Liquor License - United States

United States

In the United States, liquor licenses are issued separately by each individual state. Majority licenses are often specified by each state and localities that have laws and regulations in acquiring such a license. For example, in the state of Oregon, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission(OLCC) regulates and controls the distribution, sales and consumption of alcoholic beverages. Otherwise, general categories that are covered under license laws include when and where liquor may be served, the amount that can be served, how much it may be served for, and to whom it may be served. Across the United States it is very common to have further specified protocols in restaurants such as limits on drinks per customer, zero discounts on drinks, and to have unfinished bottles of wine to remain in the restaurant. Furthermore, there may be several choices of license classes depending on how one intends to sell the alcoholic beverages. The most common types of licenses used in restaurants include:

• Restaurant Liquor License: Known as the all liquor license, it is the most generally used license.
• Beer and Wine Liquor License: This is also categorized as a general liquor license, however it does not include any strong alcohols or spirits.
• Tavern Liquor License: This license is commonly used for restaurants that serve alcohol as well as food, but have 50% of their sales solely based on liquor.

It is important for wholesale liquor vendors in the United States to verify authenticity and validity of liquor licenses before selling because insurance companies do not cover claims related to alcohol if there is no valid liquor license involved.