Efficient Licensing And Permitting Help For Alcoholic Beverage Businesses

With a network of state and federal licensing requirements, entrepreneurs in Florida’s beer, wine and liquor industry trust the law firm of Samuel A. Rubert, P.A., to give them knowledgeable guidance and assistance. Our team, led by attorney Samuel Rubert, works exclusively with bars, liquor stores, breweries, restaurants and others in the alcoholic beverage industry. We are thoroughly prepared to help you obtain the licenses and permits necessary for your business to function, whether you are starting a new entity or expanding an existing company into a new field.

Licensing For The Alcohol Industry

Licensing includes state and federal licenses, and permits necessary to operate an alcoholic beverage business.

At the state level, the Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco (DABT) is the regulatory agency charged with licensing and regulating the industry. There are alcoholic beverage licenses for vendors, manufacturers, importers and distributors, along with various other types of permits necessary to fully implement an alcoholic beverage business.

At the federal level, the United States Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) licenses and collects taxes from alcoholic beverage businesses. Upper-tier industry members (wholesalers and manufacturers) must be very concerned not only with their state licenses, but also with federal licensing. The time frames for TTB to process license applications can often be three months or more, so it is imperative to file the most complete and accurate application as soon as possible.

Permitting Requirements

Permitting includes local permits from the cities and counties necessary to operate an alcoholic beverage business. Often, you cannot obtain your state licenses until you have your local business permits, so while many clients worry about getting their liquor license, the first thing they should be concerned with is whether or not the license will be allowed to be placed into location by the local zoning authorities.

Knowing the specific rules that apply to your proposed location is essential not once you are done building, but at the inception of a project when you are developing your business plan and negotiating a lease.

Easing The Way Through The Process

For more specific information about your business’ licensing and permitting needs, contact Samuel A. Rubert, P.A., in Miami at 305-809-7669 or in Weston at 954-546-7661 to schedule an appointment with an experienced lawyer. Our firm represents business clients throughout Florida.