After the dust settles on a successful liquor license transfer, you, the proud new owner of the license, must prepare for an annual “check up” of the license. During these “check ups” —called renewals or validations depending on the year— the PLCB will review if any citations were issued to the licensee and whether PA Revenue and Labor and Industry taxes are paid.
Hiring an experienced liquor license attorney will ultimately save you money by facilitating connections with brokers and navigating the complex PLCB network, rules and regulations. Also, engaging the help of a liquor license attorney in a complex license renewal could make the difference between a suspension or revocation of a license and continuing operations.
The first thing to know about liquor licenses in Pennsylvania is that there are many types. Each license has different requirements and privileges.
Retail licenses are commonly sold by food and beverage businesses who are using (or used) the license, however, sales/purchases are often made through a liquor license broker. The sale/purchase of a liquor license must be approved by the PLCB. While licenses may be sold, a liquor license, according to the State is a “privilege” so the PLCB will investigate the buyer of a license and its proposed licensed premises.
Urban and populous counties like Allegheny and Philadelphia have the majority of Pennsylvania’s retail liquor licenses. Rural counties with fewer inhabitants have fewer licenses. Supply and demand determine the market value of a retail license.
Every liquor license is issued by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB), an independent government agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that manages the state’s alcoholic beverage industry.
Unlike retail licenses, there is no quota for Manufacturer (G), Limited Winery (LK) and Limited Distillery (AL) licenses. As a result, these licenses are a much lower investment. To learn more about manufacturing licenses and its storage or satellite location options visit this previous article.