A permit holder cannot, directly or indirectly, sell alcohol, serve alcohol for more than four hours i a 24-hour period, serve alcohol more than 24 days per year, or serve or distribute alcohol between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. A permit holder cannot allow anyone younger than 18 years old to sell or dispense alcohol or allow anyone 18 to 20 years old to sell or dispense alcohol unless supervised by another person on the premises that is 21 years old or older.
A permit holder can serve no more than:
To be eligible for the retail establishment liquor permit, a business must:
Make sure you have everything from the "Required documents" section below.
Important notes to keep in mind about your documents:
To submit your application, please go to this online application, fill it out, attach all required documents and submit online.
Please make sure that you have all of your required documents and information ready when you start your application. If you need to gather the information during the application process you can "Save" and resume the application at a later date.
After applying, you will receive an invoice to pay fees. You cannot pay fees until you have received an invoice. Visit the online payment process page or watch the "How to pay online" video for more information.
For questions, email [email protected] or call 311.
State fees:
$93.25 made payable to the Colorado Department of Revenue
Local fees:
$103.75 made payable to the Manager of Finance
Excise and Licenses tries to conduct an initial review of a complete application within seven business days. The review process might take longer if it is incomplete or requires police review (if applicable).
After all the steps below are complete, email [email protected] to let the Department know you want your license emailed. Include the business file number (BFN), and the name and address of the business.
The licensee should read "Once you have your license" below and follow the requirements.
Applicants can come to the office to submit their documents in person. Customers seeking in-person customer service should make an appointment. To make an appointment, visit the appointments website. The Excise and Licenses office is at 201 W Colfax Ave., on the second floor of the Wellington Webb Municipal Building.
Customers can pay their fees after they receive an invoice. Visit the online payments process page for more information.
Applicants are encouraged to pay their fees online, but in-person payments are available. After receiving an invoice, customers can go to the Community Planning and Development cashier counter on the second floor of the Wellington Webb Municipal Building. Cashiers are available Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Documents required for online form, mail or in person application:
License must be displayed
Excise and Licenses will email a professional license to all licensees. This license (or a clear picture of it) must always be displayed.
Requirement to keep contact information up to date
Email [email protected] to notify the Department of any contact information changes (place of business, onsite manager, etc.). These updates must be submitted within 72 hours of the change.
Requirement to renew annually
Licenses expire annually. It is unlawful to operate with an expired license. A renewal application must be filed before the license expires.
Office hours (Schedule an appointment)8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday
Liquor office hours (Schedule an appointment) 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday
If you have a compliment, complaint or concern about a business in Denver, complete the form below. We will investigate any complaint about a business license issued for the City and County of Denver.
Compliment and complaint form