All liquor licenses issued by the State of Michigan Liquor Control Commission (“MLCC”), including all on-premises, off-premises, manufacturer, wholesaler and importer licenses, must be renewed by April 30, 2022. Liquor licenses issued by the MLCC are effective for a period of one year and expire April 30 of each licensing year. Exceptions exist only for certain sales representative and vendor permits, which are valid for terms of three years.
For those with licenses currently in escrow, different rules for renewal apply; however, these licenses must also be renewed despite the non-active nature of the license. Finally, no exceptions to the renewal rules exist for recently issued licenses — those issued in the 2021-2022 licensing year must be renewed on or prior to April 30, as well.
Restaurants, hotels, retail stores and other Michigan liquor-licensed operators wishing to retain their licensed status with the ability to furnish and/or sell alcoholic beverages, whether retail or wholesale, must renew their existing licenses on or prior to the April 30 deadline. The failure of an active licensee to timely renew a license is a violation of the Michigan Liquor Control Code and will subject the license to termination.
Typically, MLCC administrative staff will mail renewal packages mid-March. As of April 1, licensees can print their own renewal license online – in time for the May 1 renewal date – if there are no changes to their renewal license application. If a renewal application has been mailed to the MLCC prior to April 1, it may also be printed online. Licensees can only print active licenses for the current renewal year. Escrow renewals do not contain licensing documents that require printing. Instructions for printing renewal licenses can be found here.
Varnum’s Hospitality and Beverage Control Law attorneys are currently responding to a variety of license inquiries and are handling the renewal of licenses for several clients. If you would like our assistance in this regard or have any other questions, please contact us. We would be happy to review and submit the appropriate documentation to the State of Michigan to assure your license is properly renewed and delivered to you in a timely manner to avoid any suspensions of your license.
For this or any questions, please contact a member of the Hospitality and Beverage Control Law Practice Team including Christopher P. Baker (734/372-2922, [email protected]) and Jailah D. Emerson (313/481-7346, [email protected]).