> Departments > Clerk & Recorder > Citizen Information Center > Liquor Licensing

Liquor Licensing

LOCATION: County Clerk & Recorder, 200 W. Oak St., Ft Collins, CO 80521
HOURS: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
PHONE: (970) 498-7869
FAX: (970) 498-7830

Before the owner of an establishment is eligible to sell malt, vinous, or spirituous beverages, he/she must have the following documents approved and issued by the appropriate authorities:

State Liquor License - Issued by the State of Colorado Liquor Enforcement Division
Local Liquor License - Issued by the Larimer County Clerk & Recorder
State Sales Tax License - Issued by the Secretary of State
Federal Tax Stamp - Issued by the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearm Tax Processing Center
Food Service License - Issued by the Larimer County Health Department (if applicable)
These documents must be posted in plain view and are subject to inspection.

Steps To Follow When Applying For A NEW License:

Visit the Clerk & Recorder's office at 200 West Oak Street, 1st Floor, in the Citizen Information Center. There is always someone available to assist you with your application and your questions.
You will be given a number of forms to take home and fill out. The forms may vary depending upon which type of license you are applying for; however, all applicants will be asked to fill out the standard application and an individual history record. In addition, all applicants will be finger printed and a criminal history check will be conducted with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
Once you have filled out the forms and obtained and any additional information you may have been asked to obtain (i.e. deed or lease, diagrams, corporate minutes, etc.), you will need to return to our office and submit the application along with the required fees. At this time we will schedule a public hearing. The hearing must take place at least 30 days after we receive the application.
Post the sign advertising your application for a liquor license. (We will provide the sign.) The sign must be posted for at least ten days. You will need to take two pictures of the sign, preferably on day one and on day ten of the posting. Bring these pictures with you to your public hearing.
Circulate petitions in the surrounding neighborhoods. (We have sample petitions you can use.) Your goal should be to obtain a good representation of the surrounding neighborhoods - Do they, or do they not want an establishment selling alcohol in their neighborhood? Also bring the petitions to your public hearing.
Appear before the Board of County Commissioners in a public hearing and be prepared to show why there is a need and desire to have an establishment selling alcohol in the proposed neighborhood.

If the Board of County Commissioners determines there is a need for this type of establishment and they approve your application, we will forward it to the State for issuance of a liquor license. This usually takes approximately three weeks.

If the Board finds there is not a need for this type of establishment, or the petitions or witnesses convince the Board that this type of establishment is not desired, then the application is denied. The monies you have paid for the state license will be returned to you, but the County fees are retained. (The fees are used to pay for advertising, the court reporter, public hearing, etc.)

Transfer of Ownership

Please note, if you are purchasing an establishment that already has a liquor license in place then you should apply for a transfer of ownership. When applying for a transfer of ownership you only need to follow steps one through three listed above; however, you will need to pay the administrative fees as well as the licensing fees. Again, it takes approximately three weeks to receive final approval from the both the County and the State.

HB01-1015 Requires an applicant for transfer of ownership of a liquor license to submit to the local liquor license authority information stating all accounts for alcoholic beverage sold to the applicant are paid in full.

Fees

Liquor license fees are collected by both State and County agencies. The fees vary depending on the type of establishment for which you are applying. Two separate checks are required: one made payable to the Colorado Department of Revenue and the other payable to the Larimer County Clerk. Both Administrative fees and license fees are due when applying for a new establishment or a change of ownership; however, only license fees are due at renewal time. If you need assistance in determining how much you should pay to each agency, please call our office at 498-7850.

Administrative Fees

State of Colorado Administrative Fees:		Larimer County Administrative Fees:
New License or Change of Ownership	$1025.00	New License or Change of Ownership	$875.00
Change of Location	$150.00	Change of Location	$750.00
Change Trade Name	$50.00	Change Trade Name	$0
Change, Alter or Modify Premises	$150.00	Change, Alter or Modify Premises	$0
Late Renewal Application Fee	$0	Late Renewal Application Fee	$500.00
Optional Premises	$500.00	Optional Premises	$75.00
New Manager Registration Fee	$75.00	New Manager Registration Fee	$75.00
Concurrent Review	$1225.00	Concurrent Review	$0
Expansion - add O.P. (each permit)	$100.00	Expansion - add O.P. (each permit)	$0
Duplicate License	$55.00	Duplicate License	$0
*Corp/LLCO Change (per person)	$100.00	*Corp/LLCO Change (per person)	$100.00

*Note: Corporate/LLCO change per person is charged for background investigation by local OR state (not both).

License Fees

(License must be renewed annually.)

3.2% Fermented Malt Beverage		Liquor Licensed Drugstore
County Fee New	$7.50	County Fee New	$37.50
County Fee Renewal	$107.50	County Fee Renewal	$137.50
State Fee	$117.50	State Fee	$312.50
Retail Liquor Store		Hotel/Restaurant License(full meals)
County Fee New	$37.50	County Fee New	$75.00
County Fee Renewal	$137.50	County Fee Renewal	$175.00
State Fee	$312.50	State Fee	$500.00
Beer & Wine License		Race Track License
County Fee New	$63.75	County Fee New	$75.00
County Fee Renewal	$163.75	County Fee Renewal	$175.00
State Fee	$436.25	State Fee	$500.00
Tavern License (light snacks)		Brew Pub License
County Fee New	$75.00	County Fee New	$75.00
County Fee Renewal	$175.00	County Fee Renewal	$175.00
State Fee	$500.00	State Fee	$750.00
Arts License (Lincoln Center)		Club License
County Fee New	$41.25	County Fee New	$41.25
County Fee Renewal	$141.25	County Fee Renewal	$141.25
State Fee	$308.75	State Fee	$308.75

Fees for Permits

Bed & Breakfast Permit		Special Events Permit
County Fee	$25.00	State 6% Fee/day	$25.00
State Fee	$50.00	State 3.2% Fee/day	$10.00
		County	$100.00
Temporary Permits		Mini Bar Permit
County Fee	$100.00	County Fee	$325.00
State Fee	$0	State Fee	$0
Out of State Delivery Permit		Liquor Store/3.2%On & Off Deliver Permit
County Fee	$0	County Fee	$0
State Fee	$50.00	State Fee	$0