New Mexico § 60-3A-3 - Definitions
Full text of New Mexico New Mexico Statutes Annotated § 60-3A-3 — Definitions, with citation guidance and answers to common questions.
§ 60-3A-3. Definitions
As used in the Liquor Control Act: A. “ alcoholic beverages ” means distilled or rectified spirits, potable alcohol, powdered alcohol, frozen
or freeze-dried alcohol, brandy, whiskey, rum, gin and aromatic bitters bearing the
federal internal revenue strip stamps or any similar alcoholic beverage, including
blended or fermented beverages, dilutions or mixtures of one or more of the foregoing
containing more than one-half percent alcohol, but excluding medicinal bitters; B. “ beer ” means an alcoholic beverage obtained by the fermentation of any infusion or decoction
of barley, malt and hops or other cereals in water, and includes porter, beer, ale
and stout; C. “ brewer ” means a person who owns or operates a business for the manufacture of beer; D. “ cider ” means an alcoholic beverage made from the normal alcoholic fermentation of the juice
of sound, ripe apples or pears that contains not less than one-half of one percent
alcohol by volume and not more than eight and one-half percent alcohol by volume; E. “ club ” means: (1) any nonprofit group, including an auxiliary or subsidiary group, organized and
operated under the laws of this state, with a membership of not less than fifty members
who pay membership dues at the rate of not less than five dollars ($5.00) per year
and who, under the constitution and bylaws of the club, have all voting rights and
full membership privileges, and which group is the owner, lessee or occupant of premises
used exclusively for club purposes and which group the director finds: (a) is operated solely for recreation, social, patriotic, political, benevolent or
athletic purposes; and (b) has been granted an exemption by the United States from the payment of the federal
income tax as a club under the provisions of Section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 , 1 as amended, or, if the applicant has not operated as a club for a sufficient time
to be eligible for the income tax exemption, it must execute and file with the director
a sworn letter of intent declaring that it will, in good faith, apply for an income
tax exemption as soon as it is eligible; or (2) an airline passenger membership club operated by an air common carrier that maintains
or operates a clubroom at an airport terminal. As used in this paragraph, “ air common carrier ” means a person engaged in regularly scheduled air transportation between fixed termini
under a certificate of public convenience and necessity issued by the federal aviation
administration; F. “ commission ” means the secretary of public safety when the term is used in reference to the enforcement
and investigatory provisions of the Liquor Control Act and means the superintendent
of regulation and licensing when the term is used in reference to the licensing provisions
of the Liquor Control Act; G. “ department ” means the New Mexico state police division of the department of public safety when
the term is used in reference to the enforcement and investigatory provisions of the
Liquor Control Act and means the director of the alcoholic beverage control division
of the regulation and licensing department when the term is used in reference to the
licensing provisions of the Liquor Control Act; H. “ director ” means the chief of the New Mexico state police division of the department of public
safety when the term is used in reference to the enforcement and investigatory provisions
of the Liquor Control Act and means the director of the alcoholic beverage control
division of the regulation and licensing department when the term is used in reference
to the licensing provisions of the Liquor Control Act; I. “ dispenser ” means a person licensed under the provisions of the Liquor Control Act selling,
offering for sale or having in the person's possession with the intent to sell alcoholic
beverages both by the drink for consumption on the licensed premises and in unbroken
packages, including locally produced growlers, for consumption and not for resale
off the licensed premises; J. “ distiller ” means a person engaged in manufacturing spirituous liquors; K. “ golf course ” means a tract of land and facilities used for playing golf and other recreational
activities that includes tees, fairways, greens, hazards, putting greens, driving
ranges, recreational facilities, patios, restaurants, banquet halls, pro shops, cart
paths and public and private roads that are located within the tract of land; L. “ governing body ” means the board of county commissioners of a county or the city council or city
commissioners of a municipality; M. “ growler ” means a clean, refillable, resealable container that has a liquid capacity that
does not exceed one gallon and that is intended and used for the sale of New Mexico-produced
beer, wine or cider for consumption off premises; N. “ hotel ” means an establishment or complex having a resident of New Mexico as a proprietor
or manager and where, in consideration of payment, food and lodging are regularly
furnished to the general public. The establishment or complex must maintain for the use of its guests a minimum of
twenty-five sleeping rooms; O. “ licensed premises ” means the contiguous areas of the structure and the grounds that are under the direct
control of the licensee; provided that “ licensed premises ” includes a restaurant that has operated continuously in two separate structures
since July 1, 1987 and that is located in a local option district that has voted to
disapprove the transfer of liquor licenses into that local option district, hotel,
golf course, ski area or racetrack and all public and private rooms, facilities and
areas in which alcoholic beverages are sold or served in the customary operating procedures
of the restaurant, hotel, golf course, ski area or racetrack. “ Licensed premises ” also includes rural dispenser licenses located in the unincorporated areas of a
county with a population of less than thirty thousand, located in buildings in existence
as of January 1, 2012, that are within one hundred fifty feet of one another and that
are under the direct control of the license holder; P. “ local option district ” means a county that has voted to approve the sale, serving or public consumption
of alcoholic beverages, or an incorporated municipality that falls within a county
that has voted to approve the sale, serving or public consumption of alcoholic beverages,
or an incorporated municipality of over five thousand population that has independently
voted to approve the sale, serving or public consumption of alcoholic beverages under
the terms of the Liquor Control Act or any former act; Q. “ manufacturer ” means a distiller, rectifier, brewer or winer; R. “ minor ” means a natural person under twenty-one years of age; S. “ package ” means a container of alcoholic beverages that is filled or packed by a manufacturer
or wine bottler for sale by the manufacturer or wine bottler to wholesalers; T. “ person ” means an individual, corporation, firm, partnership, copartnership, association
or other legal entity; U. “ rectifier ” means a person who blends, mixes or distills alcohol with other liquids or substances
for the purpose of making an alcoholic beverage for the purpose of sale other than
to the consumer by the drink, and includes all bottlers of spirituous liquors; V. “ restaurant ” means an establishment having a New Mexico resident as a proprietor or manager that
is held out to the public as a place where food is prepared and served primarily for
on-premises consumption to the general public in consideration of payment and that
has a dining room, a kitchen and the employees necessary for preparing, cooking and
serving food; provided that “restaurant” does not include establishments as defined
in rules promulgated by the director serving only hamburgers, sandwiches, salads and
other fast foods; W. “ retailer ” means a person licensed under the provisions of the Liquor Control Act selling,
offering for sale or having in the person's possession with the intent to sell alcoholic
beverages in unbroken packages, including growlers, for consumption and not for resale
off the licensed premises; X. “ ski area ” means a tract of land and facilities for the primary purpose of alpine skiing, snowboarding
or other snow sports with trails, parks and at least one chairlift with uphill capacity
and may include facilities necessary for other seasonal or year-round recreational
activities; Y. “ spirituous liquors ” means alcoholic beverages as defined in Subsection A of this section except fermented
beverages such as wine, beer and cider; Z. “ wholesaler ” means a person whose place of business is located in New Mexico and who sells, offers
for sale or possesses for the purpose of sale any alcoholic beverages for resale by
the purchaser; AA. “ wine ” means alcoholic beverages obtained by the fermentation of the natural sugar contained
in fruit or other agricultural products, with or without the addition of sugar or
other products, that do not contain less than one-half percent nor more than twenty-one
percent alcohol by volume; BB. “ wine bottler ” means a wholesaler who is licensed to sell wine at wholesale for resale only and
who buys wine in bulk and bottles it for wholesale resale; CC. “ winegrower ” means a person who owns or operates a business for the manufacture of wine or cider; DD. “ winer ” means a winegrower; and EE. “ winery ” means a licensed premises in which a winegrower manufactures and stores wine or
cider. 1
26 U.S.C.A. § 501(a).
Frequently Asked Questions About New Mexico § 60-3A-3
What does New Mexico Statutes Annotated § 60-3A-3 cover?
Section 60-3A-3 ("Definitions") is part of the New Mexico Statutes Annotated, the codified statutory law of New Mexico. It sets out the legal rule or procedure described in the text above. Statutes are amended regularly, so always verify against the official source.
How do I cite New Mexico § 60-3A-3?
A common citation format is "New Mexico Statutes Annotated § 60-3A-3" (New Mexico). Legal writing may require the code abbreviation, section number, and year or edition. Match the style required by your court, professor, or publisher.
Is this the official text of New Mexico law?
No. This page is for research and education and may not include the most recent amendments. For official current law, check the New Mexico official source linked on this page or consult a licensed New Mexico attorney.
How does New Mexico § 60-3A-3 apply to my situation?
Statutes are interpreted in context, and application depends on your specific facts. Only a licensed attorney in New Mexico can advise on how this section applies to you. Contact your state or local bar association for a referral.
Sources & Verification
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