How to Get a Washington DC Liquor License

Last updated: September 11, 2026

In the District the license is priced by what you pour and how many people the fire marshal says you can hold, and the neighborhood gets 45 days to object. The Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA) issues every retail license under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, and its schedule runs in two classes — C for spirits, wine and beer, D for wine and beer — across restaurant, tavern, nightclub and hotel types. A full-service restaurant of 99 seats or fewer pays $1,000 a year, one of 500 or more $2,600; a tavern pays $1,300 to $3,120, a nightclub $1,950 to $5,850. Licenses run on three-year cycles, every application carries a $75 processing fee, and before the Board can act the applicant posts two placards for a 45-day protest period during which an Advisory Neighborhood Commission or five residents can force a hearing. Someone holding an ABC Manager license or endorsement must be on the premises whenever you are open, and the licensee itself completes ABCA’s training within 90 days of issuance.

Training: A Licensed Manager on Duty, a Trained Owner Within 90 Days

The District does not license bartenders, but it does not let a bar run without a licensed manager. ABCA’s rule is that on-premises retailers “must have the license holder or an ABC Manager on-duty and physically on-site to legally sell and serve alcohol.” An individual can hold an ABC Manager license for $390 per three-year term under DC Code §25-120, which requires completion of a Board-approved alcohol training and education certification program and recertification every three years; or the business can take an ABC Manager Endorsement that designates up to five employees as managers at $390 each, with additional designees at $130, each of whom must be at least 21 and complete the same Board-approved training. The endorsement runs with the business license and is renewed with it.

The owner trains too. Section 25-402(e) requires an applicant for a new retailer license to “complete a mandatory licensee training offered, at no cost, by ABCA within 90 calendar days of being issued the license,” on pain of a fine, suspension or revocation. And server training is the District’s preferred remedy after a violation: under §25-781(f) the five-day suspension for a first sale to a minor or an intoxicated person may be stayed for a year “if all employees who serve alcoholic beverages in the licensed establishment complete an alcohol training program within 3 months.” Nevada requires the card of every server up front; the District requires the manager and offers the staff course as the way to keep the doors open.

Classes, Types and the Food Test

DC Code §25-113 sets the on-premises retailer types. A restaurant license (R) issues only for a restaurant, which must keep its kitchen open until two hours before closing; a class C/R license goes to an establishment with gross annual food sales of at least $2,000 per occupant on its certificate of occupancy, or that otherwise qualifies as a restaurant under §25-101, and under §25-402(b) every restaurant and hotel applicant attests it will earn at least 45 percent of gross receipts from food each year of the license. A tavern license (T) is the bar license — food and drink with entertainment or dancing only under an endorsement, and a dance floor capped at 140 square feet without one. A nightclub license (N) issues only to a nightclub with a Board-approved security plan. A hotel license (H) covers dining rooms, lounges, banquet halls and guest rooms. Each type comes in class C (spirits, wine and beer) and class D (wine and beer). Under §25-311 no license issues without a valid certificate of occupancy and every other license and permit the business needs, and the applicant bears the burden of proving the establishment is appropriate for the neighborhood — unless proper notice was given and nobody objected, in which case appropriateness is presumed.

The 45 Days

ABCA describes the path plainly: application submission and acceptance, Board approval, then issuance, and “it may take several months.” The application under §25-402 names every owner and every shareholder of 10 percent or more, the school nearest the premises, the seating and standing capacity inside and out, the food, entertainment and hours, and comes with a lease or letter of intent, a Certificate of Clean Hands from the Office of Tax and Revenue, the basic business license, the zoning certificate and certificate of occupancy, and the entity documents. Once accepted, §25-423 requires the applicant to post two notices furnished by ABCA on the outside of the establishment for the duration of the protest period, photograph them within two days, and keep them up; if the Board finds they were not visible for the full 45-day protest period, it orders reposting and pushes the roll call hearing at least 45 days. Under §25-421 the Board notifies the Advisory Neighborhood Commission on or before the first day of the 45-day comment period.

Standing to protest under §25-601 belongs to an abutting property owner, a group of at least five residents or property owners (three inside a moratorium zone), an incorporated citizens association, the affected ANC, the Mayor or a federal custodian for government property within 600 feet, and the Metropolitan Police Department district commander. A protest filed within the period under §25-602 sends the application to a hearing; in practice most protests end in a settlement agreement, a Board-enforceable contract with the ANC or the protesting residents on hours, noise, security and outdoor service that the Board posts with the license record. Meeting the ANC before you file is how experienced operators shorten the calendar.

What It Costs

License or requirement	Class and capacity	Annual fee
Restaurant, class C (spirits, wine, beer)	99 or fewer / 100 to 199 / 200 to 499 / 500 or more	$1,000 / $1,300 / $1,950 / $2,600
Restaurant, class D (wine and beer)	Same tiers	$600 / $780 / $1,170 / $1,560
Tavern, class C	99 or fewer / 100 to 199 / 200 or more	$1,300 / $2,080 / $3,120
Tavern, class D	Same tiers	$1,000 / $1,300 / $1,950
Nightclub, class C	99 or fewer / 100 to 199 / 200 to 499 / 500 to 999 / 1,000 or more	$1,950 / $2,600 / $3,250 / $4,550 / $5,850
Nightclub, class D	Same tiers	$1,300 / $1,625 / $1,950 / $2,600 / $4,550
Hotel, class C / class D	99 or fewer guest rooms / 100 or more	$2,600 / $5,200  ·  $1,300 / $2,600
Application processing fee	New license, one time	$75
ABC Manager license	Individual; three years; Board-approved training	$390
ABC Manager Endorsement	Up to five designated employees, then additional	$390 each / $130 each
Entertainment endorsement	Dancing, live entertainment, cover charge	20% of the base license fee
Transfer to a new owner or location	One time	$250
Licensee training	Within 90 days of issuance	Free, from ABCA
DC LLC	Certificate of organization; biennial report	$99; $300 every two years

Five Neighbors Can Put You in Front of the Board

Most states give the public a comment window; the District gives it standing. Any five residents or property owners in the area, or three where a moratorium is in force, can file a protest and the Board must hear it; the ANC, whose recommendation the Board weighs, can do the same on its own. That is why the settlement agreement is the central document of DC licensing rather than a footnote. Arkansas mails notice to the sheriff and the prosecutor and holds a hearing if an official objects; New Hampshire settles the question town by town at the ballot box; the District hands the veto pen to the block. Budget for the ANC meeting before you budget for the placards.

The liability picture is narrower than the licensing one. Title 25 forbids the sale of alcohol to a person under 21 or to “an intoxicated person, or any person who appears to be intoxicated,” and §25-101 now defines intoxicated as having “consumed enough alcoholic beverages to visibly affect their manner, disposition, speech, muscular movement, or general appearance of behavior.” The statute’s own consequences are regulatory: a first violation brings a fine of $2,000 to $3,000 and a five-day suspension, a second within two years $3,000 to $5,000 and ten days, a third within three years $5,000 to $10,000 and fifteen days or revocation, and a fourth within four years revocation or a fine of at least $30,000 — with the early suspensions stayed if every server completes training within three months. Section 25-781 itself creates no civil cause of action and shields a licensee that refuses service; whether an injured third party can sue the bar is a matter for the District’s courts under ordinary negligence law, and the licensee’s record on that visible-intoxication standard is what such a case turns on. Nevada shields licensed sellers by statute; Arkansas sends the question to a jury; the District leaves it to the courts and polices the bar through the Board.

How to Get Licensed, In Order

1. Form the entity and get the paperwork ABCA will ask for: a DC LLC is $99 through the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, then the basic business license, the Certificate of Clean Hands from the Office of Tax and Revenue, the zoning certificate and the certificate of occupancy for the space.
2. Pick the class and type from the fee schedule: C or D; restaurant, tavern, nightclub or hotel. A restaurant plans for the food test ($2,000 per occupant or 45 percent of receipts); a nightclub writes a security plan; a tavern that wants dancing or a cover charge adds the entertainment endorsement at 20 percent of the base fee.
3. Talk to the ANC first. Its 45-day comment period starts when the Board notifies it, and a settlement agreement negotiated before filing is the difference between a roll call and a protest hearing.
4. File the application with the $75 fee — every owner and 10 percent shareholder, the lease or letter of intent, capacity, hours, food and entertainment plans, the nearest school — and the first year’s license fee, or the whole three-year period if you prefer.
5. Post the two placards the day ABCA furnishes them, photograph them within two days, and keep them up for the full 45-day protest period; a gap restarts the clock.
6. Clear the roll call hearing, or the protest hearing and settlement agreement if one is filed, then receive the license. Hold an ABC Manager license yourself or designate managers under an endorsement so someone licensed is always on duty.
7. Complete ABCA’s licensee training within 90 days of issuance; it is free and failing to take it is grounds for a fine or suspension.

Staying Licensed

Renew on the class calendar. ABCA issues licenses for three-year periods with every establishment of the same type expiring on the same date — restaurants and hotels March 31, 2028, taverns and nightclubs September 30, 2028 in the current cycle — and a late payment costs $50 a day up to the cost of the license.

Keep a licensed manager on the floor. The license holder or an ABC Manager must be on duty and on site whenever alcohol is sold; managers recertify every three years and endorsement designees renew with the business license.

File the quarterly food statements. A restaurant licensee reports gross receipts to the Board on its schedule and attests to the 45 percent food share for every year of the license; the Board makes the statements available to protestants.

Report changes within 30 days. Section 25-402 requires notice of any change to the owners, the establishment’s owner or the ABCA contact within 30 days, and a transfer to a new owner or location is a $250 application with its own notice period.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a liquor license in Washington DC?

ABCA’s schedule sets annual fees by class and capacity. A class C restaurant license (spirits, wine and beer) is $1,000 for 99 seats or fewer, $1,300 for 100 to 199, $1,950 for 200 to 499 and $2,600 for 500 or more; the class D version (wine and beer) is $600 to $1,560. A class C tavern is $1,300, $2,080 or $3,120 by the same capacity bands, a class C nightclub $1,950 to $5,850, and a class C hotel $2,600 or $5,200 by room count. Every new application carries a $75 processing fee, and an ABC Manager license is $390 for three years.

How long does it take to get a liquor license in DC?

ABCA says the process “may take several months.” After the application is accepted, DC Code §25-423 requires two placards posted on the establishment for a 45-day protest period, the Board notifies the Advisory Neighborhood Commission on or before the first day of that period, and a protest filed in time goes to a hearing. If the placards are not visible for the full 45 days the Board orders them reposted and reschedules the roll call hearing at least 45 days out.

Who can protest a DC liquor license?

Under DC Code §25-601: an abutting property owner; a group of at least five residents or property owners sharing common grounds (three in a moratorium zone); an incorporated citizens association in the area; the affected Advisory Neighborhood Commission; the Mayor or the federal custodian of government property within 600 feet; and the Metropolitan Police Department district commander. Most protests are resolved by a settlement agreement on hours, noise, security and outdoor service that the Board enforces as part of the license.

Do you need a license to bartend in DC?

Not as a server, but the bar needs a licensed manager. ABCA requires the license holder or an ABC Manager to be on duty and physically on site whenever alcohol is sold. An ABC Manager license costs $390 for three years under DC Code §25-120 and requires a Board-approved alcohol training certification, renewed every three years; alternatively the business can designate up to five employees under an ABC Manager Endorsement at $390 each, with additional designees at $130. The licensee itself must complete ABCA’s free training within 90 days of issuance under §25-402(e).

What is the food requirement for a DC restaurant liquor license?

Two tests. Under DC Code §25-113 a class C/R license may issue to an establishment with gross annual food sales of at least $2,000 per occupant on its certificate of occupancy, or one that otherwise qualifies as a restaurant under §25-101; and under §25-402(b) every restaurant or hotel applicant attests it will receive at least 45 percent of gross annual receipts from food during each year of the license, reported to the Board in quarterly statements. The kitchen must stay open until two hours before closing. Cover charges and non-food sales do not count toward the food share.

What happens if a DC bar serves an intoxicated person?

DC Code §25-781 prohibits selling or serving to an intoxicated person or anyone who appears intoxicated, with intoxicated defined in §25-101 as having consumed enough alcohol to visibly affect manner, disposition, speech, muscular movement or general appearance. A first violation brings a fine of $2,000 to $3,000 and a five-day suspension, which the Board may stay for a year if all servers complete an alcohol training program within three months; penalties escalate to revocation or a fine of at least $30,000 by the fourth violation in four years. The section shields a licensee from damages for refusing service.

What does a DC LLC cost?

The Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection charges $99 to file a domestic LLC certificate of organization and $300 for the biennial report every two years, with a $100 late fee. Filing is online through the Corporations Division’s business portal; walk-in customers pay an additional $100 expedited fee.

Forming the company, taxes, insurance, and hiring are covered in our full guide to starting a business in Washington DC.

Sources

Source	What It Covers
ABCA — License Fee and Renewal Schedule	Licenses are generally issued for three-year periods with all establishments of the same type expiring on the same date; license fees are due by the renewal deadline and may be paid for the entire licensing period or on an annual basis; late payment is subject to an additional fee of $50 per day, not to exceed the cost of the license; annual license fees for all class C and D licenses are based on the capacity noted on the Certificate of Occupancy; CR-01 restaurant 99 or fewer $1,000, CR-02 100-199 $1,300, CR-03 200-499 $1,950, CR-04 500 or more $2,600, all expiring March 31, 2028; DR-01 $600, DR-02 $780, DR-03 $1,170, DR-04 $1,560; CT-01 tavern 99 or fewer $1,300, CT-02 100-199 $2,080, CT-03 200 or more $3,120, expiring September 30, 2028; DT $1,000 / $1,300 / $1,950; CN nightclub $1,950 / $2,600 / $3,250 / $4,550 / $5,850; DN $1,300 / $1,625 / $1,950 / $2,600 / $4,550; CH-01 hotel 99 or fewer guest rooms $2,600, CH-02 100 or more $5,200; DH $1,300 / $2,600; ABC Manager $390 every three years; ABC Manager Endorsement $390 each for up to five endorsements, $130 for additional endorsements; Entertainment Endorsement 20% of the base licensing fee; application processing fees: new license $75, transfer of a license to a new owner $250, transfer to a new location $250, stipulated license $100
ABCA — Apply for an Alcohol License	It may take several months to move through the entire licensing process; steps are application submission and acceptance, Board approval, and license issuance; required documents include a letter of intent to lease or the lease, government issued ID, Clean Hands Certificate, Basic Business License, Zoning Certificate and Certificate of Occupancy, entity documents and operating agreement; once accepted the application may require posting public notice placards on the establishment for a 45-day period for a new retailer’s license
ABCA — ABC Manager Endorsement	On-premises retailers, off-premises retailers and manufacturers with an on-site sales and consumption endorsement must have the license holder or an ABC Manager on-duty and physically on-site to legally sell and serve alcohol; an ABC Manager Endorsement permits the business to designate up to five employees as ABC Managers, with up to five additional for a per person registration fee; designated employees must be at least 21 years of age and complete an ABC Board-approved alcohol awareness training program; endorsements are valid for the duration of the alcohol license
DC Code §25-113 — On-premises retailer’s licenses	A restaurant license (R) shall be issued only for a restaurant, and it is a violation for a restaurant not to keep its kitchen facilities open until 2 hours before closing; the licensee files quarterly statements of gross receipts which the Board makes available to protestants; two classes, C/R (spirits, wine, and beer) and D/R (wine and beer); a class C/R license may be issued to an establishment which qualifies as a restaurant and has gross annual food sales of at least $2000 per occupant as determined by the Board-approved certificate of occupancy; a tavern license (T) shall be issued only for a tavern, with a dance floor not exceeding 140 square feet without an entertainment endorsement; a nightclub license (N) shall be issued only to a nightclub with a security plan; a hotel license (H) authorizes sale in dining rooms, lounges, banquet halls and private rooms of guests; cover charges and non-food sales are not included in determining gross annual food sales or the 45% food share
DC Code §25-101 — Definitions	“Intoxicated” means a condition in which a person has consumed enough alcoholic beverages to visibly affect their manner, disposition, speech, muscular movement, or general appearance of behavior; “Tavern” means a space regularly used and kept open as a place where food and alcoholic beverages may be served, which may offer entertainment and facilities for dancing only with an entertainment endorsement; “Nightclub” means a space regularly used and kept open as a place that serves food and alcoholic beverages and provides music and facilities for dancing
DC Code §25-402 — New license application for manufacturer, wholesaler, or retailer	The application includes the names and addresses of each member of an LLC or each officer, director and shareholder holding 10% or more of a corporation, the owner of the establishment, the class of license, the proximity to the nearest school, the number of seats and standing patrons inside and on any sidewalk café or summer garden, the food, entertainment, goods and hours, and evidence of compliance with the posting requirements of 25-423; the licensee shall notify ABCA within 30 days of any change to the ownership or contact information; the applicant for a restaurant or hotel license shall attest that it will receive at least 45% of its gross annual receipts from the sale of food during each year of the license period; an applicant for a new manufacturer, wholesaler, or retailer license shall complete a mandatory licensee training offered, at no cost, by ABCA within 90 calendar days of being issued the license, and failure may result in a fine, suspension or revocation
DC Code §25-311 — Qualification of establishment	The applicant bears the burden of proving that the establishment is appropriate for the locality, section, or portion of the District where it is to be located; if proper notice has been given and no objection to appropriateness is filed, the establishment shall be presumed to be appropriate; no license, except a solicitor’s license, shall be issued unless the applicant has a valid certificate of occupancy for the premises and all other licenses and permits required by law
DC Code §25-421 — Notice by Board	The Board shall give notice to the ANC on or before the first day of the 45-day comment period
DC Code §25-423 — Posted notice required for the duration of the protest period	The applicant shall post 2 notices, furnished by ABCA, in conspicuous places on the outside of the establishment for the duration of the protest period, stating the final day of the protest period and the date, time and place of the roll call hearing; if the Board determines the notices have not remained visible to the public for the duration of the 45-day protest period it shall require reposting and reschedule the roll call hearing for a date at least 45 days after the originally scheduled hearing; the applicant shall take a picture of the posted placards within 2 calendar days of posting; the requirement does not apply to solicitor’s, manager’s, caterer’s or temporary licenses
DC Code §25-601 — Standing to file protest	Standing to protest the issuance, renewal, substantial change or transfer of a license belongs to an abutting property owner; a group of no fewer than 5 residents or property owners sharing common grounds for their protest, or 3 or more in a moratorium zone; a citizens association incorporated in the District whose membership is open to all residents of the area; an affected ANC; the Mayor for District-owned property within 600 feet or the federal custodian for property owned by the United States within 600 feet; and the Metropolitan Police Department District Commander or designee
DC Code §25-602 — Filing a protest, timing and requirements	Any person objecting under 25-601 to the approval of an application shall notify the Board in writing of the intention to object and the grounds within the protest period; if the applicant did not comply fully with the notice requirements the Board shall extend the protest period as needed
DC Code §25-120 — Manager’s license requirements and qualifications	A manager’s license authorizes the licensee to manage a licensed business and may be used at one or more licensed businesses; the license is valid for 3 years or until surrendered, suspended, or revoked; a manager shall complete an alcohol training and education certification program conducted by a Board-approved provider and shall be recertified every 3 years from the date of the initial certification; the Board may fine, suspend, revoke or not renew the license of a manager who within 3 years directly sold to a minor on 2 or more dates or interfered with an investigation
DC Code §25-781 — Sale to minors or intoxicated persons prohibited	The sale or delivery of alcoholic beverages to a person under 21 years of age or to an intoxicated person, or any person who appears to be intoxicated, is prohibited; a licensee shall not be liable to any person for damages claimed to arise from refusal to sell or to permit consumption under this section; upon the 1st violation the Board shall fine the licensee not less than $2,000 and not more than $3,000 and suspend the licensee for 5 consecutive days, which may be stayed for one year if all employees who serve alcoholic beverages complete an alcohol training program within 3 months; 2nd violation in 2 years $3,000 to $5,000 and 10 days; 3rd violation in 3 years $5,000 to $10,000 and 15 days or revocation; 4th violation in 4 years revocation or a fine of no less than $30,000; 5th or subsequent revocation; an affirmative defense for a fake identification of such quality that a reasonable person would believe it valid
DC Code §25-115 — Temporary license requirements	A temporary license authorizes sale for consumption at a banquet, picnic, bazaar, fair or similar public gathering where food is served, for no more than 4 consecutive days, in class F (beer and wine) and class G (spirits, beer, and wine), at the discretion of the Board
DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection — Corporations Division fees, Limited Liability Company	Domestic limited liability company certificate of organization $99.00; amendment or restatement of certificate of organization $220.00; reservation or transfer of name $50.00; biennial report $300.00; biennial report late fee $100.00; reinstatement after administrative dissolution $300.00
DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection — Domestic Limited Liability Company	File online through the Corporations Division’s business portal (BOSS, formerly CorpOnline) or by mail or walk-in; walk-in customers are charged an expedited fee for one day service of $100 in addition to regular filing fees