14B NCAC 15C .0712      TRANSACTIONS WITH GOVERNMENT AND SPECIAL ONE-TIME PERMITTEES

(a)  Permitted Activities. Notwithstanding the restrictions contained in 14B NCAC 15C .0709, malt beverage, wine, and spirituous liquor industry members are authorized to conduct the following activities in transactions with cities, counties, the State, in transactions with nonprofit or political organizations that have obtained a Special One-Time permit under the provisions of G.S. 18B-1002(a)(2) or (5), or in transactions with nonprofit organizations that do not hold an ABC permit:

(1)           sponsorships of festivals, concerts, fundraisers, or special events cosponsored by the local government, the State, or nonprofit or political organizations, including payments of advertising fees;

(2)           loaning or renting portable equipment to a local government, the State, or a nonprofit or political organization so long as the equipment loaned or rented is for a single event of limited duration;

(3)           contracts to provide payment for permanent advertising on signs or scoreboards when the industry member has submitted a request to legal@abc.nc.gov and received approval;

(4)           providing labor or employees to assist in the setting up or changing of draft beer kegs and equipment which has been loaned or rented pursuant to Subparagraph (a)(2) of this Rule;

(5)           loaning or renting aerial displays or outdoor inflatables, approved prior to the event by submission to legal@abc.nc.gov, for the duration of a special event;

(6)           loaning or allowing the use of refrigerated vehicles;

(7)           providing novelties, prizes, or prize money to nonprofit organizations that have obtained a Special One-Time Permit;

(8)           providing cash contributions, product donations, and other consumer goods, on the condition that donated product remaining after the event is not provided by the Special One-Time Permittee to a retail permittee;

(9)           participation with a local government or the State in the advertising of events cosponsored by the local government or State; and

(10)         after the event is over, accepting, for cash or credit, the return of alcoholic beverages not sold.

(b)  Sponsorship/Advertising Agreements Restricted. Industry members shall not enter a sponsorship agreement or advertising contract with a city, county, the State, or a Special One-Time permittee where, either express or implied, the industry member's products will be sold to the exclusion, in whole or in part, of other brands of alcoholic beverages offered by competitors.

(c)  Cosponsorship with Retail Permittee. An industry member shall not promote or sponsor an event with a local government, the State, or a nonprofit organization where a retailer other than the local government or the State has a cosponsorship unless the industry member obtains prior written approval from the Commission at legal@abc.nc.gov and as provided in 14B NCAC 15C .0715.

History Note:        Authority G.S. 18B-100; 18B-207;

Eff. July 1, 1992;

Amended Eff. November 1, 2012; April 1, 2011;

Transferred and Recodified from 04 NCAC 02T .0714 Eff. August 1, 2015;

Pursuant to G.S. 150B-21.3A, rule is necessary without substantive public interest Eff. August 19, 2017;

Readopted Eff. May 1, 2026.