Liquor License Transfers

The firm's liquor license attorney is: Richard A. Vendetti

Buyers and Sellers

Our firm has represented clients who buy or sell liquor licenses for over twenty years. Since restrictions exist for the issuance of new licenses and few new licenses are issued, most clients obtain a liquor license through the transfer process. Our firm will represent you through the application and interview process which is a requirement through the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. The application must be approved by the PaLCB in order to obtain a new license or transfer the existing liquor license. Once you have located a liquor license you want to buy, our firm will ensure your application gets filled out and filed in a timely fashion.

There are four ways of obtaining a liquor license.

• New license
• Person to Person Transfer. This is the transfer of an existing license to a purchaser. It changes ownership only, and will be used at the same location.
• Place to Place Transfer. This is the transfer of an existing license to another location without changing ownership.
• Person to Person and Place to Place Transfer. This is the transfer of an existing license to a different location and new ownership.

Depending on the type of transfer being completed, our firm will fill out and mail the appropriate package of forms to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. We will set up a conference to get all pertinent information. The sellers will need to sign forms along with the buyers. If a buyer is a corporation, our firm will also assist you in forming the corporation. Our firm will determine the amount of fees required for the transfer. Every transfer requires two recent photos of the applicant, 1 ½" by 1 ½" , and two photos of the exterior of the premises and two photos of the interior main serving room. These photos must be matte finish. Each transfer requires a criminal records check for every applicant, member, manager, partner and all principal officers. Plus Social Security information, Tax Certification Clearance and an Affidavit of Compliance along with the completed Application.

The LCB requires Tax Clearance from both parties involved in the liquor license transfer. Our firm will contact the necessary departments to obtain a tax clearance for you. UC Form 61 will be completed and faxed to the Labor and Industry Board. Department of Revenue tax clearance will be completed via email. Both parties must be in good standing order with their state tax obligations.

Once the Liquor Control Board received your application, an interview will be set up for all initial interview. Our office will set up the interview with the LCB Representative. At time of interview, an Individual Disclosure Statement will be completed. This statement indicates where your funds are coming from. You will need to bring in statements showing you have available funds in these accounts. The LCB Representative will request copies of pertinent information. Once that interview has taken place and all forms have been submitted, the LCB Representative will submit his interview to the LCB for approval. Once approved by the LCB, a closing will take place within ten days of approval. Our firm will schedule said closing and prepare all closing documents.

Liquor License Corporation Buy-SellAgreements

Our firm can prepare Buy-Sell Agreements for both the Purchaser of a liquor license and the Seller of a liquor license. The Buy-Sell Agreement will contain all the terms of the proposed sale or transfer including the purchase price, amount of funds paid down on the transaction, and whether a mortgage contingency is required for financing the conveyance. In addition, the Buy-Sell Agreement can allocate the funds required in the transaction for specific items, such as the cost allocated to the purchase of the building, the cost of fixtures and equipment, the amount allocated for Goodwill, and the amount allocated for the Covenant Not to Compete on the part of the Seller. The Buy-Sell Agreement, whether prepared for the Buyer or Seller, contains all essential terms of the liquor license transfer, and is the agreement that is scrutinized as the principle document by the Liquor Control Board at the time of the filing of the application for transfer.