Liquor License FAQs

After many years of advocating for more liquor licenses to support small businesses and economic growth in our neighborhoods, Mayor Wu and the Boston City Council filed a bill, called a “home rule petition,” which resulted in the passage of a landmark new law to create new Boston liquor licenses that was signed by Governor Maura Healey in September, 2024. The law created 225 new liquor licenses for Boston, to be issued over the next three years (through December, 2026). This expansion is the first significant increase to liquor licenses in Boston since 2014, and is intended to support a diverse range of new and existing businesses across all of our neighborhoods.

The new law creates a total of 225 licenses to be distributed by the City over three years. Unlike most existing licenses, which need to be purchased from a current license-holder and can be costly, these licenses will not need to be “purchased” by the applicant from another business at the price set by that business, but will instead be issued directly by the City’s Licensing Board. 

The law creates three categories of licenses, designed to serve different types of applicants.

This is the largest group of new liquor licenses that the City can issue under the new law. Each year, for the next three (3) years, the City will have an additional five (5) licenses (3 all-alcohol licenses, and 2 beer and wine licenses) to offer to applicants across each of 13 zip codes in 10 City neighborhoods: Charlestown, Dorchester, East Boston, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, Mattapan, Roslindale, Roxbury, the South End, and West Roxbury. 

A separate set of three (3) all-alcohol licenses can be issued to applicants located in the Oak Square neighborhood of Brighton. 

These licenses will be available to the applicant restaurants, bars, and other venues, and are not transferable, which means the license cannot be sold to another business and will be returned to the Licensing Board if the business ceases to operate. 

The City can issue up to fifteen (15) restricted licenses for designated community spaces, which includes outdoor spaces, theaters with fewer than 750 seats, and non-profit organizations in the city. These licenses are also non-transferable, which means the license cannot be sold to another business and will be returned to the Licensing Board if the business or organization ceases to operate. 

The City can issue up to twelve (12) licenses for all-alcohol service that have no geographic restriction and can be issued to applicants with premises anywhere in Boston. These licenses are designated as transferable to another business, but will be evaluated on the strength of the proposal that is submitted to the Licensing Board through a consistent evaluation. The City expects these licenses to be highly competitive and will allow applicants to apply simultaneously for a Citywide Transferable License and a Non-Transferable License, if eligible, to improve their likelihood of being issued a license. To achieve the goals of the program, the Board will give additional consideration to applications that include commitments to operate a business for a term of years. Further details will be published in the coming weeks. 

Due to strong levels of interest in all categories of licenses, the Board will review completed applications in batches. To be considered in the first round of new awards, completed applications must be submitted by 11:59 PM on Friday, December 6, 2024. The Board will continue to schedule hearings on a rolling basis, but will defer decisions on awards until all applicants have been heard and reviewed. A completed application must include all required forms and any community process required by the Office of Neighborhood Services, generally a public meeting to discuss the proposal with neighbors. Completed applications must include a signed lease for a premises, a deed, or a letter of intent signed by the agent/owner of the intended premises. The Board will hold its next round of review in the Spring of 2025. If an applicant has already completed their application and/or had their hearing with the Licensing Board, please contact the Licensing staff directly regarding the status of your application. 

For completed applications submitted after the December 6, 2024 deadline, the Board will hold its next round of review in the Spring of 2025. If an applicant has already completed their application and/or had their hearing with the Licensing Board, please contact the Licensing staff directly regarding the status of your application. The Licensing Board staff are happy to assist with the process and help you get started.

Once an applicant identifies a space (whether through a deed, lease, or letter of intent) and forms a business entity (common examples include a corporation, LLC, or sole proprietorship and can be found on the Secretary of State’s website), they can submit an application to the Licensing Board. For this special 2024 application process, the first round review will begin after December 6, 2024. Applicants will then engage in a required community process, which is facilitated by the Office of Neighborhood Services. Once the Board votes to grant a license, it will forward the application to the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC) for investigation and final approval.This process can take several weeks, or longer, if the ABCC requires further information.

The 2024 law aims to support the growth and creation of restaurants and other businesses in neighborhoods across Boston, advancing the Licensing Board’s authority to evaluate applications under the legal standard of “public need.” 

Under existing case law, “public need” factors the Board can look at include:

• The number of pre-existing licenses in the area; 
• Whether the proposed license is a unique concept for the selected area;
• Public support/opposition; 
• The traffic and noise in the area; and 
• The reputation, character, and fitness of the proposed operator. 

To evaluate the initial round, the Licensing Board will consider an applicant’s core business proposal and how the license award will advance the City’s goals to support neighborhood economic development and add to our City’s diverse and vibrant culture, including how awards would: 

• Enable the applicant to enhance the cultural and economic activity of the neighborhood;
• Create new businesses and economic opportunity across diverse communities;
• Support wealth generation for less-resourced entrepreneurs; and 
• Promote emerging and diverse businesses and communities to advance the City’s commercial offerings. 

The City has been, and will continue, sharing resources with residents and interested businesses in the following ways: 

• Offering in-person application support on an ongoing basis at the Boston Licensing Board at City Hall. Support is available on a drop-in or appointment basis.
• Providing important information in various mediums like this video that gives an overview of the Liquor License Application Process. 
• Sharing a how-to guide that is available in seven languages on the Licensing Board website. 
• Hosting virtual information sessions to address your questions and concerns.
• Attending stakeholder and neighborhood meetings to engage residents and small business owners. 

Additionally, the Licensing Board will host a webinar with the ABCC and the Massachusetts Restaurant Association. This will be recorded and posted online. Both the Licensing Board and the ABCC will walk participants through our websites and our applications, and staff will be available to answer questions. 

Yes! The Licensing Board is hosting virtual office hours every other Wednesday from 3pm to 5pm to provide one-on-one application assistance from Licensing Board staff. In addition, Licensing Board staff are available to provide support on an on-going basis in Room 809 at City Hall. Support is available on a drop-in or appointment basis. To make an appointment please email: licensingboard@boston.gov. 

The Licensing Board has a full guide to apply for a new license on its website. 

Licensing Board staff will guide an applicant through the application process and will let the applicant know if any information is missing at all steps of the process. 

All applicants for new licenses have to go through a robust community process facilitated by the Office of Neighborhood Services. This can include any combination of neighborhood flyering, meeting with abutters, and/or presentations to local neighborhood or civic organizations. Residents are encouraged to participate in the community process.

Applicants must also appear before the Licensing Board at a public hearing held virtually over Zoom. The Board welcomes public testimony at its hearings, and also accepts written testimony at any time, which can be submitted to licensingboard@boston.gov.

Upfront costs associated with applying for new alcohol licenses include:

• $200 application fee to the ABCC
• $100 hearing fee to the Licensing Board
• $170 advertising fee to the Boston Herald

The only other fees associated with new licenses are annual renewal fees, which vary based on the type of license and the capacity of the establishment. Generally, the annual renewal fee ranges between $1,700 - $2,800 plus a Common Victualler and capacity fee. Capacity fees begin at $1.00 per person.

Learn more about the cost of a license here.

Although the 2024 law authorizes the Licensing Board to issue a number of new licenses, the City expects that many of the categories of licenses will be oversubscribed. The Licensing Board will evaluate each application as outlined above in the “How will the City evaluate my application for a liquor license?” section. Applicants who are not issued a license will have the opportunity to reapply in a subsequent round.

Under existing case law, “public need” factors the Board can look at include:

• The number of pre-existing licenses in the area;
• Whether the proposed license is a unique concept for the selected area;
• Public support/opposition;
• The traffic and noise in the area; and
• The reputation, character, and fitness of the proposed operator.

To evaluate the initial round, the Licensing Board will consider an applicant’s core business proposal and how the license award will advance the City’s goals to support neighborhood economic development and add to our City’s diverse and vibrant culture, including how awards would:

• Enable the applicant to enhance the cultural and economic activity of the neighborhood;
• Create new businesses and economic opportunity across diverse communities;
• Support wealth generation for less-resourced entrepreneurs; and
• Promote emerging and diverse businesses and communities to advance the City’s
• commercial offerings.

To be considered in the initial round of review of new liquor licenses, applications must be submitted to the Licensing Board by 11:59 PM on Friday, December 6, 2024. Following awards in the initial round, the City expects to hold additional application rounds for new licenses over a three year period.

Hours of operation are usually established through the community process. The Licensing Board has the ultimate authority to determine a licensee’s hours of operation.

Please note that Massachusetts law prohibits the sale of alcohol after 2:00 AM.