In the US, the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages is a heavily regulated and complicated process. Ensuring that a business properly adheres to the government’s set standards of the sale of alcoholic beverages is vital to the business and to its customers. The laws set in forth by the government are to protect the customers from harming themselves or others once consuming alcoholic beverages. Businesses must adhere strictly to the law, since even one slight oversight would result in the revocation of the liquor license and leave the business owner with no more money to be made. Here, you’ll be able to read on how to obtain a liquor license and how to protect your license after you’ve been approved.
How can I apply for a liquor license in California?
The process of obtaining a liquor license in California can be time consuming and difficult without the proper legal knowledge and help. With the help of a legal expert, obtaining an ABC license is much quicker and less stressful. To start, one needs to first:
-Have a set location for the business. The process cannot start without the proper address for the license, as the license will be for a specific address.
-Analyze and have a survey done by a professional. There are several different types of alcoholic beverages licenses, such as licenses that allow a business to create or distribute alcoholic beverages, or simply just sell them on the premises.
-Submit and wait for a response. This process could take up to a month. The application for the liquor license shall be sent to the Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC). Once the application is passed, the public would have 30 days to appeal the license, but in most cases, this will not happen.
-Wait for an investigation to be completed. This includes background checks on the owners of the business, who the liquor license would be under, and other items such as these. If there are no objections to the ABC ruling, they would continue to approve the license.
-Wait for approval. The whole process can take up to 90 days if there are no objections to the ABC ruling. If there are objections, a legal expert would be needed to try to appeal the ABC ruling.
How can I defend against a liquor license revocation?
There are many ways an attorney could go about defending a liquor license. Keep in mind, it’s almost impossible for a person who is not well versed in the law to be able to fight back against the ABC to regain their license. Even the smallest inconvenience could cause the authorities to come into your business for an investigation. Having the right permits and the necessary knowledge of local laws are the most vital parts of defending against any revocations. For example, the ABC could revoke a liquor license if a patron had gotten too intoxicated inside of the business, and had hurt themselves in the process. The ABC could argue that the business is not taking care of the customers or they are not ensuring the safety of the other patrons. With the help of a legal expert, a business could be well versed in their local laws and statutes.
Why are licenses revoked by the ABC?
There could be a wide variety of reasons to why a liquor license could be revoked. The ABC could investigate into a business and find a simple code violation and suspend that business’s license for a period of time. For example, if a business fails to spot a false ID and sells alcohol to a minor, that business’s license could be revoked forever. But with proper legal help, an attorney could argue that the ID in question had looked so real, that the police would be needed to correctly identify the ID. Having the right identification and permits available on hand is also important to a business. If an inspector comes to a business and asks for the proper permits, the company must immediately hand the documents over. If they do not, they risk losing their licenses or business. A common mistake by businesses is missing taxes, or forgetting to renew any licenses or permits. Each county and state has different laws and regulations regarding how long a license will last.
How can I regain my liquor license?
Whenever a business has their liquor license revoked or suspended, they may have a few legal routes they may take. Depending on the severity of the situation and the type of law broken, the legal battle could be an easy fix. In the cases where alcohol is sold to a minor, many legal routes could be brought up that could explain to why and how such a thing has happened. Scanners could be implemented when a suspicious ID is brought up, which could show the court and the inspectors how seriously the company takes these charges. Proving that the law in question will never be broken again is also important to show to the courts and inspectors. Without the help of Pride Legal, fighting against the ABC is an uphill war that is very hard to win. With Pride Legal by your side, you don’t need to worry about your business suffering.
F.A.Q:
Q: How much does it cost for a liquor license?
A: Since there are so many different types of liquor licenses, they all cost different amounts. Different populations pay less in fees, while bigger populations need to pay more in fees. Here, you could find the complete list of liquor licensing fees.
Q: Are there any penalties for not paying your liquor license fees?
A: Yes, your license could be revoked, ans depending on how the fees go unpaid for, they could double in amount.
Contact Pride Legal
If you or a loved one has lost their liquor license or wants to apply for one, we invite you to contact us at Pride Legal for legal counseling or any further questions. To protect your rights, hire someone who understands them.
