Municipalities, states, and federal laws require that every establishment dealing with the sale and use of alcohol obtain a liquor license. This legal document helps the government in implementing and enforcing alcohol laws.
You might have heard the buzz surrounding the acquisition of a liquor license. Application and purchase fees are high and vary depending on the type and size of the establishment. Perhaps more enforcing is the fact that the number of liquor licenses available is limited.
This raises the barriers of entry into the alcohol industry, which is a logical move, seeing that it is accountable for approximately 88,000 annual deaths.
Establishments that lose their licenses experience a setback because of lost revenues, loss of jobs, and losses incurred in regaining the license. Luckily, not all revocations end in a permanent loss, but making an appeal will require the legal expertise of a liquor license attorney.
Here’s a list of the common ways you can lose your liquor license:
Serving to an Already-Intoxicated Customer
Serving alcohol to a customer who is visibly inebriated can get both you and the bartender in hot soup. If such a customer gets involved in a car accident after leaving your establishment, they can sue you for negligence and compensation.
Overly-intoxicated persons are also a danger to themselves and the people around them. Some of the ways to spot an already-intoxicated person include slurred speech, vomiting, and loss of stability. If you do lose your license for this reason then it might be worth looking into a lawyer which you might be able to find through searching terms such as view website of a defense lawyer or even through recommendation, as you could potentially face charges as an establishment should serious accident or injury occur as a result of you selling alcohol to an individual.
Hiring Unqualified Service Staff
Just like any profession, bartenders have to go through a special program to learn specific skills, known as SmartServe. It teaches them the specific skills required in bartending such as spotting an inebriated client, talking with disgruntled patrons, checking for fake IDs, and so on.
Employing members of service staff who do not possess the right certification is detrimental to your business and can easily get your license revoked.
Selling Alcohol to Underage Persons
This is the surest way to lose your license permanently. The law frowns upon bars and other entertainment joints selling alcohol to anyone under the age of 21 years. Besides license revocation, the bartender involved and even you as the owner can be charged with a felony.
Your service staff should also know how to spot a fake ID, and avoid problems arising from underage kids posing as adults.
Selling During Unauthorized Times
Laws regarding authorized opening and closing times of bars and other alcohol-selling businesses vary from one state, and even county, to another. Business owners are required to familiarize themselves with all these guidelines to ensure that they comply.
In addition, allowing clients to stay in the bar or restaurant past the stipulated timelines can hurt your liquor license. Pay close attention to your local laws regarding selling times because they differ greatly from one place to another.
Disorderly and Unlawful Conduct
Drinking areas are commonplace for unlawful practices such as nudity, violence, and illegal gambling.
The law requires that as the owner, you have control of your patrons. They should not get in the way of other guests lest you risk losing your liquor license.
Some of the ways to stay on top of such behavior are leading an irritated patron to talk somewhere away from other guests, talking calmly but firmly, and getting safe transport for them if necessary.
Selling in Unauthorized Areas
Whether you sell alcohol only or have a restaurant too, there are designated areas for selling alcohol. Anyone caught selling beyond these areas can be charged, and the establishment’s license taken away.
Places such as parking lots, staircases, hallways, and restrooms should have clear no-drinking signs.