Liquor
If you have a business in Massachusetts that has anything to do with alcoholic beverages, you will need to be licensed. It doesn’t matter if you are a liquor store, a bar, a restaurant that serves wine, a booze warehouse or even just a beer delivery truck, if you touch alcohol on any level, you will need a license from the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission. Fortunately, applying for your liquor license is a simple and straightforward process. Just follow these easy steps and you’ll be on your way in no time.
Instructions
1. Determine if liquor licenses are available in your area. Nearly all of Massachusetts issues liquor licenses, but there are 14 cities that do not. If your business is in one of these locations you will be unable to obtain a license. These cities are Alford, Chilmark, Dunstable, Gay Head, Gosnold, Hawley, Montgomery, Mount Washington, Tisbury, West Tisbury, Westhampton and Weston.
2. Select the type of license that is appropriate for your venture. There are a number of licensing options. Bars need a different license than distributors, who need a different license than airlines, and so on. The Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC) has information on its website about what kind of license is required for each type of business.
3. Begin the application process. You will submit your application for a liquor license at the local city level. Contact your local mayor’s office for more specific details about the address for submitting a license and the hours that applications are accepted. You may also be subjected to a brief interview at the time that your application is submitted.
4. Wait for ABCC approval. After your application is approved at the local level, city officials will forward the application to the ABCC. The ABCC will conduct a criminal history check and make a final ruling as to whether a liquor license will be issued.
5. Pay your license fee. After final approval from the ABCC, your liquor license will be sent back to the city office where you made your initial application. All fees related to the issuance of the license will be made at, and payable to, the city office at the time the license is picked up.
Tags: license will, liquor license, your application, Alcoholic Beverages, Alcoholic Beverages Control, Beverages Control