The Montana Department of Revenue announces the availability of additional liquor licenses in six Montana communities and is now accepting applications for them.
After reviewing this year’s population estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Census and state area quotas, we have added two all-beverages floaters licenses and one beer license to Billings, one beer license to Sidney, one city beer license to Dillon, one city beer license to Plains, two all-beverages floater licenses to Broadwater County and four all-beverages floater licenses to Jefferson County.
Every year at this time, we adjust the number of licenses available in each quota area based on population estimates.
“The availability of liquor licenses is significant to a community, because it usually means that a community may be getting a new business,” says Shauna Helfert, Liquor Control Division Administrator. “This can only be good for the Main Streets in these communities.”
The initial applications for the license are due by 5 p.m., September 2, 2014. Once we receive the application, we will review it to determine if the applicant is eligible for the license. If there is more than one eligible applicant for any of the licenses, we will hold a lottery drawing in Helena in mid-October for the license. Once the drawing is complete, we will notify the successful and unsuccessful applicants.
Lottery applications can be downloaded by visiting: revenue.mt.gov/home/liquor/liquor_lottery and clicking on “Forms.”
An All-Beverages license allows an establishment to sell liquor, beer and table wine at retail for on- or off-premises consumption. A floater license allows the successful applicant to purchase a license from a license quota area over the quota limit and use that license in a town or county where the quota has been raised -- Billings, Broadwater County, and Jefferson County in this year’s case. Montana law requires that the gambling allowance tied to an All-Beverages license be removed when it floats into another county. A floater All-Beverages license also can’t be mortgaged, nor can it be transferred to another owner for five years.
There are currently 1453 All-Beverages licenses in Montana, 106 of which are currently in Billings, four in Broadwater County and 12 in Jefferson County.
The available beer licenses allow establishments to sell beer for on- or off- premises consumption. Licensees may add a wine amendment, allowing them to sell wine. There are currently 436 beer licenses in Montana, 55 of which are in Billings, six in Sidney, five in Dillon and one in Plains.
For more information about the state Liquor Control Division, please visit revenue.mt.gov/home/liquor.
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