The board is responsible for licensing the possession, sale, storage, transportation, importation, and manufacture of wine, spirits, malt or brewed beverages, and operating the state's system of liquor distribution, including retail sales, and providing education about harmful effects associated with underage and dangerous drinking.

[8] The Board also supervises local option referendums in counties and municipalities that wish to prohibit or permit establishments to sell or serve alcohol.

According to Section 472 of the Pennsylvania Liquor Code, a local option referendum to change what alcohol sales a municipality allows or prohibits may be voted on during any election.

To place a referendum on the ballot requires a petition with a number of signatures equal to at least 25 percent of the highest vote cast for any office in that municipality in the preceding general election.

[13] PLCB policy of "zero tolerance" for sales to minors and intoxicated individuals has resulted in store employees challenging, or "carding," those who appear to be underage.

[14] The Bureau of Alcohol Education annually awards approximately $1 million in grants to reduce underage and dangerous drinking to colleges and universities, community organizations, law enforcement departments, and high schools.

[15] Those same groups send representatives to an annual Alcohol Education conference for prevention professionals in Pennsylvania.

[17] For over forty years, starting with the administration of Governor Milton Shapp, efforts have existed to abolish the Board and privatize liquor sales in Pennsylvania.

Critics of the Board argue that the commonwealth would generate significant income by selling state liquor stores to private entities while continuing to reap millions in annual sales taxes from alcohol sales and liquor tax revenues.

Further, it has been cited that customers could benefit from lower prices, longer hours and wider selection at privately run liquor stores.

According to former governor Dick Thornburgh, "the principal roadblock to reform has traditionally been an odd coalition of state store employee unions, fundamentalist anti-alcohol groups and organizations such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving, all of which perceive that they have legitimate interests which are not susceptible to statewide budgetary considerations.

[21] On August 8, 2016, Wolf signed into law a bill that allowed for some privatization but kept wine distribution under state control.