Weddings, anniversaries, birthday parties, and different types of corporate events can be more successful and memorable for all the right reasons if the guests are served great food and some alcoholic beverages. These kinds of celebration or events will certainly be more complete and fun if the guests get to sip or chug some champagne, wine, cocktails, and bottles of beer.
Caterers will therefore need to have a liquor license to be able to serve alcoholic beverages during functions. In Florida, The Department of Business & Professional Regulation or DBPR grants this license and other types of liquor permits to companies and entrepreneurs, including caterers.
If you want to knowhow to get a liquor license in Florida that you can use for your catering business, here are some useful steps and tips you should be aware of:
- The particular type of liquor license you will have to apply for if you are a caterer is 13CT. To qualify for this permit, you need to be licensed by local hotels and restaurants first. This means you will have to submit a Hotels & Restaurants (H&R) approval or certificate. Your business should also derive at least 51% of its gross revenue from the service of food and non-alcoholic beverages; if not, you won’t be allowed to sell or serve alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises of any event you will cater.
- Fill in the complete application forms. You can download them on DBPR’s website. Make sure you provide only truthful and correct answers or information.
- Prepare your payment. If you are applying for a permanent license, you will have to pay $1,830. This license will be valid for one year. If you want to get a temporary license only, the fee is $455 or a quarter of the annual license fee.
- You may be required to have your fingerprints scanned. Be prepared for this as well if the DBPR asks you to submit a valid fingerprint card.
- Prepare other supporting documents and requirements you will be asked to submit. These usually include:
- Department of Revenue or DOR clearance
- Federal Employer\’s Identification Number or FEIN
- Secretary of State/Certificate of Status
- Social Security Number (SSN)
Once you have all these documents, send your application pack by mail or deliver this personally to the DBPR office.
Professional liquor license consultants can also help you from start to finish with the whole application process. From getting the right application forms, to filling them out and compiling all the requirements and submitting them, you can bypass a lot of hassle and stress with their assistance.