Selling All Liquor permits for Restaurants & Bars D Permits
Contact Randy@sokolandassociates.com to see what is for sale
Requirements to Hold a Liquor License
- American Citizen
- No Felony Convictions
- Own or lease a building or space
- Location is “wet” and allows the sale of alcohol (suggest checking with liquor lawyer to make sure)
- Able to pass inspection by both Health Department & Liquor Department
Types of Liquor Licenses
D1 – The D1 permit allows restaurant or nightclub to only sell beer. This permit also regulates where your customers are allowed to consume the beer: either on the premises or they’re allowed to buy beer for the purpose of taking it home. To sell beer meant for carry out, you must ensure that it’s sealed in its original container, such as an unopened beer bottle. Currently, Ohio allows D1 permit holders to sell beer for carry out until 1 am.
D2 – This permit allows restaurants and nightclubs to sell wine and mixed beverages. Like the D1 permit, D2 limits the consumption on-site or for carry out. Also, like D1, the beverages must be sealed in their original containers.
D3 – D3 permit holders must own either a restaurant or a nightclub. This permit allows for the sale of “spirituous liquor” only for on-site consumption and only until 1 am. “Spirituous liquor” is a tricky term. It basically refers to any alcohol that’s inflammable and distilled. Under this definition, wine doesn’t qualify as “spirituous liquor”.
D3a – Allows for sale until 230am
D5 – This permit includes all the above permits together
D6 – The D6 permit allows for the sale of liquor on Sundays. Permit holders can only sell liquor between the hours of 10 am—or 11 am, depending on the county — and midnight. To sell liquor in the state of Ohio on Sunday, you must possess a permit.
How to Get a Liquor License in OH
Learning how to get a liquor permit in Ohio requires research or expertise. You can hire experts who specialize in acquiring permits or you can attempt all the legwork yourself.
If you meet the requirements mentioned above, and you’ve settled on the kind of business you want and the permit you’ll need, you must apply for a license with the state of Ohio. You can find the application online or you can pick up a copy at the local courthouse. As with all legal applications, you must fully and honestly fill it out. Leaving any holes or creating ambiguities or outright lies could come back to haunt you.
Ohio controls and distributes liquor permits on both the state and local level.
Your paperwork is filed with the state and your local government. After an extensive background check and property inspections, a local board will determine whether or not to grant your business a permit. This process can take from several weeks to several months — or longer, depending on the availability of permits.
As with anything in a capitalist system, supply and demand can affect the prices of liquor licenses, especially if you’re attempting to buy it on the open market. This is an often overlooked aspect: Ohio allows for the purchase of liquor licenses on the open market — for example, someone’s closing their business — although it regulates the sale. You’ll still need to meet the requirements above in order to obtain a license, even if you purchase it from a private citizen.
If permits in your area have reached their quota, then you should expect to pay a premium for it. In this case, you might expect to pay a rate exponentially higher than if you were purchasing it from the state. Keep in mind that buying permits on the open market entails nuances we haven’t covered here. If you do choose to buy on the open market, it’s in your best interest to hire an attorney. Their expertise could prove invaluable, saving you time, money, and anxiety.
Contact Sokol & Associates for help purchasing a Liquor Permit for any City in Ohio
Partial list of businesses sold by Randy Sokol: Oldfield’s on High, Oldfield’s on 4th, Philly Shack, Hickory House, Cafe Corner, The Jury Room, Cinco, Coaches, Cosmos Grill, Catering Kitchen, Level One, Blue Fish, etc.
