Underage Drinking

To deter underage drinking, the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control has implemented two programs to combat this from occurring. The Minor Decoy and Shoulder-Tap program have steadily decreased the accessibility of minors to obtain alcohol from both licensed premises and the general public.

As depicted in the statistics below from 2013 to 2018, the number of arrests and violation rates have continuously dropped each year due to these programs;

Arrest Statistics & Violation Rate

*  Results from OTS funded Shoulder Tap Operations

Grant Forms & Resources

Beginning October 1, 2023, The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, sponsored by the Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety, anticipates awarding grants up to $40,000 to local law enforcement agencies to utilize the Minor Decoy Program, Shoulder Tap Program, IMPACT Program, and Holiday Enforcement. These grants will enable the selected agencies to expand their present efforts in addressing alcohol-related problems through a comprehensive ABC program that will encompass a wide range of strategies.

If your agency would like to be considered for this grant, please submit all of the following documents:

• Letter of Interest
• Printout of your City/County Traffic Safety Ranking. This can be found on the OTS Crash Rankings website.
• Budget Estimate (see example in the ABC-OTS Grant Handbook)

All letters of interest (no faxed copies) must be received by 5 p.m. on September 8, 2023. Proposals received after the due date and time will be ineligible for consideration.

For more information please review:

• Letter to Sheriffs and Police Chiefs
• Grantee Handbook