MEDIA ADVISORY
On February 24, 2026, the San José Police Department, along with the California Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), conducted an operation at ten retail licensees in the city of San José to target the sale of alcohol to minors. As a result of this operation, all ten businesses were in compliance and none were cited. This is a result of the Minor Decoy operation in which minors, under the direct supervision of department agents, attempted to purchase alcohol from the retail licensees.
Those who sell alcohol to a minor face a minimum fine of $250, and 24 to 32 hours of community service for a first violation. In addition, ABC may take administrative action against the alcoholic beverage license of the business. That may include a fine, a suspension of the license, or the permanent revocation of the license.
“Licensees should always check identification before selling alcohol,” said ABC Director Paul Tupy. “Our roadways and communities see improved safety when we prevent access to people not old enough to legally purchase alcohol.”
Statistics show that minors have a higher rate of drunk driving fatalities than the general adult population. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), about 25 percent of alcohol-related crashes involve underage drinking.
Minor Decoy operations have been conducted by local law enforcement throughout the state since the 1980s. When the program first began, the violation rate of retail establishments selling to minors was as high as 40 to 50 percent. When conducted on a routine basis, the rate has dropped to below 10 percent in some cities. In 1994, the California Supreme Court ruled unanimously that use of minor decoys is a valid tool of law enforcement to ensure that licensees are complying with the law.
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from ABC through the department’s Alcohol Policing Partnership (APP) program.
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BY: Stacie Shih #1559N
AUTHORIZED BY: Lieutenant Aragon #3694
DATE: 3/11/2026 TIME: 3:00 PM
DATE: 3/11/2026 TIME: 3:00 PM