sold at a gathering of persons licensed under this section shall be a price agreed upon between the said licensee and the retailer or importer from whom said alcoholic liquors are purchased. It is permissible for a retailer or importer to donate some or all of the liquor to the gathering licensee so long as a license has been granted for the gathering by the Commissioner prior to the donation.
(e) Any person holding a biennial premises gathering license granted hereunder must report each gathering of persons to be held in its facilities to the Commissioner, which report may be made in person, in writing, or by telephone and the report must be received by the Commissioner not later than 12:00 noon of the day on which the gathering is to be held, unless it is to be held on a day on which the Commissioner shall be closed, in which case it must be so reported on the last day on which the Commissioner is open immediately preceding such a gathering.
(f) Any person holding a gathering license of either type granted hereunder who has purchased alcoholic liquors for sale at a gathering of persons may return any unopened bottles so purchased to the licensee from whom they were purchased and shall receive therefor the amount paid for each said bottle, so long as such return is made within 30 days of the date of the gathering for which they were purchased. A biennial premises type gathering licensee shall not be required to return bottles it has purchased for sale during such gathering, but may store them in a suitable storage facility for sale at a future gathering of persons to be held within its facilities.
(g) All holders of gathering licenses hereunder shall be subject to the restrictions on the hours of sale of alcoholic liquors set forth in § 709(c) of this title and to the prohibitions of sales to minors set forth in § 708 of this title.
(h) It shall not be necessary to obtain a license to dispense alcoholic liquors at a gathering of persons if no alcoholic liquors are to be sold at that gathering of persons. Importers may sell and deliver beer directly to persons for dispensing at a gathering of persons and not for resale.
38 Del. Laws, c. 18, § ?17; Code 1935, § ?6146; 4 Del. C. 1953, § ?514; 59 Del. Laws, c. 107, § ?18; 59 Del. Laws, c. 128, §§ ?2-4; 67 Del. Laws, c. 273, § ?24; 72 Del. Laws, c. 486, § ?9; 78 Del. Laws, c. 64, §§ ?1, 2;