---
title: O.C.G.A. § 3-3-1. Declaration of business of manufacturing, selling, and other dealings in alcoholic beverages as privilege subject to regulatory requirements.
collection: code
id: 3-3-1
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 3-3-1 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/3-3-1
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/3-3-1.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/3-3-1/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t1-t2-t3-(v3)-2019-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=6ea3b7a1_0#page=677
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/3-3.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/3-2-36.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/3-3-1.1.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES / REGULATION OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES GENERALLY / GENERAL PROVISIONS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 3-3-1. Declaration of business of manufacturing, selling, and other dealings in alcoholic beverages as privilege subject to regulatory requirements.

The businesses of manufacturing, distributing, selling, handling, and otherwise dealing in or possessing alcoholic beverages are declared to be privileges in this state and not rights; however, such privileges shall not be exercised except in accordance with the licensing, regulatory, and revenue requirements of this title.

## History

Code 1933, § 5A-501, enacted by Ga. L. 1980, p. 1573, § 1; Ga. L. 1985, p. 1118, § 2.

## Law Reviews

For article on local government law and liquor licensing, see 15 Ga. L. Rev. 1039 (1981). For article, ‘‘Lawyers Who Represent Local Governments,’’ see 23 Ga. St. B. J. 58 (1987).

For comment on Hornsby v. Allen, 326 F.2d 605 (5th Cir. 1964), overturning the mere privilege doctrine by applying due process requirement to liquor licensing, see 19 Mercer L. Rev. 250 (1968).