CA Penal Code Section 172a

Every person who, within one and one-half miles of the university grounds or campus, upon which are located the principal administrative offices of any university having an enrollment of more than 1,000 students, more than 500 of whom reside or lodge upon such university grounds or campus, sells or exposes for sale, any intoxicating liquor, is guilty of a misdemeanor; provided, however, that the provisions of this section shall not apply to nor prohibit the sale of any of said liquors by any regularly licensed pharmacist who shall maintain a fixed place of business in said territory, upon the written prescription of a physician regularly licensed to practice medicine under the laws of the State of California when such prescription is dated by the physician issuing it, contains the name of the person for whom the prescription is written, and is filled for such person only and within 48 hours of its date; provided further, that the provisions of this section shall not apply to nor prohibit the sale of any of said liquors for chemical or mechanical purposes; provided further, that the provisions of this section shall not apply to nor prohibit the sale or exposing or offering for sale of ale, porter, wine, similar fermented malt, or vinous liquor or fruit juice containing one-half of 1 percent or more of alcohol by volume and not more than 3.2 percent of alcohol by weight nor the sale or exposing or offering for sale of beer. In measuring distances from the university grounds or campus of any such university, such distances shall not be measured by airline but by following the shortest road or roads connecting the points in question. With respect to Leland Stanford Junior University measurements from the university grounds or campus shall be by airline measurement. Any license issued and in effect in the City and County of San Francisco on the effective date of the amendment of this section enacted at the 1961 Regular Session of the Legislature may be transferred to any location in the City and County of San Francisco.

Source: Section 172a, https://leginfo.­legislature.­ca.­gov/faces/codes_displaySection.­xhtml?lawCode=PEN§ionNum=172a.­.

Last Updated

Aug. 19, 2023

§ 172a’s source at ca​.gov