Delaware 153rd General Assembly (2025-2026) Status: Enacted Bipartisan · 3 D · 1 R cosponsors

SB 185 — AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 4 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS SOLD FOR OFF-PREMISE CONSUMPTION.

Last action — Signed by Governor

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. ✓
    Passed Senate
  4. ✓
    Passed House
  5. ✓
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced June 11, 2025. Enacted.

Signed by Governor Matt Meyer (Democratic) on May 19, 2026.

Odds of enactment

High chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a high chance of becoming law.

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A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 94% · high confidence
  • Enacted

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 4 sponsors

    4 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (3 D · 1 R) — cross-party backing.

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 2 recorded votes so far.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

In plain language

This bill allows on-premise liquor license holders to sell certain private label spirits for off-premise consumption.

The bill enables licensed establishments to sell one bottle of a limited availability private label spirit, like whiskey, for customers to take home. It also corrects a typographical error in the regulations about wine bottle sizes.

What this means for you
  • Small Business: This means small businesses with liquor licenses can expand their sales by offering certain spirits for customers to take home.

Summary

This Act would allow valid on-premise license holders to sell 1 bottle of a private label spirit purchased from a Delaware licensed importer that is either limited availability or limited allocation. The Act also corrects a typographical error and changes 2750 ML bottles of wine to 2 750 bottles of wine.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

49 added · 9 removed

Plain-language change summary

The amendment to SB 185 replaces the term "spirit" with "whiskey or whisky" in the context of alcoholic beverages sold for take-out and delivery. This change clarifies that the alcoholic liquor available for off-premises consumption specifically includes one bottle of private label whiskey or whisky. The practical effect of this change is that it explicitly allows for the sale of certain types of whiskey or whisky to-go, aligning with the updated definitions in the Liquor Control Act.

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Latest
Lockman DELAWARE STATE SENATE 153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY SENATE AMENDMENT NO.
Lockman & Rep.
1 TO SENATE BILL NO.
K.
185 AMEND Senate Bill No.
Williams Reps.
185 on line 33 by deleting “spirit” as it appears therein and inserting in lieu thereof “whiskey or whisky”.
Carson, Snyder-Hall DELAWARE STATE SENATE 153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY SENATE BILL NO.
SYNOPSIS This Amendment replaces the word "spirit" with "whiskey or whisky” to clarify that alcohol to-go under the Liquor Control Act may include 1 bottle of private label whiskey or whisky.
185 AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 4 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS SOLD FOR OFF-PREMISE CONSUMPTION.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:
Section 1.
Amend § 512, Title 4 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions shown by underline as follows:
§ 512.
Licenses.
(a) Any person, who is the owner or lessee, or who is recognized by the Commissioner as being in charge of a hotel, beer garden, motel, taproom, restaurant, motorsports speedway, concert hall, horse racetrack, multi-purpose sports facility, club or multiple activity club, may apply to the Commissioner for a license to purchase spirits, beer, or wine from an importer and to receive, keep and sell such spirits, beer, or wine either by the glass or by the bottle for consumption on any portion of the premises approved by the Commissioner for that purpose.
Such a license entitles a club to sell such spirits, wine, or beer only to members of that club.
A multiple activity club which holds such a license may apply for an additional license to sell such spirits, wine, or beer to any person who is a guest of such club or of a member of such club who is duly registered in accordance with a bylaw or rule of such club, approved by the Commissioner, provided that if the Commissioner determines that any applicant is not a multiple activity club, as defined in § 101 of this title, the application shall be denied.
There shall be no age restrictions on persons permitted on the premises of a licensed multiple activity club.
(1) Notwithstanding any law, regulation, or rule to the contrary, any restaurant, brewpub, tavern, or taproom, or other entity with a valid on-premise license issued pursuant to subchapter II of Chapter 5 of this title may sell alcoholic liquors in transactions for take-out, curbside, drive through, or delivery service.
No person shall provide alcoholic beverage delivery services unless such person or business entity holds a third-party delivery license.
Upon proper application, the Commissioner may grant a third-party delivery license to provide alcoholic liquor delivery services to customers so long as the person or business entity is also registered to do business in this State.
The Commissioner shall not grant a third-party delivery license to a person or entity that also holds an on-premise license.
Delivery service must be made by a licensed third-party vendor, or such third party’s employee or independent contractor, provided that the on-premise licensee has entered into a written agreement SD :
JH :
CBK Page 1 of 2 Released:
06/11/2025 05:16 PM with a licensed third-party delivery vendor that authorizes the third-party vendor, or such third-party vendor’s employee or independent contractor, to deliver alcoholic liquors on behalf of the on-premise licensee.
The licensed third-party vendor may not include an entity whose business is primarily the interstate shipment of goods.
(2) All alcoholic liquors sold for off-premise consumption under this subsection must comply with all of the following requirements:
a.
Be sold in containers that are securely closed, which means a container that is designed to prevent consumption without removal of the lid, cap, or seal, and does not include a container with a lid with sipping holes or openings for straws.
b.
[Repealed.] c.
Be limited per customer to 2750 ML 2 750 ML bottles of wine, 1 bottle of a private label spirit purchased from a Delaware licensed importer that is either limited availability or limited allocation, 6 servings of beer, and mixed cocktails which are made in the restaurant, brewpub, tavern, taproom or other entity with a valid on-premise license.
d.
Be sold and served on the premises only by a person certified as a responsible alcoholic beverage server pursuant to § 1205 of this title.
SYNOPSIS This Act would allow valid on-premise license holders to sell 1 bottle of a private label spirit purchased from a Delaware licensed importer that is either limited availability or limited allocation.
The Act also corrects a typographical error and changes 2750 ML bottles of wine to 2 750 bottles of wine.
CBK Page 1 of 1 Released:
CBK Page 2 of 2 Released:
01/28/2026 11:21 AM 0111530066
06/11/2025 05:16 PM 0111530047
View plain text versions (2)

Action History

  1. Signed by Governor

  2. Passed By House. Votes: 37 YES 1 NO 3 ABSENT

  3. Reported Out of Committee (Economic Development/Banking/Insurance & Commerce) in House with 10 On Its Merits

  4. Assigned to Economic Development/Banking/Insurance & Commerce Committee in House

  5. Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES

  6. Amendment SA 1 to SB 185 - Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES

  7. Amendment SA 1 to SB 185 - Introduced and Placed With Bill

  8. Reported Out of Committee (Banking, Business, Insurance & Technology) in Senate with 6 On Its Merits

  9. Introduced and Assigned to Banking, Business, Insurance & Technology Committee in Senate

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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4 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 58 not signed on · 1 voted No

Sponsors (4)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (58)

58 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 58 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

SM

Passed 37 Yea · 1 Nay · 3 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 25002
Republican 12101
Total 37103
% of votes cast 90%2%0%7%
How each member voted (41)
Member Party Vote
Alonna Berry Democratic Yea
Claire Snyder-Hall Democratic Yea
Cyndie Romer Democratic Yea
DeShanna U Neal Democratic Yea
Debra Heffernan Democratic Yea
Edward S. Osienski Democratic Yea
Eric Morrison Democratic Yea
Frank Burns Democratic Yea
Franklin D. Cooke Democratic Yea
Josue O Ortega Democratic Yea
Kamela T Smith Democratic Not Voting
Kendra Johnson Democratic Yea
Kerri Evelyn Harris Democratic Not Voting
Kimberly Williams Democratic Yea
Krista Griffith Democratic Yea
Larry Lambert Democratic Yea
Madinah Wilson-Anton Democratic Yea
Mara Gorman Democratic Yea
Melanie Ross Levin Democratic Yea
Melissa Minor-Brown Democratic Yea
Nnamdi O. Chukwuocha Democratic Yea
Sean M. Lynn Democratic Yea
Sherae'a Moore Democratic Yea
Sophie Phillips Democratic Yea
Stephanie T. Bolden Democratic Yea
William Bush Democratic Yea
William J. Carson Democratic Yea
Bryan W. Shupe Republican Nay
Charles S Postles Jr. Republican Yea
Daniel B. Short Republican Yea
Jeff Hilovsky Republican Yea
Jeffrey N. Spiegelman Republican Yea
Jesse R. Vanderwende Republican Yea
Kevin S Hensley Republican Yea
Lyndon D. Yearick Republican Yea
Michael F. Smith Republican Yea
Richard G. Collins Republican Yea
Ronald E. Gray Republican Yea
Shannon Morris Republican Not Voting
Timothy D. Dukes Republican Yea
Valerie Jones Giltner Republican Yea

Official roll call →

SM

Passed 21 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 15000
Republican 6000
Total 21000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (21)
Member Party Vote
Bryan Townsend Democratic Yea
Daniel Cruce Democratic Yea
Darius J. Brown Democratic Yea
David P. Sokola Democratic Yea
John "Jack" Walsh Democratic Yea
Kyra L. Hoffner Democratic Yea
Laura V. Sturgeon Democratic Yea
Marie Pinkney Democratic Yea
Nicole Poore Democratic Yea
Ray Seigfried Democratic Yea
Russell Huxtable Democratic Yea
S. Elizabeth Lockman Democratic Yea
Spiros Mantzavinos Democratic Yea
Stephanie L. Hansen Democratic Yea
Trey Paradee Democratic Yea
Brian Pettyjohn Republican Yea
Bryant L. Richardson Republican Yea
Dave G. Lawson Republican Yea
David L. Wilson Republican Yea
Eric Buckson Republican Yea
Gerald W. Hocker Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does SB 185 do?
This Act would allow valid on-premise license holders to sell 1 bottle of a private label spirit purchased from a Delaware licensed importer that is either limited availability or limited allocation. The Act also corrects a typographical error and changes 2750 ML bottles of wine to 2 750 bottles of wine.
Who sponsors SB 185?
SB 185 is sponsored by Claire Snyder-Hall (Democratic), William J. Carson (Democratic), Brian Pettyjohn (Republican), and S. Elizabeth Lockman (Democratic).
What is the current status of SB 185?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced June 11, 2025. Enacted.
Where can I track SB 185?
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