Buy A Liquor License
We are the premier alcohol license platform where buyers can purchase a liquor license in California. Our years of experience give us the knowledge necessary to answer any questions you may have regarding how to buy a liquor license in California. At Liquor License Auctioneers, our team of alcohol license brokers will assist you in the process as you buy a California liquor license for your business.
buy a liquor license
Each California liquor license grants the holder the right to sell in a specific California county, according to the governing CA Alcohol Beverage Control. California alcohol licenses are not transferable between counties. They are, however, transferable between owners, which means you can legally sell or buy any California liquor license.
To efficiently buy a liquor license in California, we recommend that you fill out the ABC Application thoroughly. Our alcohol permit brokers can help you complete the ABC Application if needed. Every document should be signed, filled out, and disclosed in order to accelerate the process when you buy a liquor license online. When you are looking for a liquor license for sale in California, there are other rules and regulations that you must follow, such as obtaining a Conditional Use Permit (CUPs).
Trust the experts at Liquor License Auctioneers to help you buy a liquor license in California and make the process as smooth as possible so that you can start selling alcoholic beverages to customers.
One of the State Liquor Authority's main functions is issuing licenses and permits. The licensing review process is dependent on the type of application or permit applied for, the current volume of applications, and the completeness and accuracy of the application submitted. The review process currently takes approximately 22-26 weeks for most types of applications; however, most retail businesses and all manufacturing businesses are eligible to apply for a temporary retail operating permit or to apply for a temporary manufacturing permit that allows many applicants to be open and operating for alcoholic beverage sales and/or production typically in less than 30 days. Any deficiencies in your application may result in delays or disapproval of your application.
Once you have received a retail license from the Liquor Authority, there are rules and guidelines your licensed establishment must follow. It's important for all retail licensees to make sure their managers and employees are appropriately trained and know the legal responsibilities of selling alcoholic to avoid any violations.
You as the licensee are responsible for the activities of employees and patrons in all parts of the licensed premises (even if you are not always physically present) to ensure that the business is operating in accordance with the law.
You must remember to renew your license before the expiration date. The length of the licensing period varies depending on the class or type of license issues. You must also notify the Authority of any changes you make to your licensed premises, and in some cases, you must first receive approval from the Authority before making those changes.
The Authority recommends that all licensees and employees who serve or sell alcoholic beverages take an Alcohol Training Awareness Program. These programs focus on the legal responsibilities of selling alcohol and provide training in practical skills to help licensees and their employees avoid violations, including sales to minors.
As a retail licensee, you are responsible for the activities of all employees and patrons in your licensed premises to ensure that the business is operating in accordance with the law. Some of the most common issues faced by retailers that could subject you to disciplinary action include: disorder; extension of premises; serving intoxicated patrons; and offering unlimited drink specials.
Licensees who violate the law may be subject to a disciplinary proceeding. A disciplinary proceeding starts with the issuance of a notice of pleading that contains the alleged violations committed by the licensee. If you are found to have committed a violation, the Authority can suspend, cancel or revoke your license, or impose a fine.
A liquor license is a valuable asset, even for a restaurant that is going out of business. When the restaurant closes its doors the license becomes inactive, but can be sold to a suitable buyer. In all states, the sale of a liquor license is strictly controlled by the state agency authorized to issue and oversee liquor licenses. The agency will approve a sale of the license to a qualified buyer who agrees to use the license in accordance with its restrictions for a restaurant.
The primary source for information about purchasing a liquor license for a restaurant is the state alcohol beverage control agency where the restaurant will be located. The National Restaurant Association also provides some information on state liquor license requirements, including a list of alcohol serving restrictions for each state with a link to the state's control agency. Many states, such as Arizona, maintain a public list of inactive liquor licenses which, given the lack of use of the license, may be available for sale.
State laws generally specify several categories for liquor licenses, each with their own restrictions on how the license can be used. For example, the Washington State Liquor Control Board specifies two types of liquor licenses for restaurants. A "Beer and/or Wine" license restricts the restaurant to on-premise service of beer and wine and requires the restaurant to provide minimum food service, such as sandwiches, hamburgers or pizza. A "Spirits, Beer & Wine" license permits a restaurant to sell distilled spirits along with beer and wine, but has stricter requirements for food service, floor space and kitchen equipment. If you purchase a liquor license from a restaurant going out of business, you can only use the license according to its restrictions and requirements.
Before you can purchase a liquor license from a restaurant going out of business, you must apply to the state alcohol control agency in the same manner as applying for a new license. The requirements vary from state to state, with some having unique restrictions. For example, New York law prohibits convicted felons from holding a liquor license, including persons convicted of felony driving while intoxicated. California law prohibits the applicant for a restaurant liquor license from having any ownership interest in a liquor license for the manufacture or wholesale of alcoholic beverages.
The cost to purchase a restaurant liquor license, even from a restaurant going out of business or an inactive license, can vary significantly depending on the general state of the economy and the availability of new licenses. In good economic times, particularly when national restaurant chains are expanding, the cost of a liquor license could be as high as $1 million; this was the case in parts of New Jersey in 2007. However, the economic downturn beginning in 2008 saw a significant decline in the value of restaurant liquor licenses and sales of licenses from one business to another became substantially lower, such as in parts of Michigan, to between $50,000 and $75,000.
Learning how to get your liquor license ensures that you stay on the right side of the law, avoiding costly fines and penalties, as well as potentially barring you from securing a license in the future.
Beer and wine licenses can be obtained by submitting a complete application to the state.Liquor licenses can be a bit harder to obtain, especially if you want to sell the liquor for on-premise consumption.
For instance, one license is made available for every 7,500 person increase in population within the county.Restaurant owners who can meet the statutory requirements for special food service (SFS)_ license can apply directly with the state of Florida, thereby not necessitating the need for a quota liquor license.
These licenses are only made available to establishments that meet certain statutory requirements, such as square footage, seating and 51% or more of the gross revenue being derived from the sale of food and non-alcoholic beverages.
If you are confused or need guidance, consider contacting a professional licensing service for assistance.If you apply for the issuance of a new license while your application is being reviewed for permanent issuance, there is an option to request a temporary license from the DABT.
The statutes recognize five types of retail alcohol beverage licenses, as summarized in the accompanying table. In this table, beer also includes flavored malt beverages such as hard lemonade and wine coolers, and intoxicating liquor means wine and distilled spirits. (See Figure 1: Types of Retail Alcohol Beverage Licenses Recognized by Statute.)
16 See, e.g., De Salvo v. Howell Plaza Inc., 38 Wis. 2d 167, 168, 172, 156 N.W.2d 473 (1968) (holding valid lease agreement for property that was to be used as restaurant and cocktail lounge when lease terms were conditional on lessee obtaining retail license).
19 See League of Wisconsin Municipalities website. See also Disciplinary Proceedings Against Williams, 2005 WI 15, 3, 278 Wis. 2d 237, 692 N.W.2d 633 (describing practice of transferring retail license from one business to another, by current licensee surrendering license to city conditioned on city issuing license to new licensee).
With our associated consulting service, we have transferred thousands of liquor licenses for sale and faced nearly every imaginable obstacle in obtaining a license. This will help you avoid common pitfalls, costly delays or license denial.
Our knowledgeable staff is available to you throughout the license transfer process to answer any questions or concerns. Long term business relationships are the key to our success and our commitment to you does not end after escrow is opened.
We lead the way in applying technology driven applications to the liquor license markets of today. We maintain a complete and extensive database of all recent liquor license sales within the state of California thereby enabling us to negotiate with the ease and viability available to us, ensuring that our clients are getting a fair and honest deal.In addition to the technology at our disposal, we are up-to-date in all the aspects of the processing of local and regional zoning applications and conditional use permits. 041b061a72