Short Term Liquor License
A Short Term Liquor License* is a temporary license issued for the service of alcohol or beer and wine.
Only Non-Profit Organizations are eligible to apply for Short Term All Alcohol License.
The License Commission typically has requirements for issuance of a Short Term Liquor License:
1) TIPS or ServSafe trained servers
2) Liquor Liability Insurance for the event with a per occurrence amount of no less than $250,000
3) Any alcohol for the event(s) must be purchased with a distributor licensed by the State. No alcohol can be stored on the premises after the event and any excess alcohol must be returned to the distributor.
The License Commission has the authority to place restrictions on the License to ensure control of the alcohol/beer & wine being served and public safety.
On December 3, 2008, the License Commission voted to include a restriction: For-Profit Organizations must specify a non-profit organization to which it will donate all profits.
FEES (Approved August 3, 2011)
Short Term All Alcohol $102.00 per day
Short Term Wine & Malt $61.00 per day
*If your event is open to the public, whether you are charging for alcohol samples or not, you DO need a Short Term liquor license.
Please contact Mary L. Midura, Executive Secretary, at 587-1210 or mmidura@northamptonma.gov to place your application on an upcoming agenda of the Northampton License Commission.
The General Laws of Massachusetts, Chapter 138, Section 41: Delivery of alcoholic beverages as prima facie evidence of sale.
Section 41. The delivery of alcoholic beverages in or from a building, booth, stand or other place, except a private dwelling house, or in or from a private dwelling house if any part thereof or its dependencies is used as an inn, eating house or shop of any kind, or other place of common resort, such delivery in either case being to a person not a resident therein, shall be prima facie evidence that such delivery is a sale.
If you are in doubt as to whether your event needs a Short Term Liquor License to operate, please call the License Commission office at 413-587-1210.