Tips to Obtain a Liquor License

If you are eager to sell alcohol in a bar, restaurant or if you are a retailer, you require a liquor license. Obtaining liquor license may be a challenging and a long process. Each place comes with its own policies to license liquor.

Liquor licenses are issued for allowing a business or an individual to sell as well as manufacture the alcoholic beverages. Here is some help to traverse through the maze of liquor licensing.

Know the Liquor Laws

Each place comes with its own laws for liquor licensing. Queensland also comes with its own set of laws. Thus, it is crucial to know the laws of liquor licensing in Queensland. The local authority can be got in touch with to know about the alcohol laws and the sale of licenses. There are several places where the distribution and sale of liquor are regulated and thus, it is crucial to get in touch with the agency for more details.

Find Out Whether On-License or Off-License is Essential

There are two different types of licenses necessary for the premises that sell alcohol.

• On-license is necessary when the liquor sold is to be consumed on the premises. The examples of businesses requiring on-license include restaurants, bars and taverns.
• Off-license is essential if the liquor is to be consumed off premises. The examples of the business houses requiring off-license include drug stores, grocery stores and liquor stores.

Know Who Will Approve the Liquor License

Usually, the community development or the planning departments for municipalities or townships act as the governing body for liquor license. Remember that showing proper respect to the groups addressing the concern will go a long way in influencing the decision.

Figure Out the Type of License Essential

In some places, a specific type of license is necessary depending on the business type and the varieties of alcohol on offer. Some examples of the common license types include the following.

Beer and Wine: The small restaurants and bars may be granted the option to sell the soft liquors like wine or beer. With such a license, the owner will not be permitted to sell the hard liquors like spirits.

Tavern License: This is essential in some states for the businesses that serve food. However, a significant part of the profit is acquired of selling alcohol.

Restaurant: This license entitles the owner to sell different types of alcohol on the premises. However, in some cases, the license stipulates that only a given percentage of the total earnings can come from the sale of alcohol.

Consider the Charges

The cost of obtaining liquor license tends to vary a lot. In some situations, only a small amount of money may be necessary to cover the taxes and the application fee while in the other cases, a significant sum of money may be necessary.

Maintain the Liquor License

It is not enough to obtain the liquor license, it is crucial to renew the license by paying a renewal fee. Remember that the license may be revoked in case the terms are violated. Offences are usually taken when the alcoholic beverages are over-served to the patron or the employees allowed to be intoxicated on premises.

The fee for liquor license, taxes and the application fee tends to vary. The time frame also tends to vary depending on the agency.