REDDING – On December 6, 2024, California Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) agents and Redding Police Department officers conducted a minor decoy operation in an attempt to reduce underage drinking. During the operation, a person under the age of 21 and under the direct supervision of agents and officers, attempted to purchase alcohol at 20 different businesses in Redding. Only one clerk failed to check identification and sold alcohol to the underage decoy.

Store employees who sell alcohol to a minor face a minimum fine of $250, and/or 24 to 32 hours of community service for a first violation. In addition, ABC will take administrative action against the alcoholic beverage license of the business where alcohol was sold to a minor. That may include a fine, a suspension or the permanent revocation of the license.

ABC agents conduct the compliance checks statewide to reduce the availability of alcohol to minors. Statistics have shown that young people under the age of 21 have a higher rate of drunken driving fatalities than the general adult population.

“We appreciate the work that ABC agents do with their local law enforcement partners to reduce the amount of alcohol uses among those under 21.  This helps to keep us safe out on the roads and in our communities.  Clerks must do their due diligence to check identification,” said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) President Alan Barcelona.