DC Hospitality Amendment Act
The DC Hospitality Amendment Act of 2026 (Bill 26-0648) was introduced by Mayor Muriel Bowser on March 20, 2026. The legislation modernizes DC’s alcohol laws and makes permanent key pandemic-era business practices, with a specific geographic focus on Wards 5,7, and 8, and Downtown DC.
The bill proposes the following streamlined enhancements:
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Waives Fees: Eliminates application and licensing fees for new art galleries and bookstores for three years.
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Expedited Openings: Creates “pop-up” opportunities to allow restaurants to bypass regulatory red tape.
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Food-Free Alcohol Sales. Creates a new restaurant category that is permitted to sell wine and beer for off-premises consumption without food purchase.
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Brewery expansion: Permits existing breweries to open new brew pubs in target economic zones.
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Increases product variety: Expands the selection of DC-made beverages allowed for on-premises consumption at local manufacturers.
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Outdoor Activation Licenses: Authorizes BIDs to sell, serve, and permit alcohol consumption on registered outdoor public spaces.
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Sports venue licensing: Enables stadiums to obtain Commercial Lifestyle licenses for outdoor public spaces during permitted street closures.
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Returning citizen workforce: Lowers employment and ownership barriers for individuals with past felony convictions.
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Contract brewing: Establishes a formal licensing path to contract-partner with existing breweries or brew pubs.
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Expanded take-home rules: Includes malt beverages in "doggie bag" laws and extends these take-home privileges to taverns.
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Underage service workers: Permits trained 17-year-olds to sell and deliver alcohol to seated restaurant, hotel, or tavern patrons.
The legislation has been assigned to the DC Council's Committee on Public Works and Operations for consideration. The next step for the legislation is to be scheduled for a hearing to receive public comment.
📘 Get Your Free 2026 ID Checking Guide
Alcohol-licensed businesses can now pick up the latest I.D. Checking Guide—USA and Canada Edition at no cost. These updated guides help security and service staff detect sophisticated fake IDs by highlighting recent license design changes.
Guides are available on a first-come, first-served basis at the ABCA office. All expired previous editions should be discarded.
🌟 What is Inside the Guide?
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Security Checklists: Instructions for verifying holograms, UV light features, and tactile text.
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Age Calculators: Simplified tools to quickly calculate legal age thresholds at the door.
📍 Pickup Location & Hours
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Where: ABCA Office, 899 North Capitol Street, NE, Suite 4200B, Washington, DC 20002
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Hours: 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday
🛑 Compliance Reminder & Fully Funded Staff Training
ABCA conducts underage compliance checks year-round. Selling alcohol to minors can lead to heavy fines, license suspension, or total revocation.
To keep your team prepared, ABCA strongly encourages licensees to pair these guides with our quarterly Fake ID Training. Like the physical guides, this training program is fully funded and supported by the U.S. DoT/NHTSA and DC HSO/United We Go.
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Next Session: Monday, July 20 at 10:00 a.m.
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Registration: Open now for the upcoming quarterly session.
Special Event Extended Hours
Eligible ABCA licensees can register to extend both alcoholic beverage service and operational hours for these two major September 2026 cultural and tourism-related events:
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Art All Night: Starts the evening of Friday, September 11 and ends at 4:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 13
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Congressional Black Caucus Weekend: Starts the evening of Friday, September 18 and ends at 4:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 20
Program Fees and Registration
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Cost: A flat registration fee of $100 per event
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Timeline: The registration window for each event will open at least 60 calendar days prior to the start date and closes 3 calendar days prior to the start date. Late applications will not be accepted.
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Exclusions: Registration in the standard ABCA Extended Holiday Hours Program or past single-event approvals does not grant access to these specific September extensions. Licensees must submit a new registration for each individual event. Settlement Agreements and Board Orders apply and may affect eligibility.
Additional details will be published on ABCA’s website prior to the start of the registration windows.
Spring and Summer Holiday Extended Hours
As the weather warms up and summer approaches, registered licensees can capitalize on the season by extending their alcoholic beverage service and operational hours. For several major holidays, registered venues can expand their service windows starting on the first listed date below until 4:00 a.m. on the final morning:
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Memorial Day Weekend | Friday, May 22 – Monday, May 25 (Registration deadline has passed)
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Juneteenth | Thursday, June 18 – Friday, June 19 (Registration deadline has passed)
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Independence Day Weekend | Thursday, July 2 – Sunday, July 5 (deadline to register: Thursday, June 4)
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Labor Day Weekend | Friday, September 4 – Monday, September 7 (deadline to register: Friday, August 7)
Program Fees and Registration
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Cost: Free with registration.
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Timeline: Registrations are accepted on a rolling basis. Once a venue is registered, the enrollment remains valid in perpetuity unless suspended or revoked by the ABC Board. New registrants must submit their registration at least 30 days prior to the first holiday event they wish to participate in.
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Exclusions: Settlement Agreements and Board Orders apply and may affect eligibility.
Additional details available on ABCA’s website.
Upcoming Compliance Deadlines
Tuesday, June 30 | Solicitor License Fee
Thursday, July 30 | Quarterly and Semiannual Statements
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Deadline: Submissions are due by 11:59 p.m.
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Quarterly Statements (Hotels, Restaurants, & Brew Pubs): Establishments must file a mandatory report detailing all sales and expense activity for the Q2 period (April 1 – June 30, 2026).
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Semiannual Statements (Caterers & Third-Party Delivery): Licensees must submit financial data tracking the first half of the year (January 1 – June 30, 2026).
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Filing Method: Statements must be processed through the ABCA Online Filing System.
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Information: Visit ABCA’s website or email ABCA.Compliance@dc.gov.
Training and Info Sessions
ID Compliance | Monday, July 20, 2026 | 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
ID Compliance training focuses on preventing underage drinking by reducing youth access to alcohol through retailer education. The course covers topics including tips for ID verification, compliance tools and operational resources, and underage compliance checks. Funded by the US DOT/NHTSA and DC HSO.
Alcohol Licensing 101 Monday, July 27, 2026: 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Alcohol Licensing 101 introduces new and prospective alcohol license holders—specifically on-premises and off-premises retailers and manufacturers— to ABCA and key basics. Not a substitute for the Alcohol Awareness Training, which must be completed to receive an ABC Manager License.
Free registration for both is required and available on ABCA’s website.
Board Recess Dates and Holiday Office Closures
ABCA will be closed on the following dates in observance of these upcoming holidays:
- Memorial Day | Monday, May 25
- Juneteenth | Friday, June 19
- Independence Day (Observed) | Friday, July 3
- Labor Day | Monday, September 7
The ABC Board will hold no hearings and will be in recess on these Wednesdays:
- Single-Week Recesses: May 27, June 17, and July 1
- Summer Recess: August 13 – September 15
ABCA investigators remain on duty during office closures and board recesses to respond to community complaints. File complaints using ABCA’s online complaint system.
View the complete Board and Office Calendar on ABCA's website.
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