How to renew a NYC liquor license

If you are a restaurant, bar, or any other alcohol serving establishments, one of the things you will have to contend with is 1) getting a liquor license, and 2) maintaining the license.

Enough can be said about the difficulty of getting one, so the goal of this how-to will be the latter: renewal.

Before you start, you should:

• Have your renewal advisory letter. This is typically sent out 90 days before expiration. You can also find it online. Note that the online notices come in seasonal batches so you will have to find yours.
• Be the establishment owner, or know enough of the business details required for the applications (e.g. EIN, each owner's SSN, etc).

Two things worth knowing before you touch the renewal applications.

First, renewal is not a fresh application. The only change you can make on the way through is your trade name (DBA). New partners, a new floor plan, a different method of operation: each of those needs its own application and SLA approval before you make the change.

Second, know your term length, because it sets the calendar you are working against:

You can use a free NYC license tool to search your license and it's expiration.

The 90 day Timeline

Step 1: Download the applications

You will need to download and eventually send out 2 renewal forms

• The community board notice
• The renewal application

The standard community notice is found here

Depending on your establishment type (e.g. restaurant, bar), you will find the renewal applications here.

Step 2: Send a 30-day notice to your community board

If you are outside of NYC, you can skip this step.

The community notice is sent to your community board. By law, applicants must provide this notice 30 days before the New York State Liquor Authority (SLA) reviews your application.

Where it goes to depends on your premise location. You can figure this out by using the boundaries map. Be sure to confirm by calling the board. They are generally very helpful.

The rule covers every on-premises licensee in the five boroughs, whether you hold beer, beer and wine, or beer, wine and liquor. It applies to renewals, not just new licenses.

How you send it matters as much as sending it, because you have to prove it later. Pick one:

• Certified mail, return receipt requested
• A commercial delivery service that gives you a delivery receipt
• Hand delivery, and ask the board to date-stamp your copy
• Email, if that board accepts email

The standard notice sent to all boards can be found here.

Step 3: Get a surety bond

A surety bond is a financial guarantee that you will follow the liquor laws for the duration of the license.

We won't go into the laws themselves as they are outside the scope of this article, and you should know them. Essentially, it's insurance for the SLA that you purchase from a third party to guarantee payment of any fines or fees.

Buy it from a surety company approved by the NY Department of Financial Services. Brokers turn these around in a day, and you pay a premium rather than the face value.

The SLA is strict about the document itself, and this is where renewals get bounced. The bond must be:

• The original, not a copy or a scan
• Signed by the licensee
• Set to expire on the same date your license expires on the renewal advisory
• Printed with the premises name and address typed exactly as they appear on your license certificate

Step 4: Fill out the renewal application

Every section should be answered where it requires one. Sections to focus on:

• Delivery method. As described above section.
• Licensed premises. Name, serial number, trade name, and Federal EIN. This section also asks whether the premises is closed and whether the license is in safekeeping.
• Method of operation. On-premises holders only. Pick your type from the list: restaurant, bar/tavern, catering establishment, club, hotel, night club, sports bar, and so on.
• Address and landlord. Fill in the landlord section even if you own the building.
• Arrests and convictions. Covers the owners. Anything during this renewal period other than minor traffic, including guilty pleas and suspended sentences. If the answer is yes, attach the police report, certificate of disposition, certificate of conviction, or certificate of relief for each case. If a charge is still open, send documentation of the next court date.
• Signatures. Each principal gives name, date of birth, SSN, and home address.

Step 5: Write the check

A check or money order payable to New York State Liquor Authority, for the total shown on your renewal advisory.

Do not calculate your own total. The advisory number is the number, and it may include more than the base license fee.

Step 6: Mail the package

Assemble it in one envelope:

• The renewal advisory
• The completed renewal application, all pages
• The check or money order
• The original surety bond
• NYC on-premises only: a copy of the standardized 30-day notice, plus your proof of how it was sent
• Notice of appearance, if a representative helped.
• Assumed name filing receipt, if the DBA changed

Mail it to:

M&T Bank Lockbox
New York State Liquor Authority
PO Box 8000 - Dept 930
Buffalo, New York 14267

Step 7: Confirm it landed

Allow at least 10 business days for processing.

You can check status by serial number or application ID at lamp.sla.ny.gov. The SLA portal holds your records, and the Renewal Unit takes questions through the contact page.

If your application was complete and it arrived before your license expired, you get a temporary retail permit or the new certificate, and you keep serving while the SLA works through it.

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