Serving alcoholic beverages on special occasions, authorisation
Service description
Would you like to serve alcoholic beverages? A liquor licence is required for this.
Only the serving of non-alcoholic beverages is exempt from a licence. You also require a liquor licence if alcoholic beverages are not offered within a purely gastronomic business, but as an ancillary service to another commercial enterprise (e.g. serving alcoholic beverages as part of a retail outlet - refreshment bar in a department store; tasting to increase the sale of alcoholic beverages).
If you intend from the outset to limit the bar to a certain period (e.g. summer season, Christmas period, etc.), you can apply for a temporary liquor licence.
A licence to serve alcoholic beverages is always granted for a specific type of establishment (e.g. pub, discotheque, etc.) and for specific premises.
If you wish to serve alcoholic beverages on special occasions (e.g. at town festivals, shooting festivals, funfairs and music events), you require a special licence, which you can obtain under simplified conditions. To do this, you must submit an "Application for temporary permission to operate a catering establishment".
Procedure
Once you have submitted the application and all documents are complete, the competent authority will check whether you fulfil all the requirements for the granting of the requested liquor licence.
If you fulfil all the requirements, you will receive the permit.
You may only commence commercial activity once you have received the licence. At the same time as you start your business activity, you must register the trade with the authority responsible for trade notifications in accordance with § 14 GewO.
Prerequisites
In order to be granted a liquor licence, you must
- Prove your personal reliability
This is checked on the basis of extracts from the Federal Central Register and the Central Trade Register.
- prove their professional qualification. This is done by submitting proof of training in accordance with § 4 Para. 1 Sentence 1 No. 4 GastG from the Chamber of Industry and Commerce or an exemption in accordance with No. 3.4 of the General Administrative Regulation on Proof of Training in conjunction with its Annex 3 to prove their professional suitability.
- Prove that the property-related requirements are met. For example, the premises must fulfil the requirements set out in the building regulations to protect the health and lives of guests and employees, as well as the requirements for toilets. In addition, the business must not have any harmful effects on the environment. Accessibility requirements are also checked.
Which documents are required?
- Copy of identity card or passport with registration certificate, or presentation on site. Documents relating to the building in which the catering establishment is located: Site plan, floor plan drawn to scale and sectional drawing of the establishment (seating plan). If necessary, in duplicate
- Certificate in tax matters from the tax office in the place where you have lived or run a business in the last three years
- Application for a certificate of good conduct for submission to an authority in accordance with Section 30 (5) of the Federal Central Register Act
- Application for an extract from the Central Trade Register for submission to an authority in accordance with Section 150 (5) of the Trade Regulation Act
- Negative certificate from the insolvency court of those local courts in whose district you have had a place of residence or a commercial establishment in the last three years
- Extract from the debtor register via the enforcement portal of the federal states in accordance with Section 882b of the German Code of Civil Procedure (ZPO)
- Proof of training from the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) on the main features of food law in accordance with Section 4 (1) sentence 1 no. 4 GastG
- For legal entities: Current excerpt from the commercial or association register or a copy of the partnership agreement or articles of association
- If the application is submitted by a representative: Power of attorney
- Residence permit, if applicable.
What fees are incurred?
The amount of the fee depends on the administrative effort and the respective administrative fee schedule of the respective country.
What deadlines do I have to observe?
You must have a catering licence before you start operating. It is therefore necessary to apply for a licence in good time.
If the authority has not decided on an application for a licence to carry on a trade within a period of three months after receipt of the complete documents (Section 42 (2) sentence 2 of the Administrative Procedure Act), the licence is deemed to have been granted (Section 6 a (1) GewO).
This also applies to proceedings under the German Catering Act as long as there are no regulations under state law (Section 6a (2) GewO).
You must notify the authority responsible for trade notifications in accordance with § 14 GewO of the start of the authorised activity.
Processing time
If the documents are complete, the application will be processed promptly.
Legal basis
Legal remedy
- Contradiction
- Administrative court action
Applications / Forms
- Written form required: no
- Online procedure possible: yes
- Personal appearance required: no
What else should I know?
You may not serve alcoholic beverages in your company without a licence.
Short text
- Liquor licence
- The serving of alcoholic beverages requires a liquor licence.
- A licence is also required if the serving of alcoholic beverages is only offered as an ancillary service to another trade (e.g. serving alcoholic beverages in the refreshment room of a department store).
- Only the serving of non-alcoholic beverages is not subject to authorisation.
- Entitlement to a licence if there are no grounds for refusal in accordance with § 4 Para. 1 Sentence 1 Nos. 1 to 4 GastG.
- The licence is a type of business (in the case of pure serving: pub) and is room-related.
- If, in addition to serving alcoholic beverages, prepared food is also offered, a catering licence for a different type of establishment must be applied for
- Liquor licences can be limited in time (e.g. for the summer season) or linked to ancillary conditions (e.g. compliance with emission control regulations).
- If alcoholic beverages are to be served on special occasions (e.g. as part of a specific event), a licence must be applied for
Typing
2/3Library entry status
5