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Interested in obtaining a liquor license in the state of Illinois?
According to the Illinois Liquor Control Commission, there are 29 different liquor license categories. Whether you want to open a new liquor store, change the name of an existing business, open a brew pub, or just stage a promotional event; there's a specific application form, certain requirements and different fees for each. Check the ILLC website to get all the information you'll need for each license and to download any of the application forms.
For example, to obtain a Retailer Liquor license you'll need to submit:
-$500 fee
-your local liquor license
-a sales tax number or Illinois Business Tax (IBT) number
-your Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN)
-photocopy of your certificate of insurance (NOT the "Policy Declaration") for licensees with on-premise consumption
-photocopy of your local liquor license (NOT a receipt from the purchase of your local license.)

Also consider:
Which city in Illinois will you be selling, distributing, or marketing liquor in? Each town or city has their own liquor laws, so check with the local City or Town Hall first.
Are new licenses even being issued there? Could there be a moratorium against issuing new licenses?

To obtain a liquor license in Chicago, first contact your local alderman or city council member to inquire about any restrictions or moratoriums against the issuance of the particular liquor license you're interested in.
The city of Chicago has developed a new, automated system to make the issuance of liquor licenses easier. It includes the "Moratorium Module," which determines if a particular address is restricted for certain types of liquor licenses, and the "Voter Notification Module," which can identify all registered voters living within the proposed license site and automatically notifies them by mail. This new, automated system greatly simplifies & speeds up the license approval process.

The following information can help Illinois license holders avoid jeopardizing their license.

ILCC "Top 10" Liquor Violations you'll want to avoid:

-Contaminated liquor
-Sale to minors
-IBT (Illinois Business Tax) certificate not available
-Pregnancy warning sign not displayed
-90 days of invoices (or waiver) not available
-Revenue certificate not attached to
coin-operated amusement devices
-State license not displayed
-Unsanitary taps
-Liquor purchased at retail
-state license not valid

BASSET, the Beverage Alcohol Sellers and Servers Education and Training program, is licensed by the state & is used to educate and train sellers and servers
to provide liquor safely and legally. Although it's not a mandatory program, it is required in some parts of Illinois. Many liquor license owners send their
staff voluntarily to a Basset workshop. Their slogan, "Card Hard!" is a reminder for business owners to be diligent in the prevention of serving liquor to minors.

Acceptable forms of ID:

-valid driver's license containing a picture, and date of birth, issued by any U.S. state
-state issued ID
-military ID
-valid Passport

The penalty for serving to minors includes the possibility of a fine, suspension, and revocation of your liquor license.

Happy Hour Law - 235 ILCS 5/6-28(b)
It prohibits:
-Serving two or more drinks to one person (exception-wine by the bottle or carafe)
-Promotions such as 2-for-1 drinks
-Serving an unlimited number of drinks during a set period of time for a fixed price (excluding private functions)
-"all you can drink" promotions
-Increasing the volume of alcohol contained in a drink or the size of a drink, without proportionally increasing the price regularly charged for that drink
-Promotions such as: 8 oz. Beer for $1.00 and 16 oz. Beer for $1.25 or double the shot in your drink for only 25 cents more
Also, warning Signs must be posted about on the effects of alcohol on the fetus

The penalty for violating the Happy Hour law is a fine, or the suspension or revocation of your liquor license.

Dram Shop Act 143 P. 2d 952, 955

This is a law in 38 states which makes a business liable for selling alcohol to anyone who is already drunk, as well as liable to anyone who was injured as a result of that person being drunk.

Learn more about this author, Debora Chaves.
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