To obtain a bar license, several steps must be completed including registering a company, obtaining an employer identification number, acquiring permissions from regulatory authorities like the Trade Bureau and Alcohol Beverage Control, and obtaining licenses for serving food and passing health inspections. Different types of bar licenses exist depending on the services offered like consumption on-premises or off-premises and the types of alcohol served. Understanding the various license types and requirements is essential as regulations differ between states.

1. BAR LICENSE

2. WHAT IS A BAR LICENSE?
 A person who wants to operate a bar, cannot do so
without the permission of authorities. Therefore, to run a
bar, the person needs to get a bar license.
 However, there are several licenses that are needed to
open a bar. They include: business license, liquor
license, food service license, food handler’s permit and
many more; and all these are to be covered collectively
under the bar license.

3. WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF BARS?
 To obtain a bar license, you must also know that which
type of bar you are opening, so as to get the right
permissions from the authorities. So, primarily there are 6
different types of bars, which are as under:
1. Lounge
2. Tapas bar
3. Pub
4. Sports bar
5. Night club
6. Concept bar

4. HOW TO OBTAIN A BAR LICENSE?
A bar license is a pre-requisite for opening a bar in the
country. The states vary in some rules about the bar
license, but all in all, the rules for opening a bar remain
constant.
Registration of
company
Obtain Employer
Identification
Number
Obtain
permissions
from authorities
FSSAI license
State public
health deptt.
permission

5. I. REGISTRATION OF COMPANY:
 To obtain a bar license, you firstly need to register
your company. This registration can be for any type
of company.
 Then, the bar license application has to be in the
name of the company.
 This creates a firm belief in the customers of the
bar that it has been created by a valid institution.

6. II. OBTAIN EMPLOYER IDENTIFICATION
NUMBER
 To progress in the process of registration, a bar owner
needs to get a unique Employer Identification Number
(EIN), from the Indian Revenue Services (IRS).
 This is a unique number that is required to be filled and is
extremely necessary for many permissions and other
documents.

7. III. OBTAIN PERMISSIONS FROM THE
AUTHORITIES
 Now there are several agencies you need to contact and
get permission from.
 Firstly, you need to get a permission from the Trade
Bureau.
 Secondly, you need to get to the local department of
Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), and apply for a liquor
license depending on the type of liquor you are serving.
 Then, you move to the state level ABC, which approves
your liquor license at the state level, and after due
satisfaction will issue your license.

8. IV. FSSAI LICENSE
 If you are planning to also serve food at your bar,
then a license from the Food Safety and Standards
Authority of India (FSSAI) is mandatory.
 The cost of these licenses depend upon the menu
of your bar.
 It is a time bound license, and has to be renewed
every year.

9. V. STATE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT
PERMISSION
 The state Public Health Department has the rights
to oversee and approve the licenses and permits.
 They may also send some officials from the
department for inspection.
 A failure at the inspection results in cancellation of
all permits and hence, the failure in obtaining a bar
license.

10. WHY IS IT NECESSARY TO UNDERSTAND THE
TYPE OF LICENSE?
 It is very essential to understand that what type of license
we need for the bar and for the alcohol.
 It is important because the bar and liquor laws are
different for different states all over the country.
 It is very important to contact the authorities before you
file for liquor license or bar license to understand what
should be the right application for right permission.

11. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ON-LICENSE AND OFF-
LICENSE
On-license: This type
of license is required if
you intend to consume
the liquor on the
premises of the bar.
Off-license: This type of
license is needed if you
intend to consume or sell
liquor on the premises.

12. DIFFERENT CLASSES OF LIQUOR LICENSE TO
BE OBTAINED
Tavern License-
• This is required in some states by those bars which offer food,
but make up half of their profits through sale of alcohol
Beer and Wine-
• The bars and restaurants may be granted a license to sell soft
liquors like beer and wine. It is however, important to note that
after this license, the owner cannot sell hard liquors.
Restaurants-
• This permits any type of alcohol to be sold in the restaurant
premises. The region of alcohol is restricted to 40%.

13. CONCLUSION
Therefore, it is a clear cut observation from
everything stated above, that getting a bar license
is a lengthy but, essential process for opening of a
bar. The bar license is to a bar what fuel is to a car.
Therefore, before opening a bar, all the conditions
and different permissions must be kept in mind, in
order to have a bar which stays and sustains for a
long period of time.