(1) There is a tasting room license available to distillery and craft distillery licensees. A tasting room license authorizes the operation of an off-site tasting room, in addition to a tasting room attached to the distillery's or craft distillery's production facility, at which the licensee may sample, serve, and sell spirits and alcohol products authorized to be sampled, served, and sold under RCW
66.24.140 and
66.24.145, for on-premises and off-premises consumption, subject to the same limitations as provided in RCW
66.24.140 and
66.24.145.
(2)(a) A distillery or craft distillery licensed production facility is eligible for no more than two off-site tasting room licenses located in this state, which may be indoors, or outdoors or a combination thereof, and which shall be administratively tied to a licensed production facility. A separate license is required for the operation of each off-site tasting room. The fee for each off-site tasting room license is two thousand dollars per annum. No additional license is required for a distillery or craft distillery to sample, serve, and sell spirits and alcohol to customers in a tasting room on the distillery or craft distillery premises as authorized under this section, RCW
66.24.1472,
66.24.140,
66.24.145,
66.28.040,
66.24.630, and
66.28.310. Off-site tasting rooms may have a section identified and segregated as federally bonded spaces for the storage of bulk or packaged spirits. Product of the licensee's production may be bottled or packaged in the space.
(b) The annual fee in (a) of this subsection is waived during the 12-month period beginning with the second calendar month after February 28, 2021, for:
(i) Licenses that expire during the 12-month waiver period under this subsection (2)(b); and
(ii) Licenses issued to persons previously licensed under this section at any time during the 12-month period prior to the 12-month waiver period under this subsection (2)(b).
(c) The waiver in (b) of this subsection does not apply to any licensee that:
(i) Had their license suspended by the board for health and safety violations of state COVID-19 guidelines; or
(ii) Received an order of immediate restraint or citation from the department of labor and industries for allowing an employee to perform work where business activity was prohibited in violation of an emergency proclamation of the governor under RCW
43.06.220.
(d) Upon request of the department of revenue, the board and the department of labor and industries must both provide a list of persons that they have determined to be ineligible for a fee waiver under (b) of this subsection for the reasons described in (c) of this subsection. Unless otherwise agreed, any list must be received by the department of revenue no later than 15 calendar days after the request is made.
