Depending on the nature of your business, a liquor license can significantly increase your profitability. However, obtaining a liquor license can be both time consuming and difficult, as the process requires the proper application, investigation, and applicable fees.
For over 30 years, our team at Beverage License Specialists have been helping our clients with the purchase, sale, and transfer of liquor licenses across the state of Florida. Whether you’re looking to buy, sell, or transfer a Florida liquor license, we will work with you and your staff as efficiently as possible to reduce administrative costs and save you valuable time.
Transactions involving liquor licenses in Florida are controlled by strict statutory and regulatory rules and requirements. If you are not compliant with the statutes, rules, and regulations, your ability to purchase or sell a license may be negatively impacted and can result in the assessment of fines and penalties. Our specialists are most familiar with the current regulations and requirements and are prepared to help you navigate the process in a timely and cost-effective manner.
If you’re ready to purchase or apply for a liquor license in Florida, reach out to our team today. Whether you’re a restaurant owner, caterer or have another unique use case, we can help you better understand what you need to do to position yourself as a responsible business owner, advise you on how to prepare financially for the considerable investment necessary, and guide you toward the best license for your particular needs.
Liquor licenses in Florida fall under several categories. However, the two most common categories are that of “Quota License” or an “SFS”, a special food services license formerly known as an “SRX”.
As its name implies, the quota license is one that is issued based upon quota increases in population. In accordance with state law, the Division of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco “DABT” of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation may only issue one new license for every increase of 7,500 residents in a given county. The state uses a lottery system to decide which applicants get these rare and precious commodities.
Once licenses are issued under the lottery system, no more may be made available until the population in a given county increases or a license is made available as a result of revocation. If you wish to obtain a liquor license in a county and there are none being made available through the state lottery, you will need to consider purchasing one from an existing licensee. You do not need to have an operating bar, restaurant, or liquor store in order to obtain a quota liquor license. Quota licenses, however, may only be used within the county that they are issued for and only for a single specific location.
If you wish to apply for a quota license through the state lottery, you can only do so on the third Monday of August of each year and continuing for a period of 45 days thereafter. This is the only opportunity you will have to enter the quota license lottery.
This type of license is made available for restaurants or food service establishments and is described as an “SFS” (Special Food Service license). To obtain this type of license, the state of Florida requires in most counties that your establishment has at least 2,500 square feet of service area and is equipped to serve meals to 150 patrons at a single time and at least 51% of your business’s revenue must be derived from the sale of food and non-alcoholic beverages. If your business fails to meet these statutory requirements and you wish to continue with the purchase and sale of spirituous beverages, you will be required to obtain a quota liquor license. The annual fees for an SRX/SFS license vary from $624 to $1820 based on county population.
These series of quota liquor licenses permit businesses to sell packaged beer, wine, and liquor for off-premise consumption. To obtain a license in this category, applicants must comply with the statutory requirements that they maintain the licensed premises in an active manner, such that the business is open for the bona fide sale of alcoholic beverages during normal and reasonable business hours of at least 8hrs/day for a period of 210 days or more during any 12 month period commencing 6 months after acquisition.
Licenses that fall under these series of quota liquor licenses permit establishments to sell beer, wine, or liquor by the drink for on-premises consumption or in sealed containers for consumption off the premises unless prohibited by local ordinance. Again, an applicant must maintain the licensed premises in an active manner such that the business is open for the bona fide sale of alcoholic beverages during normal and reasonable business hours of at least 8hrs/day for a period of 210 days or more during any 12 month period commencing 6 months after the acquisition.
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