Anytime you serve and sell alcohol, in the state of Virginia, you need an alcohol license. In fact, you need a Virginia Alcohol License to serve ANY alcohol. Even if you have a business license. Even if it is just one night. Even if you aren’t charging and it is part of a ceremony or package that you are selling.
You’ll need to apply for a Retail “Specialized” Licenses authorize a variety of privileges for particular businesses, ranging from day spas to meal assembly kitchens. Here are a list of Specialized Licenses, available:
- Amphitheater, Annual – Mixed beverages. Seating and geographic restrictions apply. Food concession at outdoor performing arts facility.
- Art Instruction Studio – Wine and beer on premises. Commercial establishment providing all required supplies and instruction in creating a work of art during a studio instructional session.
- Arts Venue Event, Annual – Wine and beer on premises. Limited to 12 calendar days per year. Arts venue, community art walk.
- Banquet, Annual – Wine and beer on premises. Private nonprofit fraternal, patriotic, charitable membership organization.
- Banquet, Annual – Mixed beverages on premises. Private nonprofit fraternal, patriotic, charitable membership organization.
- Banquet Facility – Wine, beer and mixed beverages. No sales. Volunteer fire department, volunteer rescue squad. Bed and Breakfast – Wine, beer and mixed beverages to overnight lodgers for on-premises consumption. Bed and breakfast establishments.
- Canal Boat Operator – Wine, beer and mixed beverages. No sales. Geographic restrictions apply. Nonprofit organization operating tourism canal boats.
- Carrier – Carriers undertaking to transport passengers for the general public for compensation. Day Spa – Wine and beer on premises. Commercial establishments offering both massage therapy and barbering or cosmetology services.
- Equine Sporting Event – Wine, beer and mixed beverages: for organization holding equestrian events. Shall not sell or charge for alcoholic beverages. Organizations holding equestrian, hunt and steeplechase events.
- Gourmet Oyster House – Wine and beer on and off premises. Commercial marina permitted to serve oysters/fresh seafood on premises.
- Meal Assembly Kitchen – Wine and beer on premises. Commercial establishment offering ingredients for the preparation of meals.
- Motor Car Sporting Event Facility – Wine, beer and mixed beverages. Shall not sell or charge for alcoholic beverages. Licensed premises regularly occupied and utilized for motor car sporting events.
- Motor Sports Facility, Annual – Mixed beverages on premises. Food concession at outdoor motor sports facility hosting NASCAR national touring race.
- Motor Sports Race Track, Annual – Mixed beverages on premises. Geographic restrictions apply. Food concession at outdoor road racing facility.
- Museum – Wine, beer and mixed beverages. Shall not sell or charge for alcoholic beverages. Tax-exempt museum.
- Performing Arts Facility, Annual – Mixed beverages. Corporation or association owned by government entity.
- Shipper, Beer – The sale and shipment into or within the Commonwealth of no more than two cases of beer per month to any person in the Commonwealth to whom alcoholic beverages may be lawfully sold for personal consumption and not for resale. Brewery, off premises retail business.
- Shipper, Wine – The sale and shipment into or within the Commonwealth of no more than two cases of wine per month to any person in the Commonwealth to whom alcoholic beverages may be lawfully sold for personal consumption and not for resale. Winery, farm winery, off-premises retail business.
- Shipper, Wine and Beer – The sale and shipment into or within the Commonwealth of no more than two cases of wine or two cases of beer per month to any person in the Commonwealth to whom alcoholic beverages may be lawfully sold for personal consumption and not for resale. Winery, farm winery, brewery, off-premises retail business.
- Special Event, Annual – Wine, beer and mixed beverages. Performing arts facility, fairground, agricultural event, art education and exhibition facility.
I bet you still have questions? We are ready to answer all of your questions. If you don’t have any questions and you are ready to start the process, click this link to apply. If you have questions, along the way, that is what we are here for!
*Disclaimer: The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this site are for general informational purposes only. Information on this website may not constitute the most up-to-date legal or other information. This website contains links to other third-party websites. Such links are only for the convenience of the reader, user, or browser; ABC Consulting VA, LLC does not recommend or endorse the contents of the third-party sites. Readers of this website should contact their attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular legal matter. No reader, user, or browser of this site should act or refrain from acting on the basis of information on this site without first seeking legal advice from counsel in the relevant jurisdiction. Only your individual attorney can provide assurances that the information contained herein – and your interpretation of it – is applicable or appropriate to your particular situation. The views expressed at, or through, this site are those of the individual authors’ writing in their individual capacities only. All liability with respect to actions taken or not taken, based on the contents of this site, are hereby expressly disclaimed. The content on this posting is provided “as is;” no representations are made that the content is error-free. In no capacity do we represent the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority, IRS, SCC or any other government agency.
