All Liquor Licenses, renewals, label registrations, and excise tax submissions are managed through the Bureau’s Enterprise Liquor Licensing System (BELLS). Once you submit your application, the Town Clerk will automatically receive a notification and bring it before the Select Board.
If you are applying for a year-round or multiple-event License, a public hearing will be required before approval can be granted, meaning that a minimum of two Select Board meetings (typically once per week) must pass between submission and approval. No hearing is necessary for single events, so only a single Select Board meeting is required. Please be sure to apply early enough to allow for this process! We recommend leaving at least one additional week in case of meeting cancellations.
Once the Select Board has approved the Liquor License, the Town Clerk will need to collect a $25 administrative fee and, if a public hearing was required, the actual cost of print advertising for the event. Once paid, the License will be sent for final approval to the Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages & Lottery Operations, who typically release it for download through the BELLS portal within a couple of hours.
If you are selling liquor to be consumed on-premises and plan to host live entertainment, you will also require a Special Amusement Permit. All Special Amusement Permits require a public hearing. We strongly recommend applying for both at the same time.