A viral March 2026 incident at 7th and Market — where stolen wine was openly being fenced while nearby restaurants navigate six months of permits and nearly $2,400 in annual fees just to serve a legal glass — has renewed debate over Prop 47's real-world consequences. Critics argue SF has created a system that maximizes friction for law-abiding businesses while minimizing consequences for petty theft, a dynamic Prop 47's $950 felony threshold has enabled since 2014. The contrast is stark: zero seconds to sell a stolen bottle, six months to pour a legal one.
SF makes restaurant owners navigate four agencies and wait six months to serve wine legally. Two blocks away, stolen bottles trade with impunity.