Manatee County Liquor Licenses for Sale

Types of Manatee County Liquor Licenses

All business owners seeking to sell or serve liquor in Manatee County must acquire an alcohol license in Manatee County, Florida. Located along the Gulf Coast, Manatee County boasts a population of nearly 400,000. Many of the residents live in the county’s largest city, also the county seat, Bradenton. Locals and travelers spend time at the following Manatee County area attractions: Manatee Public Beach, De Soto National Memorial, Coquina Beach, and the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature. Each year in January, the Manatee County Fair draws people to the area, taking place in Palmetto, FL, with livestock, food, and entertainment.

To ensure that your Manatee County business can sell alcohol legally, we offer online Manatee County liquor license auctions for the following permit types:

• 4COP: Permits restaurants and bars to sell all liquor -- beer, wine, and spirits -- for consumption on-premises in Manatee County.
• 3PS: Permits liquor stores to sell all liquor -- beer, wine, and spirits -- for consumption off-premises in Manatee County, Florida.

Each Florida liquor license grants the holder the right to sell in a specific Florida county, such as Manatee. Liquor licenses are not transferable between counties. They are, however, transferable between owners, which means you can legally buy or sell any Manatee County alcohol license.

How to Buy a Manatee County Liquor License

There are two ways for a buyer to obtain an alcohol license in Manatee County, Florida. The first way is to secure an alcohol permit directly from the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) Division of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco (AB&T). The second way is to go through the open market and attain a Manatee County liquor license from a liquor license broker, such as Liquor License Auctioneers. 

Due to the limited amount of quota alcohol licenses in Manatee County, sometimes there is a lack of availability for business owners seeking to purchase an alcohol permit. Sometimes obtaining a liquor license from the secondary market using a liquor license broker is the only way to receive an alcohol license. In most cases, you have to wait until a seller is willing to sell a liquor license to you in Manatee County, FL.

We’ve set ourselves apart from competitors by offering the only online auction platform for alcohol licenses in Manatee County. Having been in this industry for many years, we’ve gained valuable business connections along the way. Most of these relationships have been made with lawyers and business owners who specialize in this field. These well-maintained relationships give us opportunities to offer alcohol permits that are only available on our bidding platform - meaning that no other liquor license broker can offer the same Manatee County liquor licenses for sale. If you don’t see the alcohol license that you need, please let our alcohol permit brokers know, and we’ll be happy to locate one for you through our vast network.

To transfer a Manatee County liquor license from a seller to a buyer, both parties must complete the following eight steps.

1. Set a Price for the Liquor License: The seller will set an asking price, including the auction fee, for the Manatee County alcohol license. Then, the liquor license seller will offer the alcohol permit at this price to the buyer. 
2. Create a Purchase Agreement: When the buyer accepts the offer made by the seller, both parties will complete a Purchase Agreement document that must be signed and dated.
3. Pay 10% of the Cost of the Liquor License Upfront: Once the buyer has agreed to pay the asking price for the Manatee County liquor license, they will put 10% of the total cost into an Attorney Trust Account. Doing so will ensure that a closing date is set for the sale of the alcohol permit, and this step also removes the liquor license from the auction.
4. Prepare the Bill of Sale & All Closing Documents: The seller may have their attorney help them complete the following documents: The Alcohol License Transfer Affidavit, the Closing Documents, the Bill of Sale, and any forms to complete the AB&T Application for a Manatee County alcohol permit. Once these documents are sent to the buyer, they can be held in escrow with the help of an escrow agent or the buyer’s attorney until the closing of the sale.
5. Seller Pays Transfer Fees: If there are any fees related to the transfer of the Manatee County alcohol license, they will come out of the seller’s sale proceeds at the time the liquor license sale is closed. 
6. Buyer pays the AB&T Annual License Fee: The liquor license purchaser will pay the prorated annual license fee to the seller’s attorney at the time that the sale is completed. The fee can be paid by Bank Wire, Attorney Trust Account, Cashier’s Check, or Bank Check.
7. Closing the Bill of Sale: The seller will have their attorney or escrow agent send the buyer the following documents: the Closing Statement, the original Bill of Sale, and the Affidavit of Transferor. 
8. Submit Transfer of Liquor License Application Documents to AB&T: The buyer may use an attorney to help them complete the forms and documents related to the AB&T Application. Then, the buyer has two options. If the business location is not quite ready to sell alcohol, then the buyer can put the Manatee County alcohol permit in escrow with the Division of AB&T. If the business establishment is approved to sell or serve liquor, then the Division of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco (AB&T) can send the buyer the temporary liquor license in Manatee County.

Follow these nine steps to secure a Manatee County liquor license with the assistance of our liquor license brokers.

1. Secure the location: Choose the business location where you will be selling liquor. The premises must be leased, rented, or purchased. 
2. Select your liquor license: Choose the type of alcohol permit you need for your business. Then, decide if you will secure the Manatee County alcohol license from the AB&T or from a liquor license broker, such as Liquor License Auctioneers.
3. Survey the location: Employ a surveyor to do an inspection of your business property. You may ask Liquor License Auctioneers to complete this step.
4. Complete your AB&T Application: When submitting your AB&T Application for the Manatee County alcohol license, there are some forms and documents that must be completed. These include fingerprints, paying a fee, registering with the Florida Division of Corporations, sending a sketch or blueprint of the business establishment, completing management contracts, getting zoning approval, providing a right of occupancy, completing all related-party personal information, gaining Department of Revenue approval, receiving the originating agency identification number, obtaining health and human resources approval, and completing service agreements.
5. Submit your AB&T Application: Send the completed documents and the AB&T Application for the Manatee County liquor license to the division district office in Manatee County for approval.
6. Post the temporary initial license: If a fee was paid, then the AB&T will send you a temporary Manatee County alcohol license which must be displayed at your business until you receive the official liquor license. 
7. AB&T Application Review: The DBPR AB&T will review all the documents as well as the AB&T Application for the Manatee County alcohol permit. They will add this information to their data system.
8. Submit to investigation: The Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) Division of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco (AB&T) will conduct a final inspection of your business location. 
9. Receive the liquor license: If your business premises passes the inspection, then the DBPR AB&T will send you a bill for the total cost of the Manatee County alcohol license. Once they receive your payment, the AB&T will mail you the Manatee County liquor license, and when you receive it, the alcohol permit must be featured at your business.

Completing the previous nine steps will meet the standards set by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) Division of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco (AB&T) for receiving a liquor license in Manatee County. To secure an alcohol permit quickly, it’s important to follow each of these steps closely, and it’s also a good idea to check with your local municipal government to see if there are any additional stipulations. Doing so ahead of time will ensure that you attain your liquor license in Bradenton, Florida, as soon as possible so that you can start selling liquor – beer, wine, and spirits – to customers.

There are many businesses that require liquor licenses in Manatee County, so acquiring one for your business establishment is essential to stay competitive and be able to sell or serve alcohol. Choose our expertise, exceptional business model and auction platform, and ethical alcohol permit prices. We’ll always do our best to find specific alcohol licenses that you need for your business. Please take a look at our bidding platform to see which Manatee County liquor licenses are available now, and place a bid.