The state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission has ruled the Boston Licensing Board erred in requiring the new owners of a Washington Street liquor store to stop selling liquor in tiny bottles.

The ruling requires the local licensing board to amend Crown Liquors' license to permit nips sales at its 571 Washington St. outlet.

In recent years, the licensing board has generally required new owners of package-store licenses to not sell nips on the theory they encourage street drinking and littering.

The state commission ruled the board can keep doing that - but only on proof there is support in the surrounding community for such a license requirement.

Although representatives from Mayor Walsh's office and City Councilor Michael Flaherty urged the board at a November, 2015 hearing to ban the nips when Christ and George Stamatos took over the old MOD liquor store, the commission said no residents formally objected to nips sales and that neither of the city officials provided any specific reasoning at the hearing to ban nips.