Rhode Island § 3-8-16 - Regulation of Sales

§ 3-8-16. Restaurants: Off premise transportation of wine.

(1) Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter or in the Rhode Island general laws to the contrary, a holder of a retailer’s Class B license shall be permitted to provide to a patron, and the patron shall be allowed to retain and remove from the premises and transport the remains of any bottle of wine purchased by said patron in conjunction with a meal, subject to the following limitations and conditions:

(a) The patron purchased said wine in conjunction with the consumption of a full-course meal, defined herein as to include no less than an entrée meal, which shall be consumed on the premises;

(b) The license holder shall re-cork or seal said bottle of wine;

(c) The license holder shall place the bottle of wine in a container which shall be sealed in such a way as to prevent re-opening without obvious evidence that the seal was removed or broken;

(d) The license holder shall note the date of the meal on the container; and

(e) No more than one bottle may be removed at any one time.

(2) A patron who transports the remains of a bottle of wine, as provided herein, shall not be subject to the provisions of § 31-22-21.1, provided, the patron places the container in the trunk area of a vehicle, or if the vehicle does not have a trunk, then the container shall be placed behind the last upright seat in the rear of the vehicle. While transporting said wine bottle the patron shall not cause the seal on said container to be removed or broken, and should such seal be so removed or broken as to allow access to the wine bottle, and/or if the bottle of wine is not placed in the area of a vehicle as required herein, then the patron shall be subject to the provisions and penalties of § 31-22-21.1.