GFPD completes alcohol compliance check, five businesses fail

Jenn Rowell

17 hours ago

The Great Falls Police Department conducted an alcohol compliance check on Oct. 14.

Officers checked 56 businesses that sell alcohol within the city limits to ensure liquor license holders are preventing sales to those under 21. Five failed the compliance check, for a 91 percent success rate.

“We take a zero-tolerance stance on these matters, as the safety of Great Falls’ youth is among our top priorities,” according to a GFPD release.

GFPD conducts alcohol compliance check, five businesses fail [2024]

The state chooses the establishments randomly and checks are supported by STOP Act funds through Alliance for Youth Substance Abuse Prevention stakeholders, according to GFPD.

Since the inception of mandatory alcohol server training in the State of Montana, GFPD said it has seen a decrease in illegal sales of alcohol to persons under 21 years of age.

During the compliance check, volunteers aged 19-20 with a valid legal identification card or driver’s license showed their id card to every server or seller who asked for it, according to GFPD.

GFPD conducts alcohol compliance check, nine businesses fail [2023]

Of the 56 establishments in the Oct. 14 operation, all were open and an attempt to purchase alchohol took place. Fifty-one of the businesses passed and five failed, for a 91 percent success rate, an improvement over the last checks in January 2025 and January 2026 when 82 percent passed both times, according to GFPD releases.

Eight businesses selected for checks were closed at the time of the operation and weren’t included in the pass rate numbers.

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Employees who sold alcohol to underage buyers were issued a misdemeanor citation for unlawful sales/transfer to a person under 21 years of age.

Establishments that failed: