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What is an alcohol license?

An alcohol license record covers a business's authorization to sell alcoholic beverages — for example on-premises drink service or retail package sales — at a specific address.

Alcohol licensing in Kentucky runs through both a state and a local alcoholic beverage control (ABC) administrator; a business generally needs both a state and a Louisville Metro local license to sell legally.

A license carries a status and an expiration date. It can be renewed, suspended, or allowed to lapse; the record reflects the status as published, not the business's day-to-day operation.

A license record is not a food safety or building inspection, and an active license does not mean the business is currently open — it means the authorization to sell alcohol exists on the record.