The monster, computed

Liquor license: your path, your price, your wait

In some states a restaurant liquor license is a form and a few hundred dollars. In others it is a rationed asset that changes hands for six figures — unless your floor plan fits the restaurant exception nobody mentions. Tell us your state and your shape; we will tell you which world you live in, and what the wait costs in rent.

Liquor Path Checker

Liquor, state by state

Alabama

Control state. Issuance: open — typical clock 1–6 months.

Liquor license in Alabama →

Alaska

Issuance: open — typical clock 1–6 months.

Liquor license in Alaska →

Arizona

Issuance: hybrid — typical clock 3–9 months.

Liquor license in Arizona →

Arkansas

Issuance: open — typical clock 1–6 months.

Liquor license in Arkansas →

California

Issuance: hybrid — typical clock 3–9 months.

Liquor license in California →

Colorado

Issuance: open — typical clock 1–6 months.

Liquor license in Colorado →

Connecticut

Issuance: hybrid — typical clock 1–6 months.

Liquor license in Connecticut →

Delaware

Issuance: open — typical clock 1–6 months.

Liquor license in Delaware →

District of Columbia

Issuance: open — typical clock 1–6 months.

Liquor license in District of Columbia →

Florida

Issuance: quota — typical clock 3–9 months.

Liquor license in Florida →

Georgia

Issuance: hybrid — typical clock 2–6 months.

Liquor license in Georgia →

Hawaii

Issuance: open — typical clock 1–6 months.

Liquor license in Hawaii →

Idaho

Control state. Issuance: open — typical clock 1–6 months.

Liquor license in Idaho →

Illinois

Issuance: hybrid — typical clock 2–6 months.

Liquor license in Illinois →

Indiana

Issuance: hybrid — typical clock 2–9 months.

Liquor license in Indiana →

Iowa

Control state. Issuance: open — typical clock 1–6 months.

Liquor license in Iowa →

Kansas

Issuance: open — typical clock 1–6 months.

Liquor license in Kansas →

Kentucky

Issuance: hybrid — typical clock 1–6 months.

Liquor license in Kentucky →

Louisiana

Issuance: open — typical clock 1–6 months.

Liquor license in Louisiana →

Maine

Control state. Issuance: open — typical clock 1–6 months.

Liquor license in Maine →

Maryland

Issuance: hybrid — typical clock 2–6 months.

Liquor license in Maryland →

Massachusetts

Issuance: quota — typical clock 6–18 months.

Liquor license in Massachusetts →

Michigan

Control state. Issuance: quota — typical clock 6–18 months.

Liquor license in Michigan →

Minnesota

Issuance: open — typical clock 1–6 months.

Liquor license in Minnesota →

Mississippi

Control state. Issuance: open — typical clock 1–6 months.

Liquor license in Mississippi →

Missouri

Issuance: open — typical clock 1–6 months.

Liquor license in Missouri →

Montana

Control state. Issuance: quota — typical clock 6–18 months.

Liquor license in Montana →

Nebraska

Issuance: open — typical clock 1–6 months.

Liquor license in Nebraska →

Nevada

Issuance: open — typical clock 1–6 months.

Liquor license in Nevada →

New Hampshire

Control state. Issuance: open — typical clock 1–6 months.

Liquor license in New Hampshire →

New Jersey

Issuance: quota — typical clock 12–18 months.

Liquor license in New Jersey →

New Mexico

Issuance: open — typical clock 1–6 months.

Liquor license in New Mexico →

New York

Issuance: hybrid — typical clock 4–8 months.

Liquor license in New York →

North Carolina

Control state. Issuance: open — typical clock 1–6 months.

Liquor license in North Carolina →

North Dakota

Issuance: open — typical clock 1–6 months.

Liquor license in North Dakota →

Ohio

Control state. Issuance: quota — typical clock 6–18 months.

Liquor license in Ohio →

Oklahoma

Issuance: open — typical clock 1–6 months.

Liquor license in Oklahoma →

Oregon

Control state. Issuance: open — typical clock 1–6 months.

Liquor license in Oregon →

Pennsylvania

Control state. Issuance: quota — typical clock 6–18 months.

Liquor license in Pennsylvania →

Rhode Island

Issuance: open — typical clock 1–6 months.

Liquor license in Rhode Island →

South Carolina

Issuance: open — typical clock 1–6 months.

Liquor license in South Carolina →

South Dakota

Issuance: quota — typical clock 6–18 months.

Liquor license in South Dakota →

Tennessee

Issuance: open — typical clock 1–6 months.

Liquor license in Tennessee →

Texas

Issuance: open — typical clock 1–2 months.

Liquor license in Texas →

Utah

Control state. Issuance: quota — typical clock 3–12 months.

Liquor license in Utah →

Vermont

Control state. Issuance: open — typical clock 1–6 months.

Liquor license in Vermont →

Virginia

Control state. Issuance: open — typical clock 1–6 months.

Liquor license in Virginia →

Washington

Issuance: open — typical clock 1–6 months.

Liquor license in Washington →

West Virginia

Control state. Issuance: open — typical clock 1–6 months.

Liquor license in West Virginia →

Wisconsin

Issuance: hybrid — typical clock 2–9 months.

Liquor license in Wisconsin →

Wyoming

Control state. Issuance: open — typical clock 1–6 months.

Liquor license in Wyoming →

The paperwork, filled in for you

Included in the $49 Opening Pack: the filled templates, trackers, calendars and worksheets for this door — built from the same dated datasets as the free checker above.

See the $49 Opening Pack