Virginia: Where can you buy liquor?
Virginia sells liquor only in state-run Virginia ABC stores; private stores may sell beer and wine but not spirits.
The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority buys, imports, and sells spirits and runs the government stores. The Board can also make licensed distilleries its agents to sell spirits at government stores on the distillery's premises. Private off-premises retail licenses cover only wine and beer, so the answer that private stores can't sell spirits is inferred from how licenses are set up.
What the law says
Subject to the provisions of §§ 4.1-121 and 4.1-122, the Board may establish, maintain, and operate government stores for the sale of spirits, nonalcoholic spirit alternatives, wine produced by farm wineries, low alcohol beverage coolers produced by licensed distillers, vermouth, mixers, products used in connection with distilled spirits as may be approved by the Board from time to time, and products licensed by the Virginia Tourism Corporation as specified in § 4.1-103 in such counties, cities, and towns considered advisable by the Board.
Sources
- Va. Code § 4.1-119 Official · law.lis.virginia.gov
- Va. Code § 4.1-103 Official · law.lis.virginia.gov
- Va. Code § 4.1-206.3 (retail licenses) Official · law.lis.virginia.gov
Confirm with the state
- Agency
- Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority
- Website
- abc.virginia.gov
How bordering states compare
- Kentucky Private licensed storesKentucky licenses private package stores to sell distilled spirits; the state does not buy or sell liquor.
- Maryland Private licensed storesMaryland licenses private stores through local boards; the state does not sell liquor, though Montgomery County runs its own system.
- North Carolina Government-run storesNorth Carolina sells liquor only in ABC stores run by local government ABC boards.
- Tennessee Private licensed storesTennessee sells liquor through privately owned package stores licensed by the Alcoholic Beverage Commission.
- West Virginia State wholesale, private storesWest Virginia is the only liquor wholesaler, but privately owned licensed retail outlets sell liquor to the public.