W. Va. Code § 11-16-9 — WV Code / Chapter 11 / Article 16 / Section 9
§11-16-9. Amount of license tax; Class A and Class B retail dealers; purchase and sale of nonintoxicating beer permitted; distributors; brewers; brewpubs.
Status: in_force

(a) All retail dealers, distributors, brewpubs, brewers, and resident brewers of nonintoxicating beer and of nonintoxicating craft beer shall pay an annual fee to maintain an active license as required by this article. The license period begins on July 1 of each year and ends on June 30 of the following year. If the license is granted for a shorter period, then the license fee shall be computed semiannually in proportion to the remainder of the fiscal year: Provided , That if a licensee fails to complete a renewal application and make payment of its annual license fee in renewing its license on or before June 30 of any subsequent year, then an additional $150 reactivation fee shall be charged and paid by the licensee; the fee may not be prorated or refunded, prior to the processing of any renewal application and applicable full year annual license fee; and furthermore, a licensee who continues to operate after the expiration of its license is subject to all fines, penalties, and sanctions available in §11-16-23 of this code, all as determined by the commissioner.

(b) The annual license fees are as follows:

(1) Retail dealers shall be divided into two classes: Class A and Class B.

(A) For a Class A retail dealer, the license fee is $150 for each place of business; the license fee for social, fraternal, or private clubs not operating for profit, and which have been in continuous operation for two years or more immediately preceding the date of application, is $150: Provided , That railroads operating in this state may dispense nonintoxicating beer upon payment of an annual license tax of $10 for each dining, club, or buffet car in which the beer is dispensed.

Class A licenses issued for railroad dining, club, or buffet cars authorize the licensee to sell nonintoxicating beer at retail for consumption only on the licensed premises where sold. All other Class A licensees may sell nonintoxicating beer or nonintoxicating craft beer at retail, as licensed, for consumption on the licensed premises or off the licensed premises. Class A licensees may sell nonintoxicating beer or nonintoxicating craft beer for consumption off the licensed premises when it is in a sealed original container and sold for personal use, and not for resale. Class A licensees shall provide prepared food or meals along with sealed nonintoxicating beer or nonintoxicating craft beer in the original container or in a sealed growler as set forth for sales and service in §11-16-6d of this code, to a purchasing person who is in-person or in-vehicle picking up prepared food or a meal, and sealed nonintoxicating beer or nonintoxicating craft beer orders-to-go, subject to verification that the purchasing person is 21 years of age or older, and not visibly or noticeably intoxicated, and as otherwise specified in this article.

(B) For a Class B retail dealer, the license fee, authorizing the sale of both chilled and unchilled beer, is $150 for each place of business. A Class B license authorizes the licensee to sell nonintoxicating beer at retail in bottles, cans, or other sealed containers only, and only for consumption off the licensed premises. A Class B retailer may sell to a purchasing person, for personal use, and not for resale, quantities of draught beer in original containers that are no larger in size than one-half barrel for off-premises consumption. The commissioner may only issue a Class B license to the proprietor or owner of a grocery store. For the purpose of this article, the term "grocery store" means any retail establishment commonly known as a grocery store or delicatessen, and caterer or party supply store, where food or food products are sold for consumption off the premises, and includes a separate and segregated portion of any other retail store which is dedicated solely to the sale of food, food products, and supplies for the table for consumption off the premises. Caterers or party supply stores shall purchase the appropriate licenses from the Alcohol Beverage Control Administration.

(C) A Class A retail dealer may contract, purchase, or develop a mobile ordering application or web-based software program to permit the ordering and purchase of nonintoxicating beer or nonintoxicating craft beer, as authorized by the licensee's license. The nonintoxicating beer or nonintoxicating craft beer shall be in a sealed original container or a sealed growler and meet the requirements of §11-16-6d of this code.

(2) For a distributor, the license fee is $1,000 for each place of business.

(3) For a brewer or a resident brewer with its principal place of business or manufacture located in this state and who produces:

(A) Twelve thousand five hundred barrels or less of nonintoxicating beer or nonintoxicating craft beer, the license fee is $250 for each place of manufacture, and no more than three places of manufacture are permitted for licensure;

(B) Twelve thousand five hundred one barrels and up to 25,000 barrels of nonintoxicating beer or nonintoxicating craft beer, the license fee is $1,000 for each place of manufacture, and no more than five places of manufacture are permitted for licensure;

(C) More than 25,001 barrels of nonintoxicating beer or nonintoxicating craft beer, the license fee is $1,500 for each place of manufacture.

(D) A brewer or resident brewer licensed under paragraph (A) or (B) of this subdivision shall receive one license for use at all places of manufacture; each place of manufacture shall meet all licensing requirements in this article and the rules; and all places of manufacture shall be noted on the one brewer or resident brewer license in compliance with §11-16-5 and §11-16-6a(k) of this code.

(4) For a brewer whose principal place of business or manufacture is not located in this state, the license fee is $1,500. The brewer is exempt from the requirements set out in subsections (c), (d), and (e) of this section: Provided , That a brewer whose principal place of business or manufacture is not located in this state that produces less than 25,000 barrels of nonintoxicating beer or nonintoxicating craft beer may choose to apply, in writing, to the commissioner to be subject to the variable license fees of subdivision (3), subsection (b) of this section and the requirements set out in subsections (c), (d), and (e) of this section subject to investigation and approval by the commissioner as to brewer requirements.

(5) For a brewpub, the license fee is $500 for each place of manufacture.

(c) As part of the application or renewal application and in order to determine a brewer or resident brewer's license fee pursuant to this section, a brewer or resident brewer shall provide the commissioner, on a form provided by the commissioner, with an estimate of the number of nonintoxicating beer or nonintoxicating craft beer barrels and gallons it may produce during the year based upon the production capacity of the brewer's or resident brewer's manufacturing facilities and the prior year's production and sales volume of nonintoxicating beer or nonintoxicating craft beer.

(d) On or before July 15 of each year, every brewer or resident brewer who is granted a license shall file a final report, on a form provided by the commissioner, that is dated as of June 30 of that year, stating the actual volume of nonintoxicating beer or nonintoxicating craft beer in barrels and gallons produced at its principal place of business and other sites of manufacture during the prior year.

(e) If the actual total production of nonintoxicating beer or nonintoxicating craft beer by the brewer or resident brewer exceeded the brewer's or resident brewer's estimate that was filed with the application or renewal application for a brewer's or resident brewer's license for that period, then the brewer or resident brewer shall include a remittance for the balance of the license fee pursuant to this section that would be required for the final, higher level of production.

(f) Any brewer or resident brewer failing to file the reports required in subsections (c) and (d) of this section, and who is not exempt from the reporting requirements, shall, at the discretion of the commissioner, be subject to the penalties set forth in §11-16-23 of this code.

(g) Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (b) of this section, the license fee per event for a nonintoxicating beer floor plan extension is $50, and the fee may not be prorated or refunded. A licensee shall submit an application, certification that the event meets certain requirements in this code and rules, and any other information required by the commissioner, at least 15 days prior to the event, all as determined by the commissioner.

(h) Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (b) of this section, a Class A retail dealer, in good standing with the commissioner, may apply, on a form provided by the commissioner, to sell, serve, and furnish nonintoxicating beer or nonintoxicating craft beer for on-premises consumption in an outdoor dining area or outdoor street dining area, as authorized by any municipal government or county commission in the which the licensee operates. The Class A retail dealer shall submit to the municipal government or county commission, for approval, a revised floorplan and a request to sell and serve nonintoxicating beer or nonintoxicating craft beer, subject to the commissioner's requirements, in an approved outdoor area. For private outdoor street dining, or private outdoor dining, the approved and bounded outdoor area need not be adjacent to the licensee's licensed premises, but in close proximity and under the licensee's control with right of ingress and egress. For purposes of this section, "close proximity" means an available area within 150 feet of the Class A retail dealer's licensed premises. A Class A retail dealer may operate a nonintoxicating beer or nonintoxicating craft beer outdoor dining or outdoor street dining in conjunction with a temporary private outdoor dining or temporary private outdoor street dining area set forth in §60-7-8d of this code and temporary private wine outdoor dining or temporary private wine outdoor street dining set forth in §60-8-32a of this code.

(i) For purposes of this article, "nonintoxicating beer or nonintoxicating craft beer outdoor dining and nonintoxicating beer or nonintoxicating craft beer outdoor street dining" includes dining areas that are:

(1) Outside and not served by an HVAC system for air handling services and use outside air;

(2) Open to the air; and

(3) Not enclosed by fixed or temporary walls; however, the commissioner may seasonally approve a partial enclosure with up to three temporary or fixed walls. Any area where seating is incorporated inside a permanent building with ambient air through HVAC is not considered outdoor dining pursuant to this subsection.