Crystal Stump (founder and CEO of ABC Consulting and former special ABC Agent from the Alcohol Beverage Control Authority) tells you about obtaining an alcohol license to serve alcohol in a hair salon. (Spoiler Alert: you cannot sell it).
Pour yourself a drink; you’re going to need it!
Who doesn’t like a glass of wine when getting a pedicure? With the proper alcohol license, you can offer wine or beer to your customers. Urgent Note: this license will increase from $100 (now) to $1,000 (next year).
Apply now to have a less-expensive license for a year.
Understand the many different license types Virginia offers before investing time and money in a Day Spa that cannot serve alcohol. The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority does not have a license specific for hair salons or nail salons, unless such a salon offers both certified Barber/Cosmetology services AND certified Massage Therapy (in accordance with 54.1-3029 and 54.1-700). The rules for offering alcohol in a Hair Salon:
- You have to have a cosmetology license.
- You have to have a certified massage therapist license (If you don’t have the certified massage therapist license, you have to have a certified massage, on staff).
- This license only allows you to give the alcohol away (not charge for it).
- You can only give customers two 5-ounce glasses of wine or one 12-ounce beer.
- Any outstanding fees and criminal background checks will have to be paid when applying (posting and publishing fees, DMV fees, fines, etc.) for any license type.
- License approval takes approximately 45 days.
Offering complimentary alcohol is a wonderful way to make your services extra special for your clients. You can serve alcohol to a client that wants to come it for a haircut, a pedicure or a color. But, you do have to have a massage therapist on staff. You will be able to give a drink to your customer, as a complementary drink, as a PART of the service. You cannot sell it. You are limited on the amount you can give a client, as well. Even if your client spends the day at the salon to get a haircut, color, pedicure, massage, etc., you can still only give them two 5-ounce glasses of wine or one 12-ounce beer.
I am grateful that Virginia allows Day Spas or Salons to serve alcohol. And many do! But, unfortunately, many salons get arrested for giving alcohol to a client, without a license. I get calls all the time asking what can they do, after that they were arrested and charged. In fact, one salon had an agent come in and charge them for serving alcohol without a license. They went to court and the situation was settled. Then, the salon applied for a Day Spa license and because the VA ABC Authority saw that they had previously been charged, it posed some challenges. That Day Spa learned that if you are caught serving alcohol, without a license, you can be shut down or arrested and may never be able to offer alcohol, again.
Last-but-not-least, we are suggesting: If you have a hair salon and you qualify to offer alcohol (have a certified massage therapist on staff), apply for the Day Spa License, now ($100) and then when your Day Spa license is coming up for renewal, apply for the new Marketplace License ($1,000). We suggest that you always apply for retail licensing 60 days prior to renewal.
If you would like licensing assistance with obtaining a Day Spa or Marketplace license we can assist you. Visit our website at www.VAabc.com for more information regarding our licensing, compliance and training services.
Still confused? Let’s talk: 800-785-0161
*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.
