Doña Ana County Liquor Licenses for Sale

Types of Doña Ana County Liquor Licenses

Business owners must attain a proper Doña Ana County liquor license to sell alcohol at their establishment. Doña Ana County is located in southern New Mexico and has the second highest population by county in the state at nearly 220,000. The largest city is Las Cruces, which also happens to be the county seat. Visitors and locals enjoy spending time at Doña Ana County attractions, such as Dripping Springs Natural Area, New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum, White Sands Missile Range Museum, Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park, Las Cruces Railroad Museum, Western Playland, War Eagles Air Museum, Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument, and Museum of Nature & Science. Every year, the Doña Ana County Fair takes place in Las Cruces, NM, with livestock and competitions, drawing people to the area.

To serve or sell alcoholic beverages to customers at your Doña Ana County business, we offer online Doña Ana County liquor license auctions for the following permit types:

• Dispensers License: Permits restaurants and bars to sell all liquor -- beer, wine, and spirits -- for consumption on and off-site in Doña Ana County.
• Inter Local Dispenser: Permits restaurants and bars to sell all liquor -- beer, wine, and spirits -- for consumption on and off-site. Once a Dispenser liquor license has transferred out of the original Option District (LOD), it becomes an Inter Local Dispensers license and can no longer be used to permit off-site or “to-go” alcohol sales in Doña Ana County, New Mexico.
• RET: Permits all liquor sales -- beer, wine, and spirits -- for off-premises consumption in Doña Ana County, NM.

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

How to Buy a Doña Ana County Liquor License

In New Mexico, buyers have two ways to obtain a liquor license in Doña Ana County. One way to obtain a Doña Ana County alcohol permit is to purchase one from the New Mexico Regulation & Licensing Department Alcoholic Beverage Control Division (ABC). The other way to secure an alcohol license in Doña Ana County is to purchase one on the open market through a liquor license broker, like Liquor License Auctioneers.

In New Mexico, there is a limited amount of liquor licenses available for Doña Ana County businesses. Often, the only way for a business owner to attain an alcohol permit for Doña Ana County is to go through the secondary market. Sometimes, a buyer will have to wait for a seller to sell a liquor license to them in Doña Ana County, NM.

This is where we specialize. In our many years of experience in this industry, we’ve developed a network of connections, including lawyers and business entrepreneurs who also work in this sector. These connections give us the ability to offer exclusive Doña Ana County liquor licenses for sale on our auction platform, and no other alcohol license brokerage can sell these same alcohol permits. This allows us to price the liquor licenses fairly. If you are looking for a specific type of liquor license in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, then let us know. We can track one down for you in a timely manner through our network.

How to Apply for a Liquor License in Doña Ana County, New Mexico:

1. Preliminary Review of Application: Once your ABC Application for a Doña Ana County liquor license has been reviewed, if there is any documentation or information missing, you will be sent a Notice of Deficiencies, which explains what must be provided to complete your ABC Application. Appointed Representative - If the applicant for a Doña Ana County alcohol license submitted authorization with their application that they are being represented by a broker, attorney, or CPA, then your Representative will be contacted on your behalf. 
2. Posting Request Sent to Department of Public Safety (DPS): This step is completed by the Special Investigations Unit. Your Hearing Officer sends a request, and the assigned Agent will contact you, letting you know to post the Certificate at your place of business. You are instructed to post the Certificate for 20 consecutive days prior to preliminary approval.
3. Notice of Preliminary Hearing: The preliminary hearing should be held within 30 days of receipt of your ABC Application for a Doña Ana County liquor license, as mandated by statute. During this part of the application process, you will be served a Notice that includes the date and time of your preliminary hearing, and you will also be given the name of the Hearing Officer assigned to your ABC Application. The preliminary hearing will be done by phone or in person, and you are able to let your Hearing Officer know which you prefer.
4. Notice of Publication: The Doña Ana County alcohol license Applicant is required to publish a notice of the preliminary hearing in a local newspaper that has general circulation at least 72 hours in advance of the hearing. This notice allows the public to submit letters of support or objection to your ABC Application for an alcohol permit in Doña Ana County, New Mexico. All of these letters will be forwarded to the Local Option District. If you fail to publish notice of the hearing and provide proof of publication within a time frame of 48 hours of your hearing date to your Hearing Officer, your preliminary hearing may be canceled or rescheduled. The Applicant must publish the Notice provided to them in the legal section for one day. Written instructions are included.
5. Notice of Deficiencies: The Notice lists the items that need to be corrected or included to submit your ABC Application for a Doña Ana County liquor license. The items listed in the Notice of Deficient Documents should be provided before the preliminary hearing, if possible, and no later than at the final review. Note: If the ABC Application is not completed and submitted in the allotted time or the supplemental information is not provided in a timely manner, the ABC Application for a Doña Ana County alcohol license will be either canceled or delayed.
6. At Preliminary Hearing: The preliminary hearing is a public hearing where the ABC Application and supporting documents will be read into the record. After your hearing, any remaining items should be completed and then submitted within a time period of 10 days. This will help you avoid delays in the ABC processing your application for a Doña Ana County liquor license.
7. Issuance of Hearing Officers Recommendations: After the closing date of Posting and after the ABC Application has been reviewed by the Legal Department, if required, you will be contacted to revise or supplement any documentation that is still needed before you can receive preliminary approval.
8. Review of Recommendations by Director for Preliminary Approval: After the Director has reviewed the ABC Application for a Doña Ana County alcohol license and the Recommendations, your application will be forwarded to the local governing body in which you propose to operate your business.
9. Application Forwarded to Local Option District and Public Hearing at Local Option District Level: The local governing body must publish notice of a hearing at the local governing body and conduct a public hearing before the local governing body within 45 days of receipt of the ABC Application for a Doña Ana County alcohol permit.
10. Decision by Local Option District: Once you have your hearing with the local governing body, they have 30 days to provide us with the signed documentation.
11. Notice to Applicant of Final Deficiencies and/or Licensing Fee: Your Hearing Officer will contact you and let you know if there is any pending documentation needed. You will also need to finalize payment of the Licensing Fee prior to being issued the Doña Ana County liquor license.
12. Final Approval by Director: When the ABC Application is complete and payment has been received, the Director will review all the documents. Then, after the application has been approved, the Doña Ana County alcohol license is issued to you, and you will receive a packet that includes the following items: your Liquor License, copies of the Approved Floor Plan, Resident Agent License, if applicable, signed application pages, and Mandatory Posters, with a copy of Rules and Regulations and State Statutes available and accessible on the New Mexico Regulation & Licensing Department Alcoholic Beverage Control Division (ABC) website. All of the deposited fees are non-refundable. The entire New Mexico ABC Application process should take around 120-150 days to complete.

Our experienced alcohol license brokers can guide you through the following eight steps to obtain a Doña Ana County liquor license.

1. Secure the location: Select the property where you want to operate your business. This location must be rented, leased, or purchased.
2. Select your liquor license: Determine which type of alcohol license you need for your business. Then, choose how you will secure a Doña Ana County liquor license - either from the NM Alcoholic Beverage Control Division (ABC) or through the open market using a liquor license broker, such as Liquor License Auctioneers.
3. Open your escrow account: All financial transactions associated with the transfer and purchase of the Doña Ana County alcohol license will need to be held in an escrow account. This escrow account should ideally be opened with a third-party company. 
4. Survey the location: Employ a surveyor to conduct an inspection of your business location. Our liquor license brokers can complete this step for you.
5. Complete your ABC Application: Once the ABC Application is complete, send it to the New Mexico Regulation & Licensing Department Alcohol Beverage Control Division (ABC). They will review and approve your ABC Application at this time. Our team can help you complete the ABC Application.
6. Post a notice: When the NM ABC approves the ABC Application for a Doña Ana County alcohol license, they will mail you a notice of intent to sell alcohol. When you receive the notice in the mail, it must be displayed on your premises for 30 days. 
7. Submit to investigation: A final investigation of your business location will be conducted by the New Mexico Regulation & Licensing Department Alcoholic Beverage Control Division (ABC). 
8. Receive the liquor license: Once all seven previous steps have been completed, the New Mexico ABC will mail you the official Doña Ana County liquor license. Once you receive the alcohol permit, you are instructed to post it at your business establishment.

Adhering as closely to the previous eight steps as possible meets the requirements set by the New Mexico Regulation & Licensing Department Alcoholic Beverage Control Division (ABC) for securing a liquor license in Doña Ana County. It’s also a good practice to see if the local municipal government has any additional regulations or stipulations that also must be met before obtaining a liquor license in Las Cruces, NM. 

In Doña Ana County, New Mexico, there are many businesses that are competing to acquire liquor licenses. Our team at Liquor License Auctioneers understands that it’s imperative for business owners to obtain a Doña Ana County alcohol permit to sell or serve liquor to customers. With our years of experience, exceptional customer service, ethical business practices, fair prices, and quality Doña Ana County liquor licenses, our auction platform is unmatched in the industry. See all of our available alcohol licenses in Doña Ana County. Place a bid, and purchase a liquor license in Doña Ana County, NM.