Obtaining a Liquor License in the State of Oregon

Anyone who intends to make, distribute, or sell alcoholic beverages in the state of Oregon must first be licensed by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC). This is in accord with two relevant mandates: ORS 471.405, which states the requirement of holding a liquor license in order to sell alcohol, and ORS 471.406, which defines what actually constitutes selling alcohol. In order to apply for a license, one must submit to the local OLCC office either a packet of official forms or a packet of forms personally created using the Liquor License Application Guide and the appropriate supplement.

Which supplement application will be required depends upon the nature of your business. There are six different packets: Brewery Public House Licenses/ Full & Limited On Premises Commercial Licenses/ Full On Premises Sales License for Caterers, Private Clubs, Public Passenger Carriers & Other Public Locations/ Off Premises Sales License/ Wholesale Licenses & Certificates of Approval/ Winery, Wine Shipper, Brewery and Distillery Licenses.

Careful reading of the Liquor License Application Guide will probably be necessary for one to understand which forms will be needed. The application itself has questions that pertain to one's individual history and the nature of one's business, and also asks for a floor plan of the premises (if applicable). Additional forms can be requested for special events, such as bartending a one day gathering or hosting a wine tasting event.

If you're confused about which forms you need, you can fill out a License Application Request and send it to your local OLCC office. An OLCC representative will review your request and then mail you back the appropriate forms to be filled out.

Once OLCC receives your completed application, an investigator will call to answer questions and give an estimate as to how long it will take to process. Applications are processed in the order they are received, and a wait of 45 days is not unusual. Making your application as complete as possible before mailing it in will expedite the process.

OLCC's review is intended, in part, to determine if your request complies with your city/town's land use, business license and/or restaurant registration requirements. The Chief of Police will also make recommendations to OLCC regarding liquor licenses within the City Limits. This recommendation will be the end result of a formal investigation, and based on a number of considerations - such as whether or not noise levels and other issues will create neighborhood concern.