(1) Any person twenty-one years of age or older, either for himself/herself or in a representative capacity on behalf of a society, organization, or business entity, may apply for a banquet permit which authorizes the service and consumption of liquor at a specific place upon a specific date.
(2) Retail liquor licensees are not eligible to apply for banquet permits for events to be held at, in, or upon such licensee's premises: Provided, however, That the licensee's ineligibility will not apply:
(a) When the application is by an established organization of members or auxiliary within a licensed club;
(b) Where grand openings, or special openings following new construction or substantial alterations, or when conventions are to be held on the licensed premises;
(c) Where special occasions such as employee Christmas parties, business anniversaries, etc. are held on the licensed premises;
(d) For functions held at locations other than the licensed premises.
(3) Banquet permits may be issued to qualified applicants for private functions on a chartered bus, chartered boat, chartered plane, or a chartered passenger car on a train.
(4) A banquet permit is not required for:
(a) Spirit, beer and wine sampling conducted in accordance with RCW
66.28.040 as implemented by chapter
314-64 WAC.
(b) Beer or wine provided by a brewery, winery, or distributor as part of a course of instruction for liquor licensees and/or their employees pursuant to RCW
66.28.150.
(5) The board interprets and will apply the relevant portions of the Liquor Act (RCW
66.20.010,
66.04.010(23),
66.04.010(26),
66.24.480,
66.24.481, and
66.44.100), reading them in pari materia, as not requiring a banquet permit to be obtained by an individual for a function when that individual is not acting with a business purpose or on behalf of an organization or business entity, where each of the following conditions are met:
(a) The function to be held by the individual is of a personal, noncommercial type which would normally be held in the individual's private home but for space considerations. Examples being a birthday party, wedding reception, bar mitzvah, etc. In lieu of holding the function in his or her home, the individual has arranged for use of a facility which is to be closed off from the public during the function and which is not on any licensed premises.
(b) The function is hosted by the individual personally. That is, there is no charge in any manner whatsoever for attendance, whether by admission charge, donation, dues, fees, or otherwise, and there is no charge in any manner whatsoever for anything provided at the function (i.e., mixer, setups, ice, food, hors d'oeuvres, etc.).
(c) That there is no business purpose for the function and that no pecuniary gain is intended or realized by the individual from the holding of the function.
(d) That those persons attending the function are the personal invitees of the individual holding it.
