Alcoholic beverage control state - Wikipedia Alcoholic beverage control state `` ABC stores '' redirects here. For the Hawaiian convenience store chain, see ABC Stores ( Hawaii ). This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( November 2013 ) Alcoholic beverage control states, generally called control states, are 17 states in the United States that, as of 2016, have state monopoly over the wholesaling or retailing of some or all categories of alcoholic beverages, such as beer, wine, and distilled spirits. Contents 1 History 2 State listing 3 See also 4 References 5 External links History This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( January 2016 ) At the beginning of the temperance movement in the United States, many states controlled where and when alcohol could be sold. Before this time, most alcoholic beverages for off - premises consumption were often sold just like any other item of commerce in stores or bars. Because of heavy lobbying by temperance groups in various states, most required off - premises beverages to be sold in dedicated stores ( primarily called dispensaries ) with controls over their location. To further enhance oversight of beverage sales, some states such as South Carolina operated state - run dispensaries. Following repeal of national prohibition in the U.S. in 1933, some states initially decided to continue their own prohibition against the production, distribution, and sale of alcoholic beverages within their borders. Other states decided to leave the issue to local jurisdictions, including counties and cities, a practice called local option. States were also able to restrict the importation of `` intoxicating liquors '' into their territory under the provisions of the Twenty - first Amendment to the United States Constitution which, while ending the Federal role in alcohol control, exempted liquor from the constitutional rule reserving the regulation of interstate commerce to the federal government. Thus states which wished to continue prohibition could do so. ABC Store in Durham, North Carolina. Among those states which chose not to maintain complete prohibition over alcoholic beverages, approximately one - third established government monopolies while the remaining two - thirds established private license systems. In its simplest terms, the license system allows private enterprises to buy and sell alcohol at state discretion. In actual effect, the license operates as a device of restraint and not merely a grant of privilege or freedom. In a constitutional sense, the license confers no property right and the exercise of its privilege is continuously contingent upon the holder 's compliance with required conditions and the general discretion of the licensing authority. The remaining states adopted the monopoly system of regulation, the more cautious of the two regulatory frameworks. As alluded to above, under the monopoly plan the government takes over the wholesale trade and conducts the retail sale of heavier alcoholic beverages through its own stores. That is, the state itself engages in the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages. Most of these states have an `` Alcoholic Beverage Control '' ( ABC ) board and run liquor stores called ABC stores. In all monopoly states a parallel license system is used to regulate the sale and distribution of lighter alcoholic beverages such as beer and wine. Beginning in the 1960s onward, many control states loosened their monopoly of beverage sales. States like West Virginia and Washington sold all of their state liquor stores to private owners, while others like Vermont permit private store owners to sell alcohol on behalf of the state for a commission. State listing This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( February 2015 ) State control of beer, wine, and spirits State control of wine and spirits State control of spirits Other alcoholic beverage control states The 17 control or monopoly states as of February 2015 are : Alabama -- Liquor stores are state - run or on - premises establishments with a special off - premises license, per the provisions of Title 28, Code of Ala. 1975, carried out by the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. Idaho -- Maintains a monopoly over sales of beverages with greater than 16 % ABV. Iowa -- All spirits are sold to privately owned retailers by the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division. Beer and wine can be sold by private license - holders. Maine -- State - contracted to private businesses for commission. Michigan -- Does not operate retail outlets, but maintains a monopoly over wholesaling of distilled spirits only. Mississippi -- State contracted liquor stores. Montana -- State contracted liquor stores, modeled after the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission. New Hampshire -- Beer and wine can be sold at supermarkets and convenience stores. Liquor is sold only in state - run liquor stores and a small number of stores with a private Liquor Agency License. North Carolina -- Beer and wine can be sold in supermarkets and convenience stores. Other spirits must be sold in liquor stores owned by local ABC boards. The State ABC Commission controls wholesale distribution and oversees local ABC boards. Prices for bottles of liquor are specified by the North Carolina ABC Commission and are the same throughout the state. The price list is updated quarterly. `` Sales '' on certain liquors are held monthly, and all ABC outlets in the state use the same special pricing. `` Holiday '' or `` gift '' packages, typically released by distillers around Thanksgiving and Christmas, are sold at the same price as standard bottles of the enclosed liquor, regardless of the included accessories ( flasks, rocks glasses, shot glasses, cocktail shakers, etc. ) Ohio -- Appoints businesses to sell liquor, as agents of the state, for a commission. These stores have a monopoly on sales of beverages with an alcohol content equal to or greater than 21.5 % ABV ( 43 proof ). Beer, wine, mixed alcoholic beverages, and `` low proof '' alcohol are sold by the aforementioned contract liquor agencies as well as by businesses ( bars, restaurants, convenience stores, and gasoline / convenience store retailers ) which have been issued an annual permit to sell. Privileges ( such as sale for carryout only, or for consumption on the premises ) and hours during which sales are allowed are dependent on the terms of the permit. Oregon -- Beer and wine can be sold in supermarkets and convenience stores. Other spirits must be sold in liquor stores operated and managed by state - appointed liquor agents who act as independent contractors under the supervision of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission. Pennsylvania -- The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board 's Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores are the exclusive retailer of spirits in Pennsylvania, as well as the largest retailer of wine, with more than 600 store locations. Up to four bottles of wine may be purchased from hotel and restaurant licensees that obtain a permit allowing the sale of wine to go. Malt and brewed beverages are sold by licensed beer distributors, and in small quantities ( up to two six pack to go ) by on - premises establishments. The number of licenses to serve alcohol ( including beer and wine ) in restaurants is limited based on county populations. Utah -- All beverages over 3.2 % ABW ( 4.0 % ABV ) are sold in state - run stores. Vermont -- Liquor stores are state - contracted and licensed. Virginia -- Beer and wine sold at supermarkets and convenience stores. All liquor stores are run by the state. West Virginia -- Does not operate retail outlets, but maintains a monopoly over wholesaling of distilled spirits only. Wyoming -- Does not operate retail outlets. Maintains monopoly on wholesale importation. Although licenses are issued by local licensing authorities, all liquor licenses must be approved by the state, and licenses are limited by population density. About one - quarter of the United States population lives in liquor control or government monopoly states. Maryland as a whole is not a control state, and private liquor stores sell beer, wine, and spirits in most of the state, but under state law, Montgomery, Somerset and Wicomico counties are county alcohol - controlled, which mandates that off - premises liquor sales are to be conducted only at county - owned and operated stores. An exception exists in Montgomery County, in that four grocery stores have grandfathered licenses. Dorchester County was an alcohol control county until 2008, when the County Council voted to permanently close the county - owned liquor dispensaries, with subsequent change in the state law. Worcester County was an alcohol control county until July 2014, when the Maryland General Assembly abolished the Liquor Control Board by statute, replacing it with the Department of Liquor Control. See also Alcohol laws of the United States by state Alcohol monopoly Three - tier system ( alcohol distribution ) Dry county Category : State alcohol agencies of the United States References Jump up ^ `` The day liquor went private and prices stumped the public ''. Seattle Times. 1 June 2012. Archived from the original on June 4, 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2012. Jump up ^ `` Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board ''. Alabama Administrative Code. Retrieved 2009 - 09 - 06. Jump up ^ Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division ( n.d. ). `` Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division ''. State of Iowa. Retrieved 5 January 2016. Jump up ^ `` Department of Revenue -- State of Montana ''. State of Montana. Archived from the original on September 4, 2009. Retrieved 2009 - 09 - 06. Jump up ^ `` One Private Liquor Store Thrives As State Ponders More ''. New Hampshire Public Radio. Retrieved 27 October 2017. Jump up ^ Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board update 01 / 04 / 2016 Jump up ^ `` Utah Code Section 32A - 1 - 105 ''. Archived from the original on February 10, 2008. Jump up ^ WSLA. `` WSLA common questions ''. Wyoming State Liquor Association. Archived from the original on February 12, 2014. Retrieved 18 Feb 2014. Jump up ^ Montgomery County Department of Liquor Control Frequently Asked Questions Jump up ^ Colburn ( 22 May 2008 ). `` Senate Bill 154 ''. State of Maryland. Retrieved 18 Feb 2014. Jump up ^ Delmarvanow.com External links National Alcohol Beverage Control Association Washington and other `` control states '' Alcohol policy in the United States Prohibition Prohibition in the United States Temperance movement Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution Volstead Act Twenty - first Amendment to the United States Constitution Related articles U.S. history of alcohol minimum purchase age by state Alcoholic beverage control state List of alcohol laws of the United States Alcoholic beverage authorities of the United States Federal authorities Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives State authorities Alabama * Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Idaho * Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine * Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi * Missouri Montana * Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire * New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina * North Dakota Ohio * Oklahoma Oregon * Pennsylvania * Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah * Vermont * Virginia * Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Territorial authorities District of Columbia Local authorities Hawaii County, Hawaii City and County of Honolulu Kauai County, Hawaii Maui County, Hawaii Montgomery County, Maryland * An * indicates an alcoholic beverage control state or county. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alcoholic_beverage_control_state&oldid=807386320 '' Categories : Alcohol - related lists Alcohol law in the United States Alcohol monopolies Hidden categories : Use American English from February 2015 All Wikipedia articles written in American English Use mdy dates from February 2015 Articles needing additional references from November 2013 All articles needing additional references Articles needing additional references from January 2016 Articles needing additional references from February 2015 Articles containing potentially dated statements from February 2015 All articles containing potentially dated statements Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 27 October 2017, at 16 : 39. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. 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Question: what does the abc in abc liquor stand for
Answer: Alcoholic beverage control