Arizona Liquor License Rules for Buyers, Sellers, and Applicants

Every Arizona liquor license comes from one state agency. The Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control (DLLC) issues each series under A.R.S. Title 4, and the city, town, or county where the premises sit gives a recommendation along the way. Whether you can apply directly or must find a quota license depends on the series and on the county.

Liquor License Agents helps restaurant, bar, hotel, and store owners work out which series fits the business and which of those two routes is open at their address.

How An Arizona Liquor License Application Moves From The State To Your City

Under A.R.S. 4-201, you file with the DLLC director, not with city hall. The director then sends the file to the city or town clerk, or to the county when the address is outside city limits. The statute then sets the clock:

  • Posting: a copy of the application stays on the front of the premises for 20 days.
  • Public comment: residents, owners, and tenants within a one-mile radius may file written arguments for or against during those 20 days.
  • Local vote: the governing body recommends approval or disapproval within 60 days after filing.
  • State decision: the application is approved or disapproved within 105 days after filing.

A local recommendation of disapproval sends the file to a hearing before the State Liquor Board. When the local body approves or stays silent, the director may issue the license without a hearing unless the board or an aggrieved party asks for one.

A.R.S. 4-207 bars a retail license within 300 horizontal feet of a K-12 school building or its fenced recreational area. Restaurant and hotel-motel licenses are among the types exempt from that distance rule.

Which Series Are Capped By County And Which Are Not

The DLLC marks three series as quota licenses, and the full list sits on its license types page. The series most operators ask about are these:

  • Series 6, Bar: beer, wine, and spirits for on-premises drinking. Quota license.
  • Series 7, Beer and Wine Bar: beer and wine only, on premises. Quota license.
  • Series 9, Liquor Store: all spirituous liquor in original packages to take away. Quota license.
  • Series 10, Beer and Wine Store: packaged beer and wine, with no quota marking.
  • Series 12, Restaurant: all spirituous liquor on premises where food brings in at least 40% of gross revenue. Not a quota license.

Off-sale under a Series 6 or Series 7 is limited to 30% of total retail sales, per the DLLC series pages.

Quota numbers are set county by county across Arizona's 15 counties. The DLLC says these licenses may not be available from the state directly and can be acquired from existing holders or, occasionally, through its lottery. Under A.R.S. 4-206.01, a random selection sets priority when more than one person applies for an available license, and the person issued a new one pays an added issuance fee equal to fair market value. A bar, beer and wine bar, or liquor store license may change location only within the same county.

The DLLC fee schedule dated 05/05/2025 lists a $100 application fee, a full-year issuance fee of $1,650 for Series 6, and $2,000 for Series 12. For quota series, the DLLC calls these administrative fees, not the market price of the license.

Where Liquor License Agents Fits In An Arizona Purchase Or Sale

Our work starts with the address and the menu, because those two things decide the series. For a project in Arizona, we can:

  • Review the business plan, the site, and the floor plan against the series you have in mind.
  • Advise whether a new application or a transfer from a current holder suits the county, and what buying a license involves on the buyer's side.
  • Help an owner who is selling a license with valuation, negotiation, and escrow coordination.
  • Prepare the application, the premises diagram, and the personal disclosures the DLLC asks for.
  • Work with the city, town, or county staff handling the local recommendation, and follow the file through the state review.

If a neighbor files an argument or the local body proposes conditions, we help you answer. The county index lists local pages.

Arizona county guides

Arizona Licensing FAQs

1. Which Arizona license series are quota licenses?

Series 6 (Bar), Series 7 (Beer and Wine Bar), and Series 9 (Liquor Store) are the quota licenses. The DLLC states that the number it may issue in a county is limited.

2. Can a bar license be moved from one county to another?

The statute provides for moves within the same county only. A.R.S. 4-203 makes a bar, liquor store, or beer and wine bar license transferable to any permitted location within the same county, and the move has to meet the requirements of an original application.

3. How long does the state have to decide an application?

The statute gives 105 days. A.R.S. 4-201 says an application shall be approved or disapproved within 105 days after filing. The local governing body's recommendation is due within 60 days.

4. Does winning the DLLC lottery mean you hold a license?

No. The DLLC states that winning the drawing only grants the opportunity to apply. Entry fees and the 10% fair market value payment are non-refundable, even if the full application is later denied or forfeited.

5. What does a Series 12 restaurant have to prove about food sales?

It has to derive at least 40% of gross revenue from food. A.R.S. 4-205.02 also requires an operation plan before the director issues the license, and the DLLC may audit the percentage. Falling short can lead to revocation or require conversion to another license type.

6. Who has to complete Title 4 training before a license is issued?

Owners, agents, and managers actively involved in day-to-day operations do. The DLLC requires a Basic certificate and a Management certificate, with Basic completed first. Each certificate is valid for 3 years from its completion date.

To talk through an Arizona purchase, sale, or new application, call (800) 799-9081 and tell us the county, the address, and the series you are considering. We will go over which route is open there, or you can contact Liquor License Agents in writing.

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