Governor Kay Ivey and the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board are considering new alcohol-related restrictions and public safety measures following the October 4 downtown Montgomery shootings that left multiple people injured and prompted renewed concerns over nightlife safety in the state’s capital city.
In a letter to the governor on Monday, ABC Administrator Curtis Stewart outlined several proposed rule changes and legislative ideas aimed at improving safety in entertainment districts and during large public events across Alabama. The review followed Ivey’s earlier request for the agency to evaluate how state alcohol policies could play a stronger role in preventing violence and disorder, particularly after 5 p.m. and in heavily populated or heavily traveled areas of Montgomery.
“Public safety is paramount, and the state will continue being proactive to ensure safe communities for our citizens,” Ivey said in a statement. “I appreciate Administrator Stewart evaluating how we can take commonsense steps when it comes to alcohol consumption in entertainment districts across our state. I support the immediate steps he is proposing the ABC Board take, and I look forward to further exploring possible reasonable policy changes to enhance public safety.”
Stewart said his team consulted with law enforcement officials, local leaders and other stakeholders, both within and outside the state government, to identify potential safety changes.
Among the ideas that could be implemented immediately through ABC rulemaking are prohibiting package stores in entertainment districts from selling products such as cups or ice that encourage off-premises drinking and limiting the amount of alcohol a special retail licensee may sell for off-premises consumption.
Stewart said the goal is to ensure the board is using its existing regulatory authority to promote public safety responsibly while balancing the needs of local businesses.
Beyond regulatory changes, Stewart also outlined recommendations for lawmakers to consider in the upcoming legislative session. These include imposing curfews for minors in entertainment districts, restricting alcohol giveaways at large public events organized by public entities and allowing the state to suspend or terminate an entertainment district if public safety standards are not met.
The ABC Board, he added, stands ready to work with legislators who wish to pursue these or other reforms.
In his letter, Stewart praised Ivey’s administration for its prior public safety initiatives, including the ALEA-led Metro Area Crime Suppression Unit and the 2025 Safe Alabama legislative package, both of which expanded resources for law enforcement and community-based prevention programs.
“But we know our job is not done. Please know that public safety will remain a top priority for your team here at the ABC Board as we work tirelessly each day to serve the people of this great State,” Stewart wrote.
The ABC Board is expected to take up the proposed rule changes in the coming weeks. At the same time, lawmakers could consider related legislation when they convene early next year.
