Liquor License Law and Hearings

Results achieved in prior matters are not meant to be a guarantee of success as the facts and legal circumstances vary from matter to matter.

New Jersey is home to some of the most complex and demanding liquor license regulations in the nation.  The liquor industry is controlled by the State of New Jersey’s executive branch by the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), a division of the Attorney General’s Office but also oversees local liquor licensing boards typically controlled by municipalities.  The attorneys of Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, P.A., have been providing legal services on behalf of license holders and those who are seeking to invest in the liquor industry for decades.  Retail licenses and consumption licenses are an extremely valuable commodity in New Jersey due to the limit number of available licenses.  Applying for, purchasing, renewing and maintaining a liquor license in New Jersey requires experienced attention and an understanding of the ever changing legal landscape. 

At Wilentz, our attorneys handle complex transfer applications, corporate structure changes, renewal applications, special permits, and liquor license disciplinary actions.  License disciplinary actions may be prosecuted by local authorities or the State ABC and may subject the license holder to revocation of the license, non-renewal, renewal with strict conditions, burdensome financial assessments and even divestiture of other licenses held by the company or its individual owners.  It is essential that experienced counsel be retained in these matters to achieve the best possible outcome and insure that the investment in the license and underlying business opportunity is preserved.