Licenses; issuance; fees; liability insurance; expiration of full-year license; license as contract; operation of establishment upon death of licensee; approval of receiver or trustee; part-year license; transfer of license; approval of application; request for revocation of license or permit by local legislative body; hotels; zones and anniversary dates for renewal of licenses; rules; nontransferable tavern licenses for concessionaires at state fairgrounds; notice contained in application.
MCL 436.1501
in effect436.1501. Licenses; issuance; fees; liability insurance; expiration of full-year license; license as contract; operation of establishment upon death of licensee; approval of receiver or trustee; part-year license; transfer of license; approval of application; request for revocation of license or permit by local legislative body; hotels; zones and anniversary dates for renewal of licenses; rules; nontransferable tavern licenses for concessionaires at state fairgrounds; notice contained in application.
Sec. 501.
(1) The commission may issue licenses as provided in this act on the payment of the fees provided in section 525 and the filing of liability insurance as provided in section 803. The commission shall provide a notification of the ability of the purchaser or transferee to obtain a tax clearance certificate, as provided in subsection (6). Subject to section 906(2) and (3), the commission shall not issue a new on premises license or transfer more than 50% interest in an existing on premises license unless the applicant or transferee offers proof acceptable to the commission that he or she has employed or has present on the licensed premises, at a minimum, supervisory personnel on each shift and during all hours in which alcoholic liquor is served who have successfully completed a server training program described in section 906. The commission may consider an individual enrolled and actively participating in a server training program as having successfully completed the program for the time the individual is participating. The commission may allow an applicant or a conditionally approved licensee at least 180 days, or more on a showing of good cause, to meet the minimum personnel training requirements of this subsection. The commission may suspend the license of a conditionally approved licensee if that licensee does not comply with this subsection. The commission may waive the server training requirements of this subsection on the basis of either of the following circumstances:
(a) The licensee's responsible operating experience or training.
(b) The person's demonstration of an acceptable level of responsible operation either as a licensee during the preceding 3 years or as a manager with substantial experience in serving alcoholic liquor.
(2) A full-year license issued by the commission expires on April 30 following the date of issuance or the date fixed by the commission. A license issued under this act is a contract between the commission and the licensee and shall be signed by both parties. If a licensee dies, the commission may approve a personal representative or independent personal representative appointed by a court of competent jurisdiction to operate the establishment, pending the settlement of the estate of the deceased licensee. The commission may approve a receiver or trustee appointed by a court of competent jurisdiction to operate the licensed establishment of a licensee. The commission may grant a part-year license for a proportionate part of the license fee specified in section 525. In a resort area the commission shall grant a license for a period of time as short as 3 months. A license may be transferred with the consent of the commission. A class C or specially designated distributor license obtained in a manner other than by transfer must not be transferred within 3 years after it is issued except under circumstances where the licensee clearly and convincingly demonstrates that unusual hardship will result if the transfer does not receive the consent of the commission. An application for a license to sell alcoholic liquor for consumption on the premises, except in a city having a population of 600,000 or more, must be approved by the local legislative body in which the applicant's place of business is located before the license is granted by the commission, except that for an application for renewal of an existing license, if an objection to a renewal has not been filed with the commission by the local legislative body not less than 30 days before the date of expiration of the license, the approval of the local legislative body is not required. The commission shall provide the local legislative body and the local chief of police with the name, home and business addresses, and home and business phone numbers to accomplish the local legislative reviews of new and transferred license applications required by this subsection. On request of the local legislative body after due notice and proper hearing by the local legislative body and the commission, the commission shall revoke the license of a licensee granted a license to sell alcoholic liquor for consumption on the premises or any permit held in conjunction with that license.
(3) A local legislative body, by resolution, may request that the commission revoke the license of a licensee granted a license to sell alcoholic liquor for consumption off the premises whose place of business is located within the local legislative body's jurisdiction and that has been determined in commission violation hearings to have sold or furnished alcoholic liquor, on at least 3 separate occasions in a consecutive 12-month period, to a minor if those violations did not involve the use of falsified or fraudulent identification by the minor. If the commission verifies that the licensee who is the subject of the resolution has been found to have committed the violations as prescribed in this subsection, the commission may suspend or revoke the licensee's license and any permit held in conjunction with that license.
(4) This act does not prohibit a hotel that is or was the holder of a license authorizing the retail sale of alcoholic liquor for consumption on the premises from applying for and receiving under this act any other and different type of license authorizing the retail sale of alcoholic liquor for consumption on the premises. The application for the license is not considered a new application for a license if the total number of public licenses for consumption on the premises does not exceed the authorized total established in this act and the sale of alcoholic liquor is approved by the electors. The commission may divide the state into 3 zones and establish for each zone an anniversary date for renewal of full-year retail licenses in the licensing year. The commission shall promulgate rules under the administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL 24.201 to 24.328, for the effective administration of the renewal of licenses.
(5) The commission, with the written approval of the department of agriculture and rural development for the Michigan state fairgrounds and the Upper Peninsula state fairgrounds, may issue without regard to the quota provision of section 531 a tavern license to a person as concessionaire leasing or renting a portion of either the Upper Peninsula state fairgrounds or the state fairgrounds, or both, to service the licensed area in use for recreational or exhibition purposes other than at the time of the annual Upper Peninsula state fair under section 2 of 1927 PA 89, MCL 285.142. A license issued under this subsection is not transferable.
(6) The application for initial licensure or for a transfer of a license shall contain a notice in substantial compliance with the following:
When purchasing a license, a buyer can be held liable for tax debts incurred by the previous owner. Prior to committing to the purchase of any license or establishment, the buyer should request a tax clearance certificate from the seller that indicates that all taxes have been paid up to the date of issuance. Obtaining sound professional assistance from an attorney or accountant can be helpful to identify and avoid any pitfalls and hidden liabilities when buying even a portion of a business.
Sellers can make a request for the tax clearance certificate through the Michigan department of treasury.
1998, Act 58, Imd. Eff. Apr. 14, 1998; Am. 1998, Act 416, Imd. Eff. Dec. 21, 1998; Am. 2000, Act 431, Imd. Eff. Jan. 9, 2001; Am. 2006, Act 547, Imd. Eff. Dec. 29, 2006; Am. 2012, Act 82, Imd. Eff. Apr. 11, 2012; Am. 2019, Act 131, Imd. Eff. Nov. 21, 2019
Source: Michigan Legislature (legislature.mi.gov)URL: https://legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-436-1501Fetched: 10/20/2026