Crystal Stump (CEO of ABC Consulting) tells us how long it takes to get a Virginia Alcohol License.
Pour yourself a drink; you’re going to need it!
There are a couple of things that you need to take care of before you apply. The first decision that you need to make is what kind of alcohol license type you’ll use. If you are planning on opening a restaurant, a convenience store, a wine shop, a gourmet shop, a brewery or a winery, you’ll still need to understand the different types of licenses available and design your business with that license type in mind.
If you would like to schedule a consultation call, we’ll be happy to sit down and discuss the different types.
- Choose what type of license you’re building your business around
- You’ll next choose a location, by purchasing or leasing, because you’ll need that address for the alcohol application.
- Register your entity with the Virginia State Corporation Commission (Virginia SCC).
- After that, you’ll register for the Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN).
Can register entity or FEIN, directly on our website, by selecting Company Formation, Trade Name Registration or FEIN.
- Once you have these registered, you can apply for a Virginia ABC License. The process varies in time and there is a 30-day objection period (tune into this video for the most common mistakes, when applying for an ABC License).
- Your application is then sent to Virginia ABC Authority Richmond headquarters. Once approved to the Richmond level, the license application will be sent to one of 9 regions in the state of Virginia. The investigating agent, assigned to your application, will do a thorough investigation and submit it to their supervisor for approval. Once the supervisor has reviewed the application, an on-site inspection will take place (to learn to prepare for your on-site inspection, you can take training on our TOAST Academy site, here. There is an online certification course, which is certified by the Virginia ABC Authority).
Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for the most common discussions and mistakes relating to Alcohol Licensing in the state of Virginia.
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