(a) For the purposes of this section, the “filing date” of an application means the date upon which the department, after approving the application for processing, mails or otherwise delivers to the applicant a placard containing such date.

Ask a legal question, get an answer ASAP!
Click here to chat with a lawyer about your rights.

(b) (1) Any person desiring a liquor permit or a renewal of such a permit shall make an affirmed application therefor to the Department of Consumer Protection, upon forms to be furnished by the department, showing the name and address of the applicant and of the applicant’s backer, if any, the location of the club or place of business which is to be operated under such permit and a financial statement setting forth all elements and details of any business transactions connected with the application. Such application shall include a detailed description of the type of live entertainment that is to be provided. A club or place of business shall be exempt from providing such detailed description if the club or place of business (A) was issued a liquor permit prior to October 1, 1993, and (B) has not altered the type of entertainment provided. The application shall also indicate any crimes of which the applicant or the applicant’s backer may have been convicted. Applicants shall submit documents, only upon initial application, sufficient to establish that state and local building, fire and zoning requirements and local ordinances concerning hours and days of sale will be met, except that local building and zoning requirements and local ordinances concerning hours and days of sale shall not apply to a cafe permit issued under subsection (d) or (h) of section 30-22a. The State Fire Marshal or the marshal’s certified designee shall be responsible for approving compliance with the State Fire Code at Bradley International Airport. Any person desiring a permit provided for in section 30-33b shall file a copy of such person’s license with such application if such license was issued by the Department of Consumer Protection. The department may, at its discretion, conduct an investigation to determine whether a permit shall be issued to an applicant. Completion of an inspection pursuant to subsection (f) of section 29-305 shall not be deemed to constitute a precondition to renewal of a permit that is subject to subsection (f) of section 29-305.

(2) The applicant shall pay to the department a nonrefundable application fee, which fee shall be in addition to the fees prescribed in this chapter for the permit sought. An application fee shall not be charged for an application to renew a permit. The application fee shall be in the amount of ten dollars for the filing of each application for a permit by a nonprofit golf tournament permit under section 30-37g or a temporary liquor permit for a noncommercial entity under section 30-35; and in the amount of one hundred dollars for the filing of an initial application for all other permits. Any permit issued shall be valid only for the purposes and activities described in the application.

(3) The applicant, immediately after filing an application, shall give notice thereof, with the name and residence of the permittee, the type of permit applied for and the location of the place of business for which such permit is to be issued and the type of live entertainment to be provided, all in a form prescribed by the department, by publishing the same in a newspaper having a circulation in the town in which the place of business to be operated under such permit is to be located, at least once a week for two successive weeks, the first publication to be not more than seven days after the filing date of the application and the last publication not more than fourteen days after the filing date of the application. The applicant shall affix, and maintain in a legible condition upon the outer door of the building wherein such place of business is to be located and clearly visible from the public highway, the placard provided by the department, not later than the day following the receipt of the placard by the applicant. If such outer door of such premises is so far from the public highway that such placard is not clearly visible as provided, the department shall direct a suitable method to notify the public of such application. When an application is filed for any type of permit for a building that has not been constructed, such applicant shall erect and maintain in a legible condition a sign not less than six feet by four feet upon the site where such place of business is to be located, instead of such placard upon the outer door of the building. The sign shall set forth the type of permit applied for and the name of the proposed permittee, shall be clearly visible from the public highway and shall be so erected not later than the day following the receipt of the placard. Such applicant shall make a return to the department, under oath, of compliance with the foregoing requirements, in such form as the department may determine, but the department may require any additional proof of such compliance. Upon receipt of evidence of such compliance, the department may hold a hearing as to the suitability of the proposed location. The provisions of this subdivision shall not apply to applications for (A) airline permits issued under section 30-28a, (B) temporary liquor permits for noncommercial entities issued under section 30-35, (C) concession permits issued under section 30-33, (D) military permits issued under section 30-34, (E) cafe permits issued under subsection (h) of section 30-22a, (F) warehouse permits issued under section 30-32, (G) broker’s permits issued under section 30-30, (H) out-of-state shipper’s permits for alcoholic liquor issued under section 30-18, (I) out-of-state shipper’s permits for beer issued under section 30-19, (J) coliseum permits issued under section 30-33a, (K) nonprofit golf tournament permits issued under section 30-37g, (L) Connecticut craft cafe permits issued under section 30-22d to permittees who held a manufacturer permit for a brew pub or a manufacturer permit for beer issued under subsection (b) of section 30-16 and a brew pub before July 1, 2020, (M) off-site farm winery sales and wine, cider and mead tasting permits issued under section 30-16a, (N) out-of-state retailer shipper’s permits for wine issued under section 30-18a, (O) out-of-state winery shipper’s permits for wine issued under section 30-18a, (P) in-state transporter’s permits for alcoholic liquor issued under section 30-19f, including, but not limited to, boats operating under such permits, (Q) seasonal outdoor open-air permits issued under section 30-22e, (R) festival permits issued under section 30-37t, (S) temporary auction permits issued under section 30-37u, (T) outdoor open-air permits issued under section 30-22f, and (U) renewals of any permit described in subparagraphs (A) to (T), inclusive, of this subdivision, if applicable. The provisions of this subdivision regarding publication and placard display shall also be required of any applicant who seeks to amend the type of entertainment either upon filing of a renewal application or upon requesting permission of the department in a form that requires the approval of the municipal zoning official.

(4) In any case in which a permit has been issued to a partnership, if one or more of the partners dies or retires, the remaining partner or partners need not file a new application for the unexpired portion of the current permit, and no additional fee for such unexpired portion shall be required. Notice of any such change shall be given to the department and the permit shall be endorsed to show correct ownership. When any partnership changes by reason of the addition of one or more persons, a new application with new fees shall be required.

(c) Any ten persons who are at least eighteen years of age, and are residents of the town within which the business for which the permit or renewal thereof has been applied for, is intended to be operated, or, in the case of a manufacturer’s or a wholesaler’s permit, any ten persons who are at least eighteen years of age and are residents of the state, may file with the department, within three weeks from the last date of publication of notice made pursuant to subdivision (3) of subsection (b) of this section for an initial permit, and in the case of renewal of an existing permit, at least twenty-one days before the renewal date of such permit, a remonstrance containing any objection to the suitability of such applicant or proposed place of business, provided any such issue is not controlled by local zoning. Upon the filing of such remonstrance, the department, upon written application, shall hold a hearing and shall give such notice as it deems reasonable of the time and place at least five days before such hearing is had. The remonstrants shall designate one or more agents for service, who shall serve as the recipient or recipients of all notices issued by the department. At any time prior to the issuance of a decision by the department, a remonstrance may be withdrawn by the remonstrants or by such agent or agents acting on behalf of such remonstrants and the department may cancel the hearing or withdraw the case. The decision of the department on such application shall be final with respect to the remonstrance. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to festival permits issued under section 30-37t.

(d) No new permit shall be issued until the foregoing provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of this section have been complied with. If no new permit is issued within twelve months of the filing date, as defined in subsection (a) of this section, the application may, in the discretion of the department, be deemed withdrawn and shall then be returned to the applicant. Six months’ or seasonal permits may be renewed, provided the renewal application and fee shall be filed at least twenty-one days before the reopening of the business, there is no change in the permittee, ownership or type of permit, and the permittee or backer did not receive a rebate of the permit fee with respect to the permit issued for the previous year.

(e) The department may renew a permit that has expired if the applicant pays to the department a nonrefundable late fee pursuant to subsection (c) of section 21a-4, which fee shall be in addition to the fees prescribed in this chapter for the permit applied for. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to one-day permits, to any permit which is the subject of administrative or court proceedings, or where otherwise provided by law.

(f) No person who assists an applicant, backer or permittee in submitting an application for a liquor permit shall submit, or cause to be submitted, any false statement in connection with such application, or engage in any conduct which delays or impedes the department in processing such application. A violation of this subsection shall be deemed an unfair or deceptive trade practice under subsection (a) of section 42-110b. The commissioner, after providing an opportunity for a hearing in accordance with chapter 54, may impose on any person who violates the provisions of this subsection a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed one thousand dollars per violation, and may order such person to pay restitution to the applicant, backer or permittee. All civil penalties paid, collected or recovered under this subsection shall be deposited in the consumer protection enforcement account established in section 21a-8a.