In order to legally operate a company in the state of Florida that deals in alcoholic beverages, you will need to secure the necessary liquor licenses. Because Florida is one of several states that uses a quota system for licenses — that is, it has a limit on the number of licenses it issues per county — the process can be complicated because the state of Florida has very specific license requirements. Additionally, the state is one of the few states that has very specific license requirements. Here is how to get a liquor license in Florida.

Despite the fact that the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) is in charge of regulating all business licensing operations, the Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco (ABT) is the entity that is primarily responsible for issuing liquor licenses and permits. While the ABT does give thorough information on the application procedure, it is still important to familiarize yourself with the criteria in order to make the process simpler and get a license more quickly.

Find out the kind of license you have to have.

The state of Florida grants licenses for more than ten different categories of alcoholic drinks and tobacco products. There are around thirty different licenses available within the area of retail beverages.

Find out how much each sort of license will cost you.

The amount of money you have to pay for a license is determined on the kind of license you need and the location of your company. Depending on the size of the county’s population, annual licensing costs may be anywhere from $28 to $1,820. For instance, the yearly cost of a 4COP license, which is required for consumption on the premises, is $1,820 in counties that have a population of more over 100,000 people. Depending on the sort of license you are requesting, you may additionally be required to pay additional licensing costs that are not proportional to the population of the county.

Put together all of the necessary paperwork.

The sort of supporting documents that is needed for your application is determined on the license that you are applying for. For instance, the permission of the health department is necessary for all applications for consumption on the premises. Clearance from the Department of Revenue is required for all new, transfer, and change of site applications, in addition to applications that modify the name of the licensee.

Submit your application

The last stage in the process is to submit your application to the division district office that covers the county in where your company will be situated after you have ensured that you have fulfilled all of the criteria and have produced the relevant documentation. You have the option of applying in person, online, or via the mail. The DPBR/ABT will analyze the paperwork that has been given and will conduct an inspection of the location that is to be licensed as part of the approval procedure. If you seek one, they will also consider issuing you a temporary license. The length of time it takes for your application to be approved varies according to the kind of license you want and whether or not you’ve submitted all of the necessary information.