How to Get a Missouri Liquor License

Last updated: September 11, 2026

Missouri is one of the cheapest states in the country to license a bar — until you want to open on Sunday. A Retail by Drink license runs $300 a year and a package store license is $100. But Sunday is its own licensed privilege: another $200 for Sunday by the drink, another $200 for Sunday package sales. On the staffing side, Missouri issues no state bartender permit at all — though some cities do.

Bartending in Missouri: No State Permit, but Check Your City

Missouri does not issue a bartender license and does not require statewide alcohol server certification. The requirement, where it exists, is local:

• Some cities and counties require their own employee permit to work in a business that serves alcohol — Kansas City is the most commonly cited example. Ask the jurisdiction where the establishment sits.
• The state does offer training: SMART, the State of Missouri Alcohol Responsibility Training program, is a free online course operated through the University of Missouri’s Wellness Resource Center, aimed at teaching servers their legal obligations.
• Employers often require a course anyway, and commercial providers sell Missouri-specific certificates — useful for hiring and liability, but not a state credential.

The Business License: State Plus Local

Retail licenses come from the Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control, and your city or county issues its own license alongside:

• Retail by Drink (RBD) — $300 a year. The bar and restaurant license for liquor by the drink.
• Original Package Liquor (OPL) — $100 a year. The package store license for sealed containers sold for consumption elsewhere.
• Sunday licenses, each separate: Sunday by Drink (SBD) $200, Sunday Original Package Liquor (SOP) $200, Sunday Beer and Light Wine by Drink (5SBD) $200.
• Seasonal option: a Retail by Drink Seasonal Resort license is priced at $25 per month for up to eight consecutive months — $200 for a full season.
• Fees are prorated by month, so a license issued mid-period costs proportionally less.
• The local license is not optional — cities and counties license separately, at their own fees and conditions.

What It Costs

Item	Cost	Notes
Bartender/server permit	$0 from the state	No statewide permit; some cities (e.g. Kansas City) require their own
SMART server training	Free	State-operated online program via the University of Missouri
Retail by Drink (RBD)	$300/yr	Bars and restaurants, liquor by the drink
Original Package Liquor (OPL)	$100/yr	Package store
Sunday by Drink (SBD)	$200/yr	Separate license — Sunday service is its own privilege
Sunday Original Package Liquor (SOP)	$200/yr	Sunday package sales
Sunday Beer and Light Wine by Drink (5SBD)	$200/yr	Sunday beer and light wine service
Retail by Drink Seasonal Resort (RDSR)	$25/month	Up to eight consecutive months ($200)
Local city or county license	Set locally	Required in addition to the state license
Missouri LLC	$50 online	$105 by paper; articles of organization, Missouri Secretary of State

Sunday Is a Separate License, and It Doubles Some Budgets

A Missouri bar that serves seven days a week does not hold one license. It holds Retail by Drink at $300 and Sunday by Drink at $200 — a two-thirds increase over the weekday license, for one extra day. A package store that wants Sunday trade pays $100 for Original Package Liquor and another $200 for the Sunday version, so Sunday costs twice what the rest of the week does.

That structure rewards thinking about your week before you file. If Sunday brunch, weekend sports, or Sunday package sales are part of the concept, the Sunday license is not an afterthought to add later — it is a line in the opening budget and a separate application to the Division. If Sunday genuinely is not part of the plan, Missouri becomes one of the least expensive states in the country to hold a liquor license in.

Two more Missouri-specific mechanics worth planning around. First, fees prorate by month, so timing an opening late in the license period reduces the first year’s cost — the Division publishes prorated schedules by license type. Second, seasonal operations have their own instrument: a Retail by Drink Seasonal Resort license at $25 a month for up to eight consecutive months, which suits a lake or tourist-season business far better than a full annual license.

And none of the above covers your local license, which is separately required and separately priced by your city or county.

How to Get Licensed, In Order

1. Map your week — decide now whether you are selling on Sundays, because that is a separate license and application.
2. Check your city and county requirements; the local license is required alongside the state one, and some jurisdictions also permit individual employees.
3. Register the entity with the Missouri Secretary of State — $50 online.
4. Apply to the Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control for your retail license class, adding the Sunday license if applicable.
5. Ask about proration if you are opening partway through the license period.
6. Train your staff — SMART is free, and some cities require their own employee permit regardless.

Staying Licensed

State licenses renew annually at their class fee — $300 Retail by Drink, $100 Original Package Liquor, $200 per Sunday license — with proration where a license period starts late. Your local license renews on the city or county’s own schedule and must be maintained alongside the state one. Where a municipality requires employee permits, those are the individual employee’s to keep current, but the establishment carries the consequence of an unpermitted worker.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need a license to bartend in Missouri?

Not from the state. Missouri does not issue a bartender license or require statewide alcohol server certification. Some cities and counties do require their own employee permit — Kansas City is a well-known example — so check with the jurisdiction where you will actually work. Missouri also operates a free online server training program, SMART, through the University of Missouri’s Wellness Resource Center.

How much is a liquor license in Missouri?

State fees are among the lowest in the country. A Retail by Drink license — the bar and restaurant license — is $300 a year. Original Package Liquor, the package store license, is $100 a year. Then Sunday sales cost extra: $200 for Sunday by the drink, $200 for Sunday package liquor. Your city or county charges its own license fee on top, and that local license is required as well.

Why does Missouri charge extra for Sunday sales?

Because Sunday sales are licensed separately. Missouri treats Sunday as its own privilege with its own license and its own fee — $200 for Sunday by the drink, $200 for Sunday original package liquor, and $200 for Sunday beer and light wine by the drink. If your business plan includes Sunday brunch or weekend package sales, that line belongs in the budget from the start.

What is a Retail by Drink license in Missouri?

The standard on-premises license for a bar or restaurant selling liquor by the drink, coded RBD by the Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control, at $300 per year. Package sales use a different license, Original Package Liquor, at $100 per year, and a business doing both holds both.

Are Missouri liquor license fees prorated?

Yes. Missouri prorates license fees by month, so a license issued partway through the license period costs proportionally less. The Division publishes prorated schedules by license type alongside the full annual fees.

Do I need a local license in Missouri too?

Yes. Missouri licensing runs at both levels — you apply to the state Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control and to your city or county. Jefferson City and Jefferson County, for example, each require their own local license alongside the state one. Requirements and fees are set locally, so confirm them before committing to a location.

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

Sources

Source	What It Covers
Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control — Fees	Retail by Drink $300, Original Package Liquor $100, Sunday licenses $200 each, seasonal resort $25/month, proration by month
Missouri ATC — Alcoholic Beverage Retail Licenses By Drink	By-the-drink retail license types
Missouri ATC — Alcoholic Beverage Retail Licenses By Package	Package retail license types
Missouri ATC — Alcoholic Beverage Server Training	SMART, the free state-operated online server training program
Missouri ATC — Liquor Licensing	Application process and license listings
Missouri Secretary of State — Schedule of Fees	$50 online / $105 paper LLC articles of organization