§ 11-215. Hospitality cabinets.

Any qualified facility licensed to sell alcoholic beverages on its premises may also sell the beverages in sealed containers in individual portions to its qualified registered guests by means of a hospitality cabinet located in the rooms of these guests, if the conditions of this section are met.

(1)

Definitions.

a.

Alcoholic beverages includes alcoholic liquors, as defined in section 61-6-20 of the South Carolina Code, and beer and wine, as defined in section 61-4-10 of the South Carolina Code.

b.

Legal drinking age means the age when a person legally may purchase or consume an alcoholic beverage.

c.

Hospitality cabinet means a closed container, refrigerated in whole or in part, or nonrefrigerated, where access to the interior portion containing alcoholic beverages is restricted by means of a locking device which requires the use of a key, magnetic card, or similar device.

d.

Qualified facility means a hotel, inn or motel licensed to sell alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption, and which contain guestroom accommodations. It includes condominiums owned or managed by an otherwise qualified facility.

e.

Qualified registered guest means each person of legal drinking age who signs the guest register of a qualified facility or takes equivalent action for the purpose of registering as a gust of the qualified facility.

(2)

Types and amount of beverages; hours for use.

a.

The type of alcoholic beverages contained in a hospitality cabinet of a qualified facility is limited to those beverages for which the facility is licensed to sell on its premises.

b.

The hospitality cabinet may contain no more than 30 individual portions of alcoholic beverages at one time.

c.

The hours during which guests may have access to a hospitality cabinet are not limited to the hours that the qualified facility is licensed to sell alcoholic beverages.

(3)

Specifications. A hospitality cabinet may be part of another furniture or device, refrigerated in whole or in part, or nonrefrigerated, from which nonalcoholic beverages or food may be purchased. The portion of the hospitality cabinet or similar device in which alcoholic beverages are stored must be a hospitality cabinet, as defined in subsection (1).

(4)

Access.

a.

Those portions of a hospitality cabinet containing alcoholic beverages must remain locked at all times when a guest room is unrented, except for taking inventory or restocking and replenishing the hospitality cabinet.

b.

Access to a hospitality cabinet in a particular guestroom must be provided by furnishing a key, magnetic card or similar device only to a qualified registered guest of legal drinking age, registered to stay in the guestroom.

c.

Before providing a key, magnetic card or similar device required to obtain access to the hospitality cabinet in a particular guestroom to the qualified registered guest, the licensee shall verify that the qualified registered guest is of legal drinking age.

d.

A key, magnetic card or similar device required to obtain access to the hospitality cabinet in a particular guestroom may be given only to the qualified registered guest if requested by that guest, and only if the guest is not visibly or obviously intoxicated.

(5)

Restocking.

a.

Alcoholic beverages used to restock or replenish a facility's hospitality cabinet must be kept locked in a separate, secure room or cabinet, except when the hospitality cabinets are restocked and replenished.

b.

The hospitality cabinets may be restocked and replenished with alcoholic beverages only during those hours when the beverages may be sold on the premises.

(6)

Penalty. A person or qualified facility found guilty of violating the provisions of this section is punishable by a civil fine.

(Ord. No. 2001-59, 10-2-01)