When Your California Business Needs a Liquor License

| Friday, July 6, 2012
By Sachin Kumar Airan


Most successful bars and bistros need a liquor license to keep their customers satisfied, no matter who they minister to. Without a California spirits license, you could face serious fines and other penalties if you choose to serve alcohol. This misdemeanor offense is publishable by as much as six months in prison and a $1,000 fine. You may also lose the opportunity to get a liquor license again in days to come since the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control ( ABC ) has the right to reject your application.

Making an application for a California Spirits License

Essentially getting your license can be troublesome and intimidating, however. The process starts with an application at the closest California ABC office. The law needs all candidates to be present . If you're transferring a spirits license from one individual to another, that might be mandatory if you've latterly bought a business, both the original license holder and the person who will receive the license need to be present.

Stumping up for an Alcohol License in California

You'll also need to pay a yearly charge to keep your spirits license, and an up-front cost to get the license. The up-front cost could be slightly less or much more than the yearly fee, with costs ranging between $100 to $200 to sell bear or bear and wine to as high as $12,000 to $13,000 for general liquor sales. Renewal costs are between $108 and $876, depending on the type of license and as of 2012.

Processing Time

It can take a long time to get your alcohol license in California, too . The law requires the ABC to mail a copy of your application to local officers over a thirty day posting period, with the particular investigation taking between 45 and fifty days. This indicates that licenses are supposed to take between 75 and ninety days to be processed absolutely. Many folks find that the quantity of time it uses to get their California spirits license far exceeds this time period, however.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, home entrepreneurs waited half a year or even more to get their licenses in 2010, when furloughs and computer issues delayed the processing time by 1 or 2 hundred p.c. Some enterprises had to operate without a license, unable to sell beer, wine or spirits to their customers, or employ a brief license that requires money payments to vendors. While spirits licensing times can vary a good deal , this kind of delay can be a real headache for business owners.

Not all companies have trouble getting their California liquor licenses, naturally. Many get thru the bureaucracy without much difficulty in any way. If you're worried that you might not be one of them, consider chatting to an expert to help smooth your way and avoid getting tied up in red tape.




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