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Florida Statute 561.01 - Full Text and Legal Analysis
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The 2025 Florida Statutes

Title XXXIV
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND TOBACCO
Chapter 561
BEVERAGE LAW: ADMINISTRATION
View Entire Chapter
561.01 Definitions.As used in the Beverage Law:
(1) “Division” means the Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
(2) “Department” means the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
(3) “State bonded warehouse” means any licensed warehouse used to store alcoholic beverages.
(4)(a) “Alcoholic beverages” means distilled spirits and all beverages containing one-half of 1 percent or more alcohol by volume.
(b) The percentage of alcohol by volume shall be determined by measuring the volume of the standard ethyl alcohol in the beverage and comparing it with the volume of the remainder of the ingredients as though said remainder ingredients were distilled water.
(5) “Intoxicating beverage” and “intoxicating liquor” mean only those alcoholic beverages containing more than 4.007 percent of alcohol by volume.
(6) “The Beverage Law” means this chapter and chapters 562, 563, 564, 565, 567, and 568.
(7) “Manufacturer” means all persons who make alcoholic beverages except those who make beer or wine for personal or family consumption pursuant to s. 562.165.
(8)(a) “Tax” means all taxes or payments required under the Beverage Law.
(b) “There shall be paid” means “there is hereby levied and imposed and shall be paid.”
(9) “Sale” and “sell” mean any transfer of an alcoholic beverage for a consideration, any gift of an alcoholic beverage in connection with, or as a part of, a transfer of property other than an alcoholic beverage for a consideration, or the serving of an alcoholic beverage by a club licensed under the Beverage Law.
(10) “Discount in the usual course of business” means a cash or spirituous or vinous beverage merchandise discount given pursuant to an agreement made at the time of sale. However, such agreement shall not result in an accrued, accumulated, or retroactive discount. The same discounts shall be offered to all vendors of the same license series or type buying similar quantities. Any discount which is in violation of this section shall be considered an arrangement for financial assistance by gift.
(11) “Licensed premises” means not only rooms where alcoholic beverages are stored or sold by the licensee, but also all other rooms in the building which are so closely connected therewith as to admit of free passage from drink parlor to other rooms over which the licensee has some dominion or control and shall also include all of the area embraced within the sketch, appearing on or attached to the application for the license involved and designated as such on said sketch, in addition to that included or designated by general law. The area embraced within the sketch may include a sidewalk or other outside area which is contiguous to the licensed premises. When the sketch includes a sidewalk or other outside area, written approval from the county or municipality attesting to compliance with local ordinances must be submitted to the division to authorize inclusion of sidewalks and outside areas in licensed premises. The division may approve applications for temporary expansion of the licensed premises to include a sidewalk or other outside area for special events upon the payment of a $100 application fee, stipulation of the timeframe for the special event, and submission of a sketch outlining the expanded premises and accompanied by written approval from the county or municipality as required in this subsection. All moneys collected from the fees assessed under this subsection shall be deposited into the Alcoholic Beverage and Tobacco Trust Fund.
(12) “Special airport license” means a vendor license to sell certain alcoholic beverages only on those airport premises which have been designated in the 1United States National Airport System Plan, 49 U.S.C. s. 1711, as air carrier airports, commuter airports, and reliever airports.
(13) “Airport terminal” means the airport passenger handling facilities or premises publicly owned or leased by a county, municipality, or public authority at airports which have been designated in the 1United States National Airport System Plan, 49 U.S.C. s. 1711, as air carrier airports, commuter airports, and reliever airports.
(14) “Licensee” means a legal or business entity, person, or persons that hold a license issued by the division and meet the qualifications set forth in s. 561.15.
(15) “Bottle club” means a commercial establishment, operated for a profit, whether or not a profit is actually made, wherein patrons consume alcoholic beverages which are brought onto the premises and not sold or supplied to the patrons by the establishment, whether the patrons bring in and maintain custody of their own alcoholic beverages or surrender custody to the establishment for dispensing on the premises, and which is located in a building or other enclosed permanent structure. This definition does not apply to sporting facilities where events sanctioned by nationally recognized regulatory athletic or sports associations are held, bona fide restaurants licensed by the Division of Hotels and Restaurants of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation whose primary business is the service of full course meals, or hotels and motels licensed by the Division of Hotels and Restaurants of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
(16) “Exporter” means any person that sells alcoholic beverages to persons for use outside the state and includes a ship’s chandler and a duty-free shop.
(17) “Performing arts center” means a facility consisting of not less than 200 seats, owned and operated by a not-for-profit corporation qualified as an exempt organization under the provisions of s. 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or of the corresponding section of a subsequently enacted federal revenue act, which is used and occupied to promote development of any or all of the performing, visual, or fine arts or any or all matters relating thereto and to encourage and cultivate public and professional knowledge and appreciation of the arts through:
(a) The preparation, production, public presentation, or public exhibition of dramatic or musical works, dance, opera, motion pictures, television, music, recordings, or works of fine, performing, or visual arts of any nature;
(b) The conducting of lectures, seminars, classes, or workshops for development of skills or techniques related to the practice or appreciation of any or all of these arts;
(c) The broadcast or telecast of the performing or visual arts through whatever means is desirable, including, but not limited to, television, radio, cable, or the latest state-of-the-art media, equipment, or techniques;
(d) The reproduction of the performing, visual, or fine arts through motion pictures, videotapes, video disks, delayed presentations, sound recordings, or whatever in the future becomes a viable means or state-of-the-art;
(e) The provision of banquet, concession, or other on-premises food and alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverage activities;
(f) The conduct of retail activities reasonably related to the other uses of the facility;
(g) The conduct of fundraising activities reasonably related to the arts;
(h) The provision of auxiliary services for performing or visual artists, educators, students, or the public which are necessary or desirable to promote or facilitate the foregoing uses, including, but not limited to, the publication and dissemination of any or all materials related to the foregoing;
(i) The conduct of rehearsals, conventions, meetings, or commercial or other activities; or
(j) Such other activities for the promotion and development of the arts not described in paragraphs (a)-(i) as the not-for-profit corporation determines, provided that no such activity is inconsistent with or otherwise violates any applicable statute, ordinance, or regulation.
(18) “Entertainment/resort complex” means a theme park comprised of at least 25 acres of land with permanent exhibitions and a variety of recreational activities, which has at least 1 million visitors annually who pay admission fees thereto, together with any lodging, dining, and recreational facilities located adjacent to, contiguous to, or in close proximity to the theme park, as long as the owner(s)/operators(s) of the theme park, or a parent or related company or subsidiary thereof, has an equity interest in the lodging, dining, or recreational facilities or is in privity therewith. Close proximity shall include an area within a 5-mile radius of the theme park complex.
(19) “Common carrier” means any person, firm, or corporation that undertakes for hire, as a regular business, the transportation of persons or commodities from place to place, offering its services to all who choose to employ it and pay its charges.
(20) For purposes of license qualification pursuant to s. 561.20(2)(a)1. the term “historic structure” means a structure that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places pursuant to the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, or is within and contributes to a registered historic district pursuant to 26 U.S.C. s. 48(g)(3)(B), or has been found to meet the criteria of historical significance of the Division of Historical Resources of the Department of State, as certified by that division or by a locally established historic preservation board or commission, or like body, which has been granted authority to designate historically significant properties by the jurisdiction within which the hotel or motel is located.
(21) “Railroad transit station” means a platform or a terminal facility where passenger trains operating on a guided rail system according to a fixed schedule between two or more cities regularly stop to load and unload passengers or goods. The term includes a passenger waiting lounge and dining, retail, entertainment, or recreational facilities within the licensed premises owned or leased by the railroad operator or owner.
History.s. 13, ch. 16774, 1935; CGL 1936 Supp. 4151(239); s. 1, ch. 18015, 1937; ss. 1, 3A, ch. 19301, 1939; CGL 1940 Supp. 4151(271a,n); s. 1, ch. 21839, 1943; s. 1, ch. 25359, 1949; s. 4, ch. 28149, 1953; s. 1, ch. 29786, 1955; s. 1, ch. 57-420; s. 1, ch. 63-32; s. 1, ch. 67-73; ss. 16, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 213, ch. 71-377; s. 1, ch. 72-230; s. 4, ch. 77-421; s. 1, ch. 78-133; s. 27, ch. 79-4; s. 1, ch. 80-339; s. 2, ch. 80-365; s. 1, ch. 81-158; s. 1, ch. 86-269; s. 1, ch. 90-233; s. 5, ch. 91-60; s. 1, ch. 92-176; s. 1, ch. 92-205; s. 7, ch. 93-220; s. 1, ch. 97-165; s. 7, ch. 97-213; s. 1, ch. 99-216; s. 1, ch. 99-362; s. 3, ch. 2000-191; s. 2, ch. 2016-190; s. 13, ch. 2021-135.
1Note.49 U.S.C. ss. 1711 et seq., were repealed by Pub. L. No. 97-248, Title V, s. 523(a), 96 Stat. 695.

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Amendments to 561.01


Annotations, Discussions, Cases:

Cases Citing Statute 561.01

Total Results: 21  |  Sort by: Relevance  |  Newest First

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United States v. Ira Simmons, 924 F.2d 187 (11th Cir. 1991).

Cited 14 times | Published | Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit | 1991 U.S. App. LEXIS 2566, 1991 WL 10146

becomes the presumptive guideline sentence. U.S.S.G. § 561.1(b). At the sentencing hearing and in a subsequent
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Florida Beverage Corp., Inc. v. Wynne, 306 So. 2d 200 (Fla. 1st DCA 1975).

Cited 12 times | Published | Florida 1st District Court of Appeal

...Prior to this Amendment a vendor could only purchase or acquire such beverages for the purpose of resale from a licensed distributor or manufacturer. The obvious intention and purpose of the Amendment was to place all vendors and distributors on an equal footing. Section 561.01(10), Florida Statutes, provides, in pertinent part, that "the same discounts shall be offered to all vendors buying similar quantities"....
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Jones v. City of Sarasota, 89 So. 2d 346 (Fla. 1956).

Cited 9 times | Published | Supreme Court of Florida

...church. All of the businesses, save one, were in operation for more than five years prior to the passage of the ordinance. Although the complaint appears to attack Ordinance No. 729, which purports to regulate "liquor" establishments are defined by Section 561.01, Florida Statutes, the briefs of counsel agree that the ordinance actually under attack is Ordinance No....
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Castlewood Intern. Corp. v. Simon, 367 So. 2d 613 (Fla. 1979).

Cited 5 times | Published | Supreme Court of Florida | 1979 Fla. LEXIS 4529

...s of a discount given at the time of sale and made available to all vendors buying similar quantities, regardless of laid-in cost or the savings attributable to quantity sales. Before 1963, a "discount in the usual course of business" was defined by Section 561.01(13), Florida Statutes (1961), to mean a cash discount given simultaneously at the time of sale, which shall not exceed the allowable discount fixed by the director [of the state beverage department]. In that year the authority of the director was replaced with a statutory prescription for unregulated equality among purchasers, the provision now found in Section 561.01(10), Florida Statutes (1977)....
...assist any vendor by any gifts or loans of money or property of any description or by the giving of any rebates of any kind whatsoever. [6] § 561.42(6), Fla. Stat. (1977); Rev.Rul. 161, 1954-1 C.B. 338. [7] See Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Rulings 74-6 and 75-5. [8] § 561.01(10), Fla....
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Castlewood Int'l Corp. v. Simon, 404 F. Supp. 88 (S.D. Fla. 1975).

Cited 3 times | Published | District Court, S.D. Florida | 1975 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15228

...rests upon the specific facts before the court. In the instant case plaintiff is relying primarily upon Florida state law, particularly Florida Statutes §§ 561-568, which provide for regulation of the beverage industry within the State of Florida. Section 561.01(10) of Title XXXII of the Florida Code defines the terms "discount in the usual course of business" to mean "a cash discount given simultaneously at the time of sale....
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Fritsch v. Rocky Bayou Country Club, Inc., 799 So. 2d 433 (Fla. 1st DCA 2001).

Cited 2 times | Published | Florida 1st District Court of Appeal | 2001 WL 1439881

...Addressing, first, whether Appellee is immune from Appellant's claim, we conclude it is not. After a review of the applicable statutes, we conclude that Appellee, as a not-for-profit corporation, is subject to suit "in its corporate name to the same extent as a natural person." § 617.0302(2), Fla. Stat. (1997); § 561.01(14), Fla....
...rson of lawful drinking age," the statute expressly provides that "a person who ... knowingly serves a person habitually addicted to the use of any or all alcoholic beverages may become liable" for resulting injury or damage. Appellee is a "person." § 561.01(14), Fla....
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JPM Inv. Grp., Inc. v. Brevard Cnty. Bd. of Cnty. Commissioners, 818 So. 2d 595 (Fla. 5th DCA 2002).

Cited 1 times | Published | Florida 5th District Court of Appeal | 2002 Fla. App. LEXIS 6029, 2002 WL 845181

...ne to all alcoholic beverages is an expansion of a "use" as a matter of law. The Brevard County Code broadly defines alcoholic beverages as "any beer, wine, liquor or other beverage meeting the definition of alcoholic beverages set out in Fla. Stat. § 561.01(4)." § 6.1....
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Sweet Sage Café, LLC v. Town of N. Redington Beach, 380 F. Supp. 3d 1209 (M.D. Fla. 2019).

Cited 1 times | Published | District Court, M.D. Florida

...Code of the Town of North Redington Beach, Florida, § 66-45(c)(3). The Code defines the term "closely regulated industry" as: "[a] firearms retailer...; [a] business which is licensed and regulated by the Florida Beverage Law as defined in Florida Statutes § 561.01(6) ; and [a] public food service establishment licensed under Florida Statutes Chapter 509." § 66-45(g)....
...tion warrant. Dkt. 75-4 at 9. The Business Tax Code goes on to define the term "closely-regulated industry" as: "[a] firearms retailer *1224 ...; [a] business which is licensed and regulated by the Florida Beverage Law as defined in Florida Statutes § 561.01(6) ; and [a] public food service establishment licensed under Florida Statutes Chapter 509." Id....
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Musleh v. Fulton Distrib. Co., 254 So. 2d 815 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1971).

Cited 1 times | Published | District Court of Appeal of Florida | 1971 Fla. App. LEXIS 5794

...ly alleged. The judgment appealed is accordingly affirmed. SPECTOR, C. J., and CARROLL, DONALD K., J., concur. . F.S. § 561.42(1), (6), (7), (8), F.S.A. . Pickerill v. Schott (Fla.1951) 55 So.2d 716 ; 2 Fla.Jur. 61, Alcoholic Beverages, § 8. .F.S. § 561.01(13), F.S.A. . F.S. § 561.01(13), F.S.A.
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Ago (Fla. Att'y Gen. 1975).

Published | Florida Attorney General Reports

...l limits. This would include the right to prohibit the sale of alcoholic beverages on Sunday, should they desire to do so. "Alcoholic beverages" is defined in the Beverage Act as "all beverages containing more than one percent of alcohol by weight." Section 561.01 (4)(a), F.S....
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Dep't of Bus. Reg., Div. of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco v. Cost Plus Imports of Tampa Bay, Inc., 513 So. 2d 763 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1987).

Published | District Court of Appeal of Florida | 12 Fla. L. Weekly 2399, 1987 Fla. App. LEXIS 12267

constitutes a sale of alcoholic beverages pursuant to section 561.01(9), Florida Statutes (1985). The trial court
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Tampa Wholesale Liquors, Inc. v. Div. of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco, Dep't of Bus. Reg., 376 So. 2d 1195 (Fla. 1st DCA 1979).

Published | Florida 1st District Court of Appeal | 1979 Fla. App. LEXIS 15673

LAW The term “sale” is defined pursuant to Section 561.01(9), Florida Statutes, as any transfer of alcoholic
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Castlewood Int'l Corp. v. Wynne, 305 So. 2d 773 (Fla. 1974).

Published | Supreme Court of Florida | 1974 Fla. LEXIS 4110

...Nothing herein shall be taken to affect the provision for cash sales of wine and beer as are provided in Section 562.21 or the provisions of Section 562.22, biit shall govern all other sales of intoxicating liquors. . . .” (Emphasis added.) In 1943, via Chapter 21839, Laws of Florida, then § 561.01, amended various statutes including § 561.01, and certain terms, i....
...23746, Laws of Florida. By various means, primarily in 1972, numerous beverage laws were amended, deleted and transferred which essentially resulted in Chapters 561, 562, 563, 564 and 565, Florida Statutes, under which the State now operates. Under § 561.01, F.S., its definitive construction of the words “alcoholic beverages” is termed to mean “all beverages containing more than one per cent of alcohol by weight”, and the words “intoxicating beverage” and “intoxicating liquor”...
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Abood v. City of Jacksonville, 80 So. 2d 443 (Fla. 1955).

Published | Supreme Court of Florida | 1955 Fla. LEXIS 3516

...of Florida, Special Acts of 1949, have already, and long since, been issued and are outstanding'. The appellant contends that he is entitled to have such license issued to him for the reason that Chapter 25359, Laws of Florida, Acts of 1949, F.S.A. § 561.01 et seq., which was passed in the same session but subsequent to the aforesaid Chapter 25919, supra, contains the controlling provision authorizing the issuance of such a license as an exception to the limitations imposed in Chapter 25919....
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Founders Ins. v. Tome, 878 F. Supp. 2d 1266 (M.D. Fla. 2012).

Published | District Court, M.D. Florida | 2012 WL 2928981, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 101936

...say “insured business entity” or “insured corporation.” Indeed, the Court should “not torture the language of the policy in order to create ambiguities.” Acceptance, 1994 WL 12114 , *4. Next, Defendant’s citation to a Florida statute, section 561.01(11), which provides' an expansive definition of “‘licensed premises” for the purpose of Florida’s Beverage laws, is similarly misplaced, 3 as the relevant definition is the one provided in the Policy....
...“ 'Licensed Premises' means not only rooms where alcoholic beverages are stored or sold by the licensee, but also all other rooms in the building which are so closely connected therewith as to admit of free passage from drink parlor to other rooms over which the licensee has some dominion or control.” FI. Stat. 561.01....
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Peterson v. Dep't of Bus. Reg., 451 So. 2d 983 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1984).

Published | District Court of Appeal of Florida | 1984 Fla. App. LEXIS 13550

...ider more than one application for any one person, firm, or corporation when there are fewer applications than available licenses. Our determination of the intent of the above section requires consideration of the following definitional provision of Section 561.01(14): (14) “Licensee,” “applicant,” or “person” means an individual, corporation, firm, partnership ... or any such entity having a financial interest, directly or indirectly, in another such entity. We believe that the intent of Section 561.19(2), when read together with Section 561.01(14), is that it is improper to include in the drawing pool separate applications of persons who, directly or indirectly, are financially interested in the other applications....
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Lane v. State, 99 So. 2d 609 (Fla. 1958).

Published | Supreme Court of Florida

ROBERTS, Justice. Appellant was tried and convicted on a charge of violating the Beverage Act, F. S.A. § 561.01 et seq....
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Polston v. State, 137 So. 2d 602 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1962).

Published | District Court of Appeal of Florida

...a section, or paragraph of a subsection of a section, as amended, shall be reenacted and published at length.” The title of Chapter 57-420, Laws of 1957, refers to certain sections of Chapter 561, Fla.Stat., F.S.A., while Section 1 thereof amends Section 561.01(9) to read: “The term ‘the beverage law’ shall refer to Chapters 561, 562, 567, 568 and 569 of the Florida Statutes.” The defendant urges that the title of Chapter 57-420, Laws of 1957, is insufficient to encompass Chapter 568,...
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Rolling Greens Country Club v. Brautigam, 255 So. 2d 693 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1971).

Published | District Court of Appeal of Florida | 1971 Fla. App. LEXIS 5638

...§ 561.56, F.S.A. . U.S.S. Tampa Post No. 5 of American Legion v. Schleman, (Fla.1951) 53 So.2d 302 . . Meiklejohn v. Pensacola Yacht Club, 30 Fla.Supp. 178, aff’d (Fla.App.1969) 222 So.2d 497 . . Ch. 57-420, § 1, Laws of Florida, Acts of 1957, codified as F.S. § 561.01(12), F.S.A.
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Warren v. State ex rel. Four Forty, Inc., 76 So. 2d 485 (Fla. 1954).

Published | Supreme Court of Florida | 1954 Fla. LEXIS 1913

...Motion to quash the alternative writ was denied and the appellants then filed a return to the alternative writ. In and by the return the sole question presented for determination was the validity of a certain ordinance of the city which was contrary to the State Beverage Law, F.S.A. § 561.01 et seq....
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In Re Stand. Jury Instructions in Crim. Cases— Report No. 2013-03, 146 So. 3d 1110 (Fla. 2014).

Published | Supreme Court of Florida | 39 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 531, 2014 Fla. LEXIS 2582, 2014 WL 4251210

...ses. b. (Defendant) permitted (name of person) to consume an alcoholic beverage on licensed premises. 2. At the time, (name of person) was less than 21 years of age. Definitions. Give if applicable. § 561.01(4), Fla....
...The percentage of alcohol by volume shall be determined by measuring the volume of the standard ethyl alcohol in the beverage and comparing it with the volume of the remainder of the ingredients as though the remainder ingredients were distilled water. § 561.01(9), Fla....
...Stat. “Sold” means any transfer of an alcoholic beverage for a consideration, any gift of an alcoholic beverage in connection with, or as a part of, a transfer of property other than an alcoholic beverage for a consideration, or the serving of an alcoholic beverage by a club licensed under the Beverage Law. § 561.01(11), Fla....

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