Arizona House bill by Rep. Lopez sets new conditions for liquor licenses, passes House and Senate

Passed bill authored by State Rep. Chris Lopez seeks to update Arizona’s liquor license regulations by linking new license issuance to population growth and establishing procedures for license reissuance and sampling privileges, according to the Arizona State House.

It passed both chambers as of April 10, clearing the House by a vote of 56-1 and the Senate by a vote of 24-5.

The bill, introduced as HB2741 on Feb. 4, during the first regular session of the 57th Legislature, was formally listed with the short title: ‘liquor sampling; reporting; requirements.’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill amends Arizona’s regulations on bar, beer and wine bar, or liquor store licenses, setting conditions for issuing new licenses based on population growth. It allows the issuance of one additional license per 10,000-person increase over July 1, 2010, population levels in a county. It specifies the process for reissuing licenses that were surrendered, revoked, or reverted and caps new license issuances if over five of a class have been revoked. Licensees pay an additional issuance fee equal to fair market value, determined by professional appraisal. The bill also outlines conditions under which sampling privileges can be granted to liquor stores, details the supervisory requirements for sampling, and specifies the record-keeping and reporting obligations of licensees. The provision includes the ability to consolidate applications for different types of liquor licenses and stipulates certain limitations and requirements for auxiliary off-sale privileges.

In the House, 27 Democrats and 29 Republicans voted in favor while one Republican opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, eight Democrats and 16 Republicans voted in favor while four Democrats and one Republican voted against it.

Lopez introduced the bill in the Arizona House on Feb. 4 during the first regular session of the 57th Legislature.

The bill was co-sponsored by Leo Biasiucci (Republican-30th District), and Walt Blackman (Republican-7th District), and Michael Carbone (Republican-25th District), along with 16 others.

Lopez, a Republican, was elected to the Arizona State House in 2025 to represent the state’s 16th House District, replacing previous state representative Keith Seaman.

The bill was signed into law by Gov. Katie Hobbs on April 18.

In Arizona, the legislative process begins when a bill is introduced in either the House of Representatives or the Senate. It is then assigned to one or more committees for discussion and possible amendment. If approved by committee, the bill proceeds to floor debate and voting in both chambers. If both chambers pass the bill, it is sent to the governor, who may sign it into law, veto it, or allow it to become law without a signature. The Arizona Legislature convenes annually in regular session starting the second Monday in January. Lawmakers introduce hundreds of bills each session, though only a portion make it into law. You can learn more about the legislative process on the Arizona State Legislature website.