Message from the Board

Dear Licensee,
Whether you are a new licensee or a seasoned establishment professional, we cannot stress enough your important role in the community. The selling and serving of alcoholic beverages is a business that is subject to higher legal and social accountability than almost any other industry. As a licensee, you are responsible for maintaining a safe, regulated business and shoulder many responsibilities, including preventing underage sales and consumption of alcoholic beverages. ABC has a strict "zero tolerance" policy for underage consumption and looks to you to aggressively avoid these sales.

A hard-working team of ABC Bureau of Law Enforcement special agents is also a necessary component for preventing underage sales and consumption, along with increasing compliance with other state laws and regulations. The agents are valuable sources of information, and we encourage you to keep in touch with your agent so that he or she can assist you with compliance issues. If you wish to contact your agent to start building this positive relationship, please visit the Regional and Satellite Offices page for contact information. Enforcement offices are located throughout the state for convenience and accessibility.

You, members of the licensee community, are important to ABC. For this reason, we created the Licensee Resources Section as a resource tool to support you with compliance and training efforts. Please take this opportunity to view the links to important training classes, regional offices, prevention materials, and much more.

Thank you for joining us in a continuing focus on public safety. Living up to the laws and regulations of the Commonwealth, including preventing the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages and tobacco products by underage youth is paramount in achieving a safe, regulated system in Virginia. With your help and conscientious approach to responsible business practices, we can succeed as a team!

Sincerely,
Chair Pamela O'Berry Evans, Commissioner Susan R. Swecker and Commissioner Esther H. Vassar