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:
- Waives Fees: Eliminates application and licensing fees for new art galleries and bookstores for three years.
- Expedited Openings: Creates “pop-up” opportunities to allow restaurants to bypass regulatory red tape.
- Food-Free Alcohol Sales. Creates a new restaurant category that is permitted to sell wine and beer for off-premises consumption without food purchase.
- Brewery expansion: Permits existing breweries to open new brew pubs in target economic zones.
- Increases product variety: Expands the selection of DC-made beverages allowed for on-premises consumption at local manufacturers.
- Outdoor Activation Licenses: Authorizes BIDs to sell, serve, and permit alcohol consumption on registered outdoor public spaces.
- Sports venue licensing: Enables stadiums to obtain Commercial Lifestyle licenses for outdoor public spaces during permitted street closures.
- Returning citizen workforce: Lowers employment and ownership barriers for individuals with past felony convictions.
- Contract brewing: Establishes a formal licensing path to contract-partner with existing breweries or brew pubs.
- Expanded take-home rules: Includes malt beverages in “doggie bag” laws and extends these take-home privileges to taverns.
- 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.
