APPENDIX B

Alcohol Beverage Control Enforcement Powers and Structure

State Enforcement Agency 
Sworn police/peace officers 
Carry firearms 
Number of agents who primarily enforce alcohol laws (including supervisors) 
Number of licensed retail outlets 
Alabama
Enforcement Division, Alcoholic Beverage Control
Yes
Yes
94
12,000
Alaska
Enforcement Section, Alcoholic Beverage Control Board
Yes6
No
3
1,850
Arizona
Investigations Unit, Department of Liquor Licenses and Control
Yes
Yes
19
9,500
Arkansas
Enforcement Division Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, Department of Finance and Administration
Yes
Yes
19
5,500-5,800
California
Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control
Yes
Yes
260
72,000
Colorado
Liquor Enforcement Division, Department of Revenue
Yes7
Yes
15
9,000
Connecticut
Liquor Control Division, Department of Consumer Protection
No
No
348
5,800
Delaware
Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control and Tobacco Enforcement, Department of Public Safety
Yes
Yes
16
1,800
Florida
Bureau of Law Enforcement, Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco, Department of Business and Professional Regulation
Yes
Yes
160
68,000
Georgia
Alcohol and Tobacco Division, Department of Revenue
Yes
Yes
40
16,000
Hawaii
All enforcement handled at the county level.
Idaho
Alcohol Beverage Control Section,
State Police
Yes-2
No-29
Yes-2
No-2
4
4,000
Illinois
Liquor Control Commission
No
No
35
26,000
Indiana
State Excise Police, Alcohol and Tobacco Commission
Yes
Yes
64
10,000
Iowa
Division of Criminal Investigation, Department of Public Safety
Yes
Yes
410
5,000
Kansas
Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control, Department of Revenue
Yes
Yes
21
2,70011
Kentucky
Alcoholic Beverage Control
Yes
Yes
41
6,500
Louisiana
Enforcement Division, Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control, Department of Revenue
Yes
Yes
46
13,000
Maine
Bureau of Liquor Enforcement, Department of Public Safety12
Yes
Yes
19
5,000
Maryland
All enforcement handled at the county level.
Massachusetts
Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission
No13
Officer's option
14
10,000
Michigan
Liquor Control Commission
No
No
52
16,000
Minnesota
Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement, Department of Public Safety
No
No
4
12,000
Mississippi
Enforcement Bureau, Alcoholic Beverage Control, State Tax Commission
Yes
Yes
28
7,750
Missouri
Division of Liquor Control, Department of Public Safety
Yes
Yes
55
17,000
Montana
Information not available
Nebraska
Alcohol/Tobacco Enforcement Division, State Patrol
Yes
Yes
15
4,800
Nevada
All enforcement handled at the local level.
New Hampshire
Bureau of Enforcement, State Liquor Commission
Yes
Yes
2314
4,000
New Jersey
Information not available
New Mexico
Special Investigations Division, Department of Public Safety
Yes
Yes
32
2,075
New York
New York State Liquor Authority
Yes15
No
29
58,000
North Carolina
Alcohol Law Enforcement, Department of Crime Control and Public Safety
Yes
Yes
115
17,000
North Dakota
All enforcement handled at the local level.
1,407
Ohio
Investigative Unit, Department of Public Safety
Yes
Yes
107
24,000
Oklahoma
Enforcement Division, Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission
Yes
Yes
34
1,865
Oregon
Regulatory Program, Liquor Control Commission
Yes
No
43
9,600
Pennsylvania
Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement, State Police
Yes
Yes
178
17,649
Rhode Island
Information not available
South Carolina
Vice Unit, Law Enforcement Division
Yes
Yes
54
22,000
South Dakota
Information not available
Tennessee
Law Enforcement Section, Alcoholic Beverage Commission
Yes16
Yes
37
16,000
Texas
Enforcement Division, Alcoholic Beverage Commission
Yes
Yes
225
39,000
Utah
Liquor Enforcement Section, State Bureau of Investigation, Department of Public Safety
Yes
Yes
12
1,300-1,400
Vermont
Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement, Department of Liquor Control
Yes
Yes
18
2,554
Virginia
Law Enforcement Bureau, Department of Alcohol Beverage Control
Yes
Yes
150
15,000
Washington
Enforcement and Education Division, State Liquor Control Board
Yes
Yes
85
11,000
Washington D.C.
Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration
No
No
10
1,699
West Virginia
Enforcement and Licensing, Alcohol Beverage Control Administration
No17
No
50
4,700-4,800
Wisconsin
Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement, Department of Revenue
Yes
Yes
12
16,000 -17,000
6They are sworn peace officers, but the commissioner of public safety has not granted them authority during this administration to carry firearms. They currently do not make physical arrests.
7They are considered sworn peace officers level 2 in Colorado. Level 2 means they have full peace officer authority while on duty. Level 1 officers are able to enforce all laws whether on duty or not.
8Ten of the 34 total agents work alcohol violations at the casinos only.
9The two investigative assistants can issue criminal citations, but they cannot make physical arrests.
10There are three officers in the Vice Enforcement Unit, which is housed within the Division of Criminal Investigation, and these are the officers primarily responsible for enforcing alcohol laws. Approximately 80-90 percent of their time is spent on illegal gambling cases while about 10-20 percent of their time is spent on alcohol law violations.
11There are also an estimated 3,500 3.2-percent-beer establishments, but licensing and enforcement of these establishments is done at the local level.
12In June 2003, the Maine Bureau of Liquor Enforcement was eliminated. Currently, local law enforcement agencies have been charged with enforcing all alcohol laws previously handled by the bureau.
13Although they are not sworn police officers, they do have arrest powers.
14There are six part-time agents who can also be called in on an as-needed basis.
15They are sworn police officers, but they cannot make arrests.
16Enforcement agents for the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission can only investigate cases where the alcohol content is over 5 percent. There are 18,000-20,000 beer-only licenses in the State, but they do not have enforcement powers in those establishments.
17They have the authority through statute, but they don’t exert it.
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