Alcoholic Beverage Retail License

• Your business must be registered with the Massachusetts Secretary of State.
• Your Directors and LLC Managers must meet these citizenship rules:
  • On-premises licenses (restaurants, bars, clubs, hotels): at least 50 percent must be U.S. citizens
  • Off-premises licenses (package stores, convenience stores, supermarkets): all must be U.S. citizens
• Your proposed Manager of Record must meet all of these:
  • Be a U.S. citizen or a "qualified alien" under the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101) — for example, a Permanent Resident Card ("Green Card") holder or someone with an Employment Authorization Document.
  • Live in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 
  • Have experience in the food and beverage industry.
  • Know the rules and regulations of the Licensing Board and the ABCC.
• Your business must not owe back taxes to the State of Massachusetts.

Alcoholic beverages licenses come in two types: on-premises, for businesses where customers drink at your establishment, and off-premises, for businesses where customers take their purchases home.

On-premises licenses:

• Restaurant. Most common. Restaurants must also have a Common Victualler license. New restaurants can apply for both licenses in a combined application.
• General on-premise. For bars, nightclubs, theaters, sports venues, and other establishments where food is not the primary offering.
• Innholders. For hotels and lodging houses.
• Clubs. For members-only private establishments not open to the general public.

These are also known as §12 or “Section 12” licenses.

Off-premises licenses:

• Package stores
• Convenience stores
• Supermarkets

These are also known as §15 or “Section 15” licenses.

Beverage Categories

You’ll also choose a beverage category based on what you plan to serve: 

• All alcoholic beverages
• Wine and malt beverages
• Wine, malt, and cordials

If you start with a wine and malt license, you can later petition to add cordials without upgrading to a full all-alcoholic beverages license. 

There's also a farmer series pouring license (§19 or Section 19) for breweries, wineries, and distilleries selling what they make. Unlike other license types, farmer series licenses are always available. If you are also serving food, you’ll need a Common Victualler License. Farmer brewers also need a state manufacturing license. 

Confirm that a liquor license is available for your business type and neighborhood before you commit to a location. The state sets a fixed quota, so a license might not be available when you apply. Checking early can save you significant time and money.

New licenses are rarely available in these neighborhoods, where the quota is typically full:

• Allston/Brighton
• Back Bay
• Beacon Hill
• Chinatown
• Downtown
• Mission Hill
• North End
• Seaport
• South Boston
• West End

If your business is in one of these areas, and your business model requires that you serve alcohol, consider buying a license on the private market instead of applying for a new one.

When you apply for a new license anywhere in Boston, the Board holds a public hearing and considers two things: whether there’s a need for this license type at your location, and whether you’re qualified to run a licensed establishment responsibly. If both are true, the Board then checks whether a license is available. If one is, you’re granted the license. If there is no license available, your application stays active for two years after the Board vote, or you can buy a transferable license on the private market using a different application. Consider working with a broker or attorney who specializes in alcohol licensing. 

The Licensing Board regulates and votes on license transfers but doesn't oversee the private sale itself.

Because a license is never guaranteed, many business owners use a conditional Letter of Intent (LOI) instead of a signed lease while their application is under review.

Before you apply, check your location’s zoning designation to confirm that your location is zoned for alcohol sales. Some areas of Boston restrict or prohibit alcohol service.

You must also have, or be actively pursuing, the following before the Licensing Board can issue your license at the end of the process:

• A Common Victualler license if you don’t already have one.
• A valid Certificate of Inspection from the Inspectional Services Department (ISD).
• A valid Place of Assembly permit from the Boston Fire Department (if your capacity more than 49 people).
• Permit for Use of Premises from ISD or Outdoor Dining permit.
• Liquor liability insurance.

Business and Ownership Documents

• Business structure document: 
  • Articles of Organization from the Secretary of the Commonwealth (for LLCs and corporations)
  • Business Certificate (for sole proprietorships)
  • Partnership Agreement (for partnerships)
• Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN)
• Proof of citizenship or qualified alien status for your proposed Manager of Record (most commonly a United States passport or Permanent Resident Card)

Financial Documents

• Documentation of all financing, loans, and investments, including pledge documents
• Documentation of real estate or business assets purchased, if applicable

Location Documents

• Legal right to occupy the space: 
  • A signed or unsigned lease, deed, or Letter of Intent (LOI) signed by both applicant and landlord (if the lease is contingent on license approval)
• Floor plan of the entire licensed premises, including all floors, the kitchen, basement, storage areas, and any outdoor space. Mark where liquor will be stored and served. Incomplete floor plans are one of the most common application errors. Don’t omit any part of the space. The floor plan doesn’t have to be professionally drawn but it needs to be clear, to scale, and understandable.

Personnel Documents

• Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) Authorization Form, completed and notarized, for every individual with a direct or indirect financial or beneficial interest in the business, and for the proposed Manager of Record
• Work history or résumé for the proposed Manager of Record

State Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC) application processing fee: $200, paid directly to the ABCC online before submitting your application to the Licensing Board. Save your receipt. You must include it with your application.

• Boston Herald legal advertisement fee: $170, paid directly to the Boston Herald by 4:00 PM on the day before your ad must run. If you miss this deadline, your hearing will be moved to the next available date.
• Boston Licensing Board hearing fee: $100, paid via a link the Licensing Board sends you the week before your hearing.

Annual fees vary by license type and beverage category.

Download the New Retail License Application from the ABCC website and complete it digitally. The application has 11 sections covering your business structure, ownership, premises, and finances. 

Avoid these common errors:

• Incomplete premises descriptions. Include every floor, the basement, and storage areas.
• Ownership information that doesn’t match exactly what’s filed with the Secretary of State.

You’ll also need to complete a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) Authorization Form for every person with a financial or beneficial interest in your business, and for your proposed Manager of Record. These must be notarized.

Pay the $200 ABCC application fee on the ABCC website. Save or screenshot your receipt. You must include it when you submit your application to the Licensing Board.

The Boston Licensing Board will review and submit the ABCC application on your behalf. Submit the completed ABCC application as one PDF, and the receipt, through the Licensing Board's Alcohol Petition Form online. Make sure your ABCC and Licensing Board applications list identical ownership and premises information.

Contact your Office of Neighborhood Services (ONS) Liaison as early as possible — ideally before you submit your application. Your liaison will tell you if you’re required to participate in a community engagement process, exactly which local neighborhood meetings you need to attend, and which neighbors you must notify.

At your Licensing Board hearing, a Mayor’s Office representative will report on whether you completed the community process and whether it supports your application.

This community process is required by the City of Boston. There is a separate neighbor notification process required by Massachusetts.

After the Licensing Board schedules your hearing, you must place a legal advertisement in the Boston Herald at least 10 calendar days before your hearing date. The Licensing Board will send you the ad copy. Review it carefully for accuracy. Pay the $170 ad fee directly to the Boston Herald by 4:00 PM the day before the ad must run. If you miss this deadline, your hearing will be moved to the next available date. 

Contact the Licensing Board immediately if you haven’t received the ad copy two weeks before your hearing.

“Abutters” are property owners whose properties directly border yours. 

Within 3 calendar days of the Herald ad running, send a printed copy of the ad by certified mail with return receipt requested to:

• All direct abutters
• All schools, churches, and hospitals within 500 feet. 

Send notices to property owners only, not to individual tenants.

You can create a list of abutters using the City’s Abutter Mailing List Generator tool. 

Complete the Affidavit of Notice to Abutters, have it notarized, and submit it along with your certified mail receipts to alcohol@boston.gov before your hearing. We will not forward your application to the ABCC without this documentation.

This abutter notification is required by the state. It’s separate from the community notification coordinated through ONS in Step 4. Both are required. 

The week before the hearing, you’ll get a link to pay the Licensing Board's $100 hearing fee. Once the fee is paid, we’ll send the official hearing notice to you, along with the Zoom link for the hearing. The Zoom link is also on our main Licensing Board page under “Upcoming Hearings.”

Once your application is complete and your community process is finished, the Licensing Board will schedule your hearing. We usually schedule several weeks out, depending on volume.

Hearings are typically held on the first and last Wednesday of each month. See a list of upcoming board hearings. At the Board hearing, you or your representative will present the business plan and concept to the Licensing Board.

Plan for a 5-minute presentation. Your presentation should include:

• Business proposal and concept (ex. theme, type of venue, etc.)
  • Size of establishment
  • Type of cuisine or food that will be offered
  • Hours of operations
  • Takeout share of business, if any
  • Third-party delivery plans, including how you’ll manage parking and traffic
• Manager of record’s qualifications. During the hearing, the board will ask four questions of your manager of record. They must respond yes to all.
  • Are you a US citizen or qualified alien?
  • Are you a MA resident?
  • Do you have experience in the food and beverage industry?
  • Are you familiar with the rules and regulations of the sale of alcohol?
• Demonstration of public need for a license of the type at the location

After your hearing, the Board typically votes within one to two days. We’ll let you know what we decided in an email. You’ll receive one of the following outcomes:

Deferred

The most likely outcome for a new application. This means that a license is not available or the Board isn’t ready to vote. 

If a license isn’t available we’ll hold your application for two years from the date of the Board vote. If no license you’re qualified for becomes available within two years, you can apply again. 

Sometimes, the Board isn’t ready to vote yet. For example, you may be applying for a restricted license in South Boston, along with four other businesses. There is only one available license. The Board will wait for all applicants to present before they vote on who should receive the license.

Granted

The Board has approved your application and a license is available immediately. This is uncommon.

Rejected

Very uncommon. Contact the Licensing Board for guidance on next steps.

If the Board approves your application, it will forward your file to the ABCC for state review. ABCC review typically takes 4 to 8 weeks. The ABCC may contact you for additional information or documentation. A response of “returned no action” is not a rejection. It means they need more information, and you can provide it without restarting the process.

Start shopping for liquor liability insurance while you wait for ABCC review. You’ll need proof of coverage before the City can issue your license.

Common violations:

• Blocked egress
• Alcohol or food service without a posted license
• Expired permits
• Overcapacity
• Underage drinking
• Assault and battery
• Bottle Service without a license

If you get a violation, the Board will review your case and decide whether you need a hearing. If there’s no hearing, the Board won’t take disciplinary action against your business. If there is a hearing, we will let you know the date and time. Hearings are typically held on the first and last Tuesday of each month. Possible outcomes include correspondence, a warning, suspension, or taking away your license.