Licensee and Permit Requirements
What this domain tests
Application, license classes, permits, and the conditions that stay attached to a license after it is issued. Examiners test whether you know that a license is narrow and specific, not a general permission to sell alcohol.
Core rules
- License classes. On-premises (restaurant, tavern, hotel), off-premises (liquor store, wine store), grocery and beer licenses, club licenses, plus special permits such as one-day beer or wine permits for events, catering permits, and sidewalk cafe permits. The class defines what you may sell, where, and when.
- Eligibility. Applicants must be 21 or older, disclose every ownership interest, submit fingerprints, and pass a background review. Undisclosed partners or silent investors are a standard ground for disciplinary action.
- 200-foot rule. A retail license may not be issued for premises within 200 feet of a building used exclusively as a school or place of worship, measured building to building.
- Source of supply. All alcohol must be purchased from licensed wholesalers. You may not import it yourself, transport it in from another state, or buy from an unlicensed club.
- Ongoing duties. Display the license conspicuously, notify the SLA of ownership, management, or physical alterations, and keep purchase and sales records available for inspection.
Worked example
A restaurant owner builds a 40-seat patio and serves cocktails on it for two months before filing the alteration request. Two problems: operating on premises not covered by the license, and a patio that may sit inside 200 feet of the school next door. The correct sequence is to apply for the alteration, confirm the measurement, and only then serve.
Traps
- Believing the license covers the whole building or block. It covers the described premises only.
- Letting a manager run the business without being disclosed as a principal.
- Treating a temporary permit as open-ended. It expires on its stated date.
- Pouring liquor under a beer-only license because a customer asked.