In 2024, the Alcohol and Beverage Control Law was amended to allow liquor license applicants to provide notice to community boards at the time application is filed with the SLA, easing burden on applicants.
<Updated May 14, 2025>
In 2024, certain amendments were made to New York’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Law (which governs the operation of the State Liquor Authority.
As stated by the SLA at https://sla.ny.gov/news/new-york-state-liquor-authority-announces-expansion-options-businesses-liquor-licenses-enacted:
- Community Notification – Allows applicants to simultaneously apply for a license and notify their municipality, and provides the SLA will not act on the application for 30 days in order to allow time for municipal input in the licensing process.
Notwithstanding this amendment, nearly a year later, the SLA on its web site continues to require 30-days advance notice, and promulgates its notice form “Standardized NOTICE FORM for Providing 30-Day Advance Notice to a Local Municipality or Community Board.”
Even worse, many venues were pressured to sign stipulations with Community Boards agreeing not to file with the SLA without the permission of the Community Board.
As the Greenberg Taurig law firm observed (and hat tip to providing citation to legislation).
- Submission of Applications During Community Notice Period: The SLA had required that new retail liquor license applicants provide 30 days’ notice to the local community board (in NYC) or municipality (outside of NYC) before submitting applications to the SLA. Pursuant to the amendments, applicants must still provide this notice, but they may submit their applications while the 30-day notice period is pending rather than having to wait at least 30 days. This may allow applicants to shave a few weeks off the application process, which may take 10 months or more for new applications to be processed by the SLA.
The new 2024 amendment may be found at https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/ABC/110-B and in relevant part states:
- 1-a. The proof of notification, provided for in subdivisions six and six-a of this section, must be provided at the time of application; failure to so provide shall constitute good cause for denial.
- 1-b. The authority may not act to approve any application subject to this section prior to the passage of thirty days from the date notification was provided to the municipality.”
Amendment 2024 Re SLA Notice-cor