The Florida
Liquor License Exchange
Toll Free:
1-866-755-2427
Thanks for your Florida Liquor
License inquiry...
Regardless of the type, all
alcohol licenses in Florida must be owned/registered by the person or entity
operating the business (i.e. - the leasing or renting of alcohol
licenses is not allowed to other parties) and all such licenses do require
local zoning approval for the specific location where the license would be
assigned. Those parties acquiring a Quota liquor license may finance the
purchase of the license, but they must be the approved owner-of-record as
registered with DABT.
In Florida, there are basically
three kinds of alcohol licenses available:
1)
Beer/Wine Only
licenses (further designated by Series as package sales only or package sales
plus consumption on premises sales)
2)
Special Restaurant licenses
(commonly referred to as SRX licenses) allowing Beer, Wine & Liquor
consumption on premises sales – but only at bona fide full-service restaurants
(requirements listed below)
3)
Full-liquor Quota
licenses – which also allow Beer, Wine & Liquor sales (further designated
by Series as package sales or package sales plus consumption on premises
sales).
Beer/Wine Only licenses and/or SRX
licenses (Special Restaurant licenses allowing Beer, Wine & Liquor sales)
are relatively inexpensive and obtained directly from the local district office
of the FL Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco (DABT) for a nominal fee
(usually around $300/yr for Beer/Wine and $1820/yr for SRX). No broker is needed for those, and those licenses
only carry that annual fee.
Please note that SRX licenses do
have special requirements even beyond the zoning requirement: including square
footage, # of seats and serving 51%+ in food sales.
Most
counties require that an applicant for an SRX be: a bona fide restaurant consisting
of 2,500 up to 5,000 square feet of floor space under a permanent cover
(depending on county), maintain seating and equipment for serving 150 up to 250
patrons at tables at one time (depending on county) and which derives at least
51% of its gross revenue from the sale of food and non-alcoholic
beverages. Service of full course meals must be available at all times
alcoholic beverages are being served. No package sales of alcoholic
beverages are permitted. Many counties and/or cities have special acts governing
this issue. You may want to contact the district office handling the
county where the license is to be issued for specific information on their
regulations.
Full-liquor Quota licenses,
however, must be acquired directly from an existing license-holder and are much
more expensive than Beer/Wine Only licenses or SRX licenses. Quota licenses
allow Beer, Wine and Liquor sales and are required for package/liquor stores,
bars, pubs, nightclubs and for restaurants that would not qualify for an SRX
license.
Whether you need one for package
sales only or for package sales plus consumption on premises sales, it is
exactly the same license – the only difference is the Series designation and
the annual fee (usually $1365/yr vs. $1820/yr).
The important thing is that it is a free & clear and fully
transferable QUOTA license and not some other type. You can acquire one of either Series type and
designate it as you choose going forward.
For example, many buyers think that they have to acquire a 3PS vs. a 4COP
license. But in reality, they are one
and the same license type, and a buyer of either can re-designate it to the
other Series at will upon transfer.
Quota licenses are usually
acquired through liquor license brokers like us. They are specific to a particular
county only, and the prices can range from a low of $40K or so to over
$400K. It all depends on the county of
interest, timing and “Supply v. Demand”.
While Quota licenses are considered the un-restricted variety of alcohol
licenses, please do remember that all alcohol licenses in Florida require local
zoning approval for the specific location where the license would be assigned.
We hope that you find this
information helpful. As brokers, we only
work directly with Buyers and Sellers related to the transfer/purchase of Quota
licenses. Please let us know if you want
us to check on the pricing and availability for a full-liquor Quota license for
a specific FL county…
Thanks - Kevin
// PS – Attached is a list of ABT
District offices for Beer/Wine Only or SRX licenses...
ABT Licensing District Office -
Pensacola
4900 Bayou Blvd., Suite 210, Bayou
Corporate Office Center, Pensacola, FL 32503
Phone: 850-494-5970 / Fax:
850-484-5080
Counties: Escambia, Holmes,
Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton, Washington
ABT Licensing District Office -
Gainesville
240 N.W. 76th Drive, Suite B,
Gainesville, FL 32607
Phone: 352-333-2515 / Fax:
352-333-2514
Counties: Alachua, Bradford,
Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Marion, Sumter,
Suwannee, Union
ABT Licensing District Office -
Jacksonville
4161 Carmichael Avenue, 3300
Bldg., Suite 200A, Jacksonville FL 32207
Phone: 904-727-5552 / 904-727-5553
/ Fax: 904-727-5598
Counties: Baker, Clay, Duval,
Nassau, Putnam, St. Johns
ABT Licensing District Office -
Tampa
1313 Tampa St., Park Trammel
Bldg., Suite 909, Tampa, FL 33602
Phone: 813-272-2610 / Fax:
813-233-2896
Counties: DeSoto, Hardee,
Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk
ABT Licensing District Office -
Orlando
400 W. Robinson St., Room 709, N.
Tower, Hurston Bldg., Orlando, FL 32801
Phone: 407-245-0785 / Fax:
407-317-7289
Counties: Brevard, Flagler, Lake,
Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Volusia
ABT Licensing District Office -
Fort Myers
2295 Victoria Ave, Suite 145, Fort
Myers, FL 33901
Phone: 239-344-0885 / Fax:
239-344-0888
Counties: Charlotte, Collier,
Glades, Hendry, Lee, Manatee, Sarasota
ABT Licensing District Office -
Fort Pierce
337 N U.S. Highway #1, Suite 111,
Fort Pierce, FL 34950-4255
Phone: 772-468-3927 / Fax: 772-595-1300
Counties: Indian River, Martin,
Okeechobee, St. Lucie
ABT Licensing District Office -
Miami
8240 N.W. 52nd Terrace, Dawson
Bldg, Suite 303, Doral, FL 33166
Phone: 305-470-6787 / Fax:
305-470-5074
Counties: Dade, Monroe
ABT Licensing District Office -
Fort Lauderdale
5080 Coconut Creek Parkway, Suite
C, Margate, FL 33063-3942
Phone: 954-917-1350 / Fax:
954-917-1357
Counties: Broward
ABT Licensing District Office -
West Palm Beach
111 S. Sapodilla Ave., Suite #111,
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Phone: 561-650-6872 / 561-650-6873
/ Fax: 561-650-6849
Counties: Palm Beach