Liquor License Renewal
Below you will find information regarding your liquor license renewal. Read all steps carefully. All sections of the application must be accurate and complete. You must contact the Licensing Office if you do not intend to renew your liquor license.
All liquor licenses expire on December 1 of each year.
REGARDING COVID-19 AND RENEWALS
Renewal requirements are mandated by State law the Department of Licensing does not have the authority to change state laws. If you are struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic and need assistance through the renewal process, please reach out to our office. Our team is trying to be creative and are mindful of the hardship your industry is facing. Please visit this site regularly, as any updates regarding liquor renewals will be posted here.
Providence City Hall is currently open to the public. Due to COVID-19, we can only accommodate two customers in the office at a time. If you have questions or concerns, we strongly encourage you to reach out to us via email at or call 401-680-5208 or 401-680-5205.
RENEWAL APPLICATION AND DEADLINE
- The annual deadline to submit your liquor license renewal application and the $100 advertisement fee is October 1.
- Renewal applications must be filed through the online application portal. An email with a link to a renewal application will be sent to each licensee. The renewal application is accessible via the email address used to create the last application in Viewpoint. If you need to change this email address, please contact the Licensing staff.
- The $100 advertisement fee must be paid at the time your application is submitted and is not refundable.
Renewal Requirements
A liquor license renewal will not be issued until the following conditions are met:
- Good Standing with the Rhode Island Division of Taxation: If you have questions regarding your status, call the Division of Taxation’s main collection line at 401-574-8941 or email .
- City of Providence Tax Clearance: DO NOT REPORT TO CITY HALL FOR YOUR CLEARANCE. The City tax clearance is an approval step within the online application and the licensee will be able to communicate directly with staff from both the Tax Assessor’s Office and the Tax Collector’s Office through the online portal. Once the staff marks this step complete, the establishment will be considered cleared for the purposes of renewal. If there is a delinquency, the licensee must contact the Collector’s Office to determine the next steps to be in good standing. If you have questions regarding your status, contact the Tax Collector’s Office at 401-331-5252 or email .
- Food Business License from the RI Department of Health, if applicable: See sample document below. If you have questions regarding your licensing requirements or status, contact the Department of Health at 401-222-2750 or visit http://health.ri.gov/contact/.
- Police/fire detail, special event permitting fees and other City services fees paid or cleared: If you have questions regarding your status, contact Cory Martone at 401-458-4198, extension 11538 or email .
- Certificate of Liability Insurance: See below section LIABILITY INSURANCE .
LIABILITY INSURANCE
To eliminate confusion and possible delays in the processing of your application, review the requirements for the submission of your Certificate of Insurance with Liquor Liability. See sample Certificate of Insurance below. Failure to submit a Certificate of Insurance with the below-listed requirements will delay your license renewal and administrative action will be taken.
- The required minimum coverage is $300,000.
- The certificate must include commercial, general and liquor liability and property-damage coverage.
- The NAME on the Certificate of Insurance must match exactly the LEGAL LICENSE HOLDER as it appears on the current license.
- The ADDRESS on the Certificate of Insurance must match the address of the licensed premises as it appears on the current license.
- The CERTIFICATE HOLDER, located in the lower left corner, must identify the City of Providence, Board of Licenses, 25 Dorrance Street, Room 104, Providence, RI 02903.
- SHOULD SAID POLICY BE CANCELED OR LAPSE FOR ANY REASON, OTHER THAN A CHANGE IN CARRIERS, YOU WILL BE SUBJECT TO IMMEDIATE CLOSURE AND/OR REVOCATION.
SEASONAL EXPANSION OF PREMISES
If your establishment has not held a seasonal expansion of premises license, you are not eligible for this renewal. This information does not pertain to a temporary expansion for one-time event. Contact the License Administrator to check your establishment’s status or if you have any questions.
APPLICATION FEES AND PAYMENT OPTIONS
- OPTION 1: Pay online via eCheck, debit/credit card when filling out the online application. Note that there is a convenience fee for online payments.
- OPTION 2: Check or money order payable to the City of Providence, accepted in office or mail to 25 Dorrance Street, Room 104, Providence, RI 02903; include your application number in the memo line.
- CASH PAYMENTS are not accepted.
- INSUFFICIENT FUNDS – Licensee will have one week from the date of notification to correct any returned payments. Once a payment is returned, the Licensing Office will only accept payment submitted online or a certified bank check/money order. Administrative action will be taken if not addressed within one week
ADVERTISED HEARING
You may be required to attend a hearing regarding the renewal of your license and will be notified two weeks prior to that hearing.
Single-Use Checkout Bags
As a reminder, as of October 22, 2020, the City will no longer provide exemptions to the “Reduction of Single-Use Checkout Bags by Retail Establishments” Ordinance for excess inventory and will begin issuing warnings to retailers who are not in compliance. Retailers are prohibited from providing plastic bags to customers at checkout, including thicker, “reusable” plastic bags, unless the bags have stitched on handles. For more information, including examples of acceptable and unacceptable bags and FAQs, please visit our Sustainability website.
