Miami Liquor License Rules for Restaurants, Bars and Package Stores

A Miami liquor license answers to the state and to the city. Florida's Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco issues the license, while the City of Miami decides where the premises may sit and how late it may pour. Liquor License Agents helps restaurant, bar, and package store owners, and people buying or selling those businesses, satisfy both. Miami Beach is a separate city with its own code, and Miami's city rules do not apply there.

How A Miami Liquor License Clears The State And The City

Under s. 561.17, Florida Statutes, the Division processes only applications filed through its online system, each with proof of the applicant's right of occupancy for the entire premises. Section 562.45 then leaves hours and location to counties and municipalities. Inside city limits those rules sit in Chapter 4 of the City of Miami Code, re-enacted by Ordinance 13734 on January 25, 2018.

City approvals an alcohol premises can meet:

• Certificate of use. Miami 21 Code, Article 7, Section 7.1.2.1 b, bars any use of a premises until a certificate of use has been issued to the owner or tenant.
• Alcohol reservation letter. An optional request to the Office of Zoning, filed with a distance survey and $200, and valid for three months.
• Warrant. Obtained under the Miami 21 Code and reviewed by the planning director against operational, parking, security, and sanitation criteria.
• Exception. Decided by the planning, zoning and appeals board. Longer hours or reduced distances also need final approval by the city commission.

Sec. 4-4 sets the spacing. In mixed-use and industrial districts an establishment must stand at least 1,500 feet from a license of the same type, measured front door to front door along the ordinary pedestrian route. In the Urban Central Business District (UCBD) and the Central Design District the figure for alcohol service establishments is 500 feet.

Which License Classes And City Hours Apply In Miami

Sec. 4-3 sets City hours for each kind of business.

• Full liquor, consumed on the premises. Section 565.02 sets the annual state tax by county population. For a Miami-Dade liquor license the tier to check is the top one: $1,820 in any county with more than 100,000 residents. City hours for a bar, tavern, or lounge are 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. Monday to Saturday, starting at 12:00 noon on Sunday.
• Special food service restaurant. Section 561.20(2)(a)4. requires 2,000 square feet of service area, 120 physical seats, and 51 percent of gross food and beverage revenue from food and nonalcoholic drinks. City restaurant hours run 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m.
• Liquor package store. The state tax is 75 percent of the on-premises figure, and s. 565.04 requires premises devoted exclusively to those sales. City hours are 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 midnight Monday to Saturday and 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Sunday.
• Beer and wine. Under s. 564.02 the on-premises tax is $280 in a county above 100,000 residents. The City allows a cafe a 2COP license by warrant, with sales from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Section 561.20 caps full-liquor vendor licenses, package stores included, at one for each 7,500 county residents. Beer and wine vendors and the special restaurant license fall outside that cap. Our Florida COP license and Florida 3PS license pages cover each series.

What Liquor License Agents Handles For Miami Buyers And Sellers

The quota does not apply to the transfer of an existing license. To transfer a liquor license in Florida, s. 561.32 requires a bona fide sale of the business and the Division's approval of the buyer's application. Our work on a Miami file covers:

• Checking the address, floor plan, and intended use against Chapter 4 spacing and hours rules before a lease is signed.
• Advising whether to apply for a new license or to buy an existing license and transfer it.
• Helping with valuation, negotiation, and escrow coordination.
• Preparing the state application, premises diagrams, and disclosures, and working with City zoning staff on the warrant or exception.
• Following the Division's review and helping answer questions or proposed conditions.

Our Florida liquor license page describes the statewide picture.

Miami Alcohol Licensing FAQs

1. Do The City Of Miami's Alcohol Rules Apply In Miami Beach?

No. Miami Beach is a separate city with its own code. The City of Miami's zoning guidance gives a test: a property whose folio does not start with 01 is not within the City.

2. How Late Can A Bar In Miami Serve Alcohol?

Until 3:00 a.m. under Sec. 4-3. An extension to 5:00 a.m. is allowed by right inside the UCBD, the Omni CRA, the Central Design District, and the Southeast Overtown/Park West CRA. Outside them it is allowed by exception under Sec. 4-7, and Sec. 4-5 specialty districts set their own closing hours.

3. How Far Must A Miami Bar Be From A School Or Religious Facility?

In the UCBD the distance is 300 feet from both. In mixed-use and industrial districts it is 1,000 feet from a school and 300 feet from a religious facility. Sec. 4-4 allows a reduction of up to 50 percent by exception.

4. Are New Quota Licenses Still Issued In Miami-Dade County?

Yes. The Division's 2026 entry period, August 17, 2026 to September 30, 2026 and now closed, listed 5 licenses for Dade County at $100 per entry. Under s. 561.19 a new quota license also carries a one-time fee of $10,750.

5. What Does The State Charge When A Quota License Changes Hands?

The fee is 4 mills on the average annual gross alcohol sales for the 3 years before the transfer, capped at $5,000. Under s. 561.32 the transferor may elect to pay $5,000 instead.

6. Do Miami Restaurants Have To Meet The Distance Rules?

No. Sec. 4-4 exempts restaurants that meet the state requirement for a 4COP SFS license, and restaurants with a 2COP license, from the distance separation rules. The condition: no signs advertising the sale of alcoholic beverages visible from the exterior.

If you are planning a restaurant, bar, or package store inside the City of Miami, or weighing a license purchase in Miami-Dade County, call (800) 799-9081 to review the address with us before you commit.