The New York State Liquor Authority (SLA) issues 125 types of licenses and permits for liquor manufacturing, off-premise retail, and on-premise service in New York State.
All On-Premise Applicants in NYC are required by law to notify their Community District Office 30 days (minimum) to 90 days BEFORE filing an application with the SLA, to give local residents an opportunity to participate in reviewing applications which may impact their daily quality of life.
NEW Licenses, Alterations, and Changes
These SLA application types are first reviewed by the Health, Environment & Social Services Committee, which then issues a Recommendation for vote by the full Board.
To request a review date, submit the following to [email protected]:
- SUBJECT LINE: “SLA / [address] / [business name] / [DBA]
- Completed SLA Municipal Notice form – required by State Law
- Completed District Questionnaire – recommended to expedite review: as resolved by this Board in September 2023, some applicants may be eligible for a waiver based on the information submitted
Submissions are acknowledged within 10 business days:
- All application materials are considered to be entered into Public Record upon submission. If any elements of your submission package should remain confidential for security reasons, please clearly indicate this in your submission email. However, any materials submitted to a Community District Office may be subject to public disclosure via FOIL request.
- Notice of Public Reviews are issued via District Newsletter and in the District Calendar, at least 7 days in advance of any meeting. All impacted or interested residents are encouraged to attend, ask questions, and share concerns or requests before the Committee votes on a Recommendation.
- All NYC Community Board meetings are subject to the rules of the NY State Open Meetings Law. BKCB2 meetings also include opportunities for public comment and questions on agenda items. Minutes are posted on the BKCD2 Public Drive within 14 days following each meeting, and recordings (when available) are archived on the BKCD2 YouTube channel.
- Due to the time limits imposed on local municipalities by the SLA, the Committee will issue a Recommendation whether the Applicant (and/or Representative) attends their scheduled public review or not. This is required to avoid forfeiting the opportunity for local resident input. Applicants (and/or Representative) are strongly encouraged to participate in their public review to introduce themselves and their business practices to the community.
- The Committee Chair moderates a brief Q&A for each application, beginning first with Board Members, then inviting members of the general public to comment or ask questions for up to 2 minutes each.
- Following Committee-level public review, a Recommendation will be passed to the full Board for their vote at the next available General Meeting. Applicants are not required to attend this session but are welcome to observe.
- Applicants are responsible for tracking all Community Board meeting details via District Newsletter and/or District Calendar.
- Applicants are copied on the final Board Resolution emailed to the SLA.
RENEWALS or Removals of Licenses
These SLA application types are assessed by the District Office on a rolling basis. The SLA allows Renewal applications to be filed up to 90 days prior to expiration.
To begin review, submit the following to [email protected]
- SUBJECT LINE: “SLA / [address] / [business name] / [DBA]
- Completed SLA Municipal Notice form – required by State Law
Applicants (and/or legal representative) are copied on an acknowledgement of receipt and any comments sent to the SLA.
The Liquor Authority Mapping Project (LAMP) provides public records of all SLA licenses, including Legal Name, DBA, License #, Expiration, and Community Board Stipulations. The District Office updates this public list of upcoming license renewals weekly, as a service for District residents. Resident comments submitted to the District Office during the previous two-year license period are tracked and noted in our final recommendations.
Remedy of Resident Complaints
The SLA Enforcement Bureau investigates violations of the Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Law. Per their protocols: in the absence of documented violations or complaints, licensees are assumed to be in good standing, and single-source quality of life complaints are generally insufficient to warrant action. However, if a pattern of unresolved community concerns exists, the Community Board may request adjustments to the operator’s license and/or operations.
Members of the public who have complaints about an operator should first review NYC laws, then contact the business neighbor directly to request specific changes or participation in free City Mediation. Please copy the District Office on correspondence: [email protected]
If further action is required, residents may file complaints with the SLA, and/or file complaints with the City, and/or contact the District Office for assistance.