Tagged: Liquor License

Reminder to Alcoholic Beverage Licensees: Annual TTB Filing Due July 1, 2023

Businesses that sell or serve alcoholic beverages, such as liquor stores, grocery stores, bars, and restaurants, not only must obtain the appropriate retail license within the jurisdictions in which they operate, but are also subject to Alcohol Dealer Registration with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) within the U.S. Department of the Treasury. This often overlooked registration requirement must be satisfied prior to commencement of alcoholic beverage sales, and any changes in the ownership of the business, business locations, and certain other information must be disclosed annually in a filing that is due July 1. The registration requirement arises from Title 26 of the United States Code (specifically, Subtitle E, Chapter 51 of the Internal Revenue Code) and applies to any “dealer,” which is defined in 27 CFR § 31.1 as “[a]ny person who sells, or offers for sale, any distilled spirits, wines, or beer.” Thus, retail dealers include liquor stores, restaurants, bars, private clubs, fraternal organizations, grocery stores, supermarkets, hotels, sports stadiums, caterers, trains, aircraft, and vessels. Wholesalers and importers are also included within the definition of “dealer.” Subject to certain exceptions, both retail dealers and wholesale dealers must comply with the applicable registration requirements. Registration entails filing TTB Form 5630.5d before engaging in business and on or before July 1...

Reminder to Alcoholic Beverage Licensees: Annual TTB Filing Due July 1, 2022

Businesses that sell or serve alcoholic beverages, such as liquor stores, grocery stores, bars, and restaurants, not only must obtain the appropriate retail license within the jurisdictions in which they operate, but also are subject to Alcohol Dealer Registration with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (“TTB”) within the U.S. Department of the Treasury. This often overlooked registration requirement must be satisfied prior to commencement of alcoholic beverage sales, and any changes in the ownership of the business, business locations, and certain other information must be disclosed annually in a filing that is due July 1. The registration requirement arises from Title 26 of the United States Code (specifically, Subtitle E, Chapter 51 of the Internal Revenue Code) and applies to any “dealer,” which is defined in 27 CFR § 31.1 as “[a]ny person who sells, or offers for sale, any distilled spirits, wines, or beer.” Thus, retail dealers include liquor stores, restaurants, bars, private clubs, fraternal organizations, grocery stores, supermarkets, hotels, sports stadiums, caterers, trains, aircraft, and vessels. Wholesalers and importers are also included within the definition of “dealer.” Subject to certain exceptions, both retail dealers and wholesale dealers must comply with the applicable registration requirements. Registration entails filing TTB Form 5630.5d before engaging in business and on or before July 1...

Jennifer Phillips Smith Named Co-Chair of Gibbons Real Property Group

Gibbons P.C. is pleased to announce that Jennifer Phillips Smith has been named Co-Chair of the firm’s Real Property Group, effective February 1, 2022. She joins Co-Chair Douglas J. Janacek, who has been a leader of the Real Property Group for over a dozen years. Ms. Smith is lead land use attorney on several of New Jersey’s largest, most high-profile development and redevelopment projects, which garner extensive media coverage. Examples include a $2.5 billion redevelopment, which is being called the “largest mixed-use development site in New Jersey’s history,” the transformation of the Asbury Park Waterfront, and the repositioning of a former manufacturing and office site, named “Mixed-Use Deal of the Year” by the leading statewide commercial real estate development association. As Co-Chair of the Real Property Group, she will work with Mr. Janacek in overseeing the work of group attorneys and managing group activities and workload, including fees and billings, matter management, case staffing, associate training and broader professional development, client relations, and business development. In her legal practice, Ms. Smith helps businesses in New Jersey expand and optimize the reach of their markets and operations through the development and redevelopment of real property for their facilities, directing project and case strategies, guiding teams, and serving as primary Gibbons contact broadly responsible for these client...

Reminder to Alcoholic Beverage Licensees: Annual TTB Filing Due July 1

Businesses that sell or serve alcoholic beverages, such as liquor stores, grocery stores, bars, and restaurants, not only must obtain the appropriate retail license within the jurisdictions in which they operate, but are also subject to Alcohol Dealer Registration with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (“TTB”) within the U.S. Department of the Treasury. This often overlooked registration requirement must be satisfied prior to commencement of alcoholic beverage sales, and any changes in the ownership of the business, business locations, and certain other information must be disclosed annually in a filing that is due July 1. The registration requirement arises from Title 26 of the United States Code (specifically, Subtitle E, Chapter 51 of the Internal Revenue Code) and applies to any “dealer,” which is defined in 27 CFR § 31.1 as “[a]ny person who sells, or offers for sale, any distilled spirits, wines, or beer.” Thus, retail dealers include liquor stores, restaurants, bars, private clubs, fraternal organizations, grocery stores, supermarkets, hotels, sports stadiums, caterers, trains, aircraft, and vessels. Wholesalers and importers are also included within the definition of “dealer.” Subject to certain exceptions, both retail dealers and wholesale dealers must comply with the applicable registration requirements. Registration entails filing TTB Form 5630.5d before engaging in business and on or before July 1...

NJABC Issues Order Extending 2019-2020 License Term

The Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (the “Division”) issued an order on April 13, 2020, extending the 2019-2020 license term for all municipally-issued and state-issued licenses until September 30, 2020. Under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act (the “Act”), local governing bodies (known as local issuing authorities) have the authority to issue and renew retail licenses. These retail licenses are in effect for a one-year term, beginning on July 1 of each year. In certain instances, the licenses can also be extended by the Division through ad interim permits. The licenses for the 2019-2020 term were set to expire on June 30, 2020. The Division, rather than local issuing authorities, issues and renews wholesale and manufacturing licenses and associated permits, known as State-issued licenses, which have the same license term as retail licenses. These State-issued licenses include, but are not limited to, Plenary, Limited, and Restricted Brewery Licenses and Plenary, Limited, and Craft Distillery Licenses. Some associated State-issued permits include, but are not limited to, Special Concessionaire Permits, Sampling Permits, Consumer Tasting Permits, and Off-Premise Storage of Records Permits. These State-issued licenses and permits were similarly set to expire on June 30, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 crisis and its associated consequences, the Division found that many licensees will be unable to renew their licenses by...

NJABC Relaxes Additional Regulations in Response to COVID-19 Crisis

On April 7, 2020, we published a blog explaining the guidance and forms of relief recently provided by the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (“Division”) to liquor license holders throughout the state. The issued guidance and relief pertain to operations of alcoholic beverage licensees and permittees during the state of emergency declared to address the COVID-19 crisis. Since that time, the Division has issued three new special rulings to address additional COVID-19 related issues. Each special ruling is summarized briefly below. Special Ruling Granting Relaxation of Signature Requirement, Product Returns, Credit, Notices of Obligation, and Bill and Hold This special ruling grants relaxation of several regulations promulgated under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act (the “Act”), as well as under a previous special ruling. Signature on Invoices: To comply with social distancing protocols, the Division temporarily suspended the requirement that a licensee must sign and date a delivery slip, invoice, manifest, waybill, or similar document at the time of delivery of any alcoholic beverage by a licensed manufacturer, importer, or wholesaler. It sets forth acceptable alternative methods for signature, which includes methods like sending a contemporaneous email confirming receipt, photographing the invoice and confirming electronically with the wholesaler, or using the retailer’s own pen to acknowledge receipt. This modification runs through the period of...

NJABC Issues Guidance and Provides Relief to Certain Licensees and Permit Holders During COVID-19 Crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented unforeseen challenges to countless businesses across the country. Businesses that serve alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption have been hit particularly hard. Through Executive Order No. 107 (the “Order”), and in connection with the declared State of Emergency, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy imposed certain restrictions on restaurants and bars. On March 30, 2020, the State of New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (“Division”) issued Advisory Notice 2020-03, which outlines the Division’s interpretation of the Order and provides guidance to licensees concerning the activities in which they may engage in during the COVID-19 crisis. All license holders in the state should review the advisory notice in full, in addition to some of the major points outlined below. Following those points is an explanation of the special ruling regarding Limited Brewery License holders that was issued by the Division concurrently with the advisory notice, and a summary of some recent changes in protocol for interactions with the Division and its staff. Lastly, there is a brief summary of the April 1, 2020 order issued by the Division authorizing the extension of certain alcoholic beverage permits. Advisory Notice 2020-03 Retail consumption licensees: Bars, restaurants, or other establishments holding retail licenses may be open during this time and sell alcoholic beverages in their...

Retail Liquor License Renewals Now Due

All New Jersey retail liquor licenses for the 2015-2016 license term expire on June 30, 2016. All New Jersey retail liquor licensees should have received notification in April through the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control’s (ABC’s) web-based system, POSSE ABC, to renew their liquor licenses utilizing the ABC’s online portal. Subject to the specific renewal deadline fixed by each municipality, all state and municipal retail liquor license renewal fees for the 2016-2017 license term are currently due. Prior to renewal, all retail liquor licensees must also receive an Alcoholic Beverage Retail License Clearance Certificate for renewal from the Division of Taxation.

New Year’s Eve All Night Alcoholic Beverage Permit Application Deadline Approaching in New York

The New York State Liquor Authority (SLA) has announced on its webpage that the submission deadline for New Year’s Eve All Night Permit Applications is November 16, 2015. The SLA has outlined the criteria that will be considered in deciding whether to issue such permits. They include: timely filing of the application; licensee’s disciplinary history (including any pending charges); and whether, given the nature of the event, the licensee has adequate facilities and security plans in place.

Untapped Potential in New Jersey’s Nascent Craft Beer Industry

Two years ago, New Jersey lawmakers revised an archaic law that had been a major obstacle to anyone who wanted to launch a start-up brewery in the state. New Jersey’s old law severely restricted craft brewers’ ability to actually sell their beer to visitors of the brewery, thus undermining the economics of on-site bars or tap rooms, which most small operations in other states rely on as an important revenue source, especially in the early stages. The old law even limited how many free samples a brewer could hand out, which proved particularly troublesome for entrepreneurs trying to gain brand recognition and market share, and appeal to consumers’ varied tastes. The new law was intended to put brewpubs, microbreweries and so-called “nanobreweries” on an equal footing with competitors in neighboring states. While this legislation was a welcome step for the craft beer industry, more can be done.