---
title: O.C.G.A. § 3-4-160. Municipalities in wet counties.
collection: code
id: 3-4-160
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 3-4-160 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/3-4-160
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/3-4-160.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/3-4-160/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=790
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.
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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 / DISTILLED SPIRITS / SALES BY THE DRINK IN CERTAIN MUNICIPALITIES; WITHDRAWAL
---

# O.C.G.A. § 3-4-160. Municipalities in wet counties.

(a)(1) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this Code section, any municipality which lies wholly or partially within a county which has approved in a county-wide referendum the manufacture, sale, or distribution of distilled spirits as provided in Article 3 of this chapter may, by ordinance or resolution and without the necessity of conducting a separate referendum, authorize the manufacture, sale, or distribution of distilled spirits and may exercise the powers contained in this title relating to the manufacture, sale, or distribution of distilled spirits.

(2) In any municipality in which the manufacture, sale, or distribution of distilled spirits is authorized as provided in this Code section, such manufacture, sale, or distribution may, by ordinance or resolution adopted by the governing authority of the municipality, be prohibited.

(b)(1) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this Code section, any municipality which lies wholly or partially within a county which has approved in a county-wide referendum the sale of distilled spirits by the drink for consumption only on the premises as provided in Part 1 of Article 5 of this chapter may, by ordinance or resolution and without the necessity of conducting a separate referendum, authorize the sale of distilled spirits by the drink for consumption only on the premises and may exercise the powers contained in this title relating to the sale of distilled spirits by the drink for consumption only on the premises.

(2) In any municipality in which the sale of distilled spirits by the drink for consumption only on the premises is authorized as provided in this Code section, such sales may, by ordinance or resolution adopted by the governing authority of the municipality, be prohibited.

(c) A municipality shall not be authorized to approve the manufacture, sale, or distribution of distilled spirits as provided in subsection (a) of this Code section or the sale of distilled spirits by the drink for consumption only on the premises as provided in subsection (b) of this Code section unless a majority of the electors voting in the county-wide referendum election who reside in the municipality voted in favor of approving the manufacture, sale, or distribution of distilled spirits or in favor of approving the sale of distilled spirits by the drink for consumption only on the premises.

## History

Code 1981, § 3-4-160, enacted by Ga. L. 1986, p. 1083, § 3; Ga. L. 1987, p. 913, § 1.

## Law Reviews

For annual survey of local government law, see 38 Mercer L. Rev. 289 (1986).