Alcohol licensing attorneys for Cobb County restaurants, bars, and package stores
In unincorporated Cobb County a location within 300 feet of a residence or 600 feet of a school, park, library, church, or college must go to the License Review Board, and the timeline stretches from four to six weeks to twelve to sixteen. Miles Hansford Law Firm clears the site, prepares the application, and presents the case.
Cobb's Chapter 6 ordinance is detailed and enforced. Applications are filed by appointment with the Business License Division, advertised in the Marietta Daily Journal on two consecutive Fridays with a notice sign on the site for two weeks, and investigated by Cobb Police. Businesses inside Marietta, Smyrna, Kennesaw, Acworth, Austell, Powder Springs, or Mableton license with their city. Our Alcohol Licensing practice, led by David Davidson, handles the county process end to end.
How we help Cobb County licensees
- Measure the site against the 300-foot and 600-foot rules before you sign
- Prepare consents, driving histories, and the county appointment
- Manage the MDJ advertisement and two-week notice sign
- Present distance-waiver cases to the License Review Board
- Defend appeals before the Board of Commissioners and in superior court
Distance Waivers
Applications within 300 feet of a residence or 600 feet of a school, park, library, church, or college go to the License Review Board. We build the no-adverse-effect case.
Sunday Pouring
Sunday on-premises sales require a CPA affidavit that 50 percent of food and beverage sales come from food. We structure the proof.
Review Board and BOC Appeals
The License Review Board meets the second and fourth Thursdays at 3 p.m. The Board of Commissioners may review its decisions within 30 days.
Appointment, investigation, advertisement, then a staff decision or a Review Board hearing
Cobb's Business License Division takes applications by mandatory appointment. Cobb Police investigate, usually in 10 to 14 business days and up to 60, while the licensee is fingerprinted through GBI GAPS within seven days. The county advertises in the Marietta Daily Journal on two consecutive Fridays and requires a notice sign on the site for two weeks. If the location clears the distance rules and draws no objection, the Business License Manager decides; otherwise the License Review Board hears it.
The Board, created by §6-90, has five members: four county appointees named by the County Manager and one from the Sheriff's command staff. It meets the second and fourth Thursdays at 3 p.m., must decide within 120 days of filing, and hears distance-waiver cases, work permit appeals, and discipline.
- Mandatory appointment with the Business License Division
- Police investigation and GBI GAPS fingerprinting within 7 days
- Notarized criminal-history consents from 20-percent owners and spouses
- MDJ ad on two consecutive Fridays and a two-week site sign
- Approval fees paid within 14 days
Alcohol licensing services in Cobb County
From the distance survey to the Board of Commissioners.
Measuring the 300-foot and 600-foot rules from property lines and identifying zoning exceptions.
Consents, driving histories, citizenship documents, and the county appointment.
Distance waivers, deferred applications, and objections presented with evidence.
Structuring the 50 percent food-sales proof and the CPA affidavit.
§6-207 permits through the Cobb Police permits unit and appeals of denials.
Disciplinary hearings, Board of Commissioners review, and superior court petitions under O.C.G.A. § 5-3-1.
Cobb County alcohol licensing at a glance
From Cobb County's alcohol license page and March 2025 application; confirm the current fee schedule and renewal date with the firm.
- Licensing authority
- Community Development Agency – Business License Division, 1150 Powder Springs Street, Suite 400, Marietta; 770-528-8410; appointment required
- Who approves
- Business License Manager for standard applications; License Review Board (§6-90) for protected-distance cases, objections, and discipline; Board of Commissioners may review within 30 days
- Ordinance
- Official Code of Cobb County, Part I, Chapter 6 – Alcoholic Beverages (§6-90, §6-124, §6-125, §6-127, §6-207, §6-222)
- License types
- Pouring: liquor, beer, wine, Sunday sales, corkage, catering. Package: liquor, beer, wine, Sunday sales. Application fee $600
- Distance rules
- §6-124: 300 ft from the property line of a private residence, with zoning exceptions; §6-125: 600 ft from a public school, park, library, church, or college; waivers by the License Review Board
- Background checks
- Licensee fingerprinted via GBI GAPS within 7 days; 20-percent owners and their spouses sign notarized criminal-history consents; 7-year driving history
- Typical timeline
- 4–6 weeks standard; 12–16 weeks within a protected distance
- Renewal deadline
- Annual; the exact date is confirmed by the firm
- Meetings / hearings
- License Review Board, 2nd and 4th Thursdays, 3:00 p.m.; must decide within 120 days of filing
Sources: Cobb County alcoholic beverage license page; Cobb County Alcohol Application (March 2025); Official Code of Cobb County Chapter 6; Cobb County Police permits page; East Cobb News reporting on the 2022 bottle shop appeal; O.C.G.A. § 3-3-21
The Cobb County alcohol license process, step by step
Cobb's ordinance puts the location question first. Here is how the process runs.
Appointment, investigation, and advertisement
The applicant schedules a mandatory appointment and submits a complete application with the $600 application fee. Cobb Police then investigate, typically 10 to 14 business days but up to 60. The licensee is fingerprinted through GBI GAPS within seven days, and every 20-percent owner and spouse signs a notarized criminal-history consent; non-citizens must provide a permanent resident card or naturalization certificate. The county advertises in the Marietta Daily Journal on two consecutive Fridays and posts a notice sign for two weeks. After approval, fees are due within 14 days or the approval is void, and the state license is not processed until the county issues.
The 300-foot and 600-foot rules
Section 6-124 requires 300 feet from the property line of a private residence, with exceptions for certain commercial zonings, the Mableton form-based district, and wholesalers. Section 6-125 requires 600 feet from the property line of a public school, park, library, church, or college. Both run from property lines, a different measurement from the route-of-travel rule in O.C.G.A. § 3-3-21, so a site that clears state law can still fail the county test. An application inside either distance must be approved by the License Review Board, which can grant a waiver on a showing of no adverse effect; existing licensed locations are exempt on renewal or transfer under §6-127.
Sunday pouring, work permits, and Sunday hours
Sunday on-premises sales require a CPA affidavit that 50 percent of combined food and alcohol sales come from food, so a bar without a kitchen does not qualify. Employees who serve alcohol need work permits under §6-207 through the Cobb Police permits unit, and permit denials can be appealed to the License Review Board.
Contested cases and appeals
Neighbors can object, and they can appeal. In the 2022 East Cobb bottle shop case, the License Review Board first denied and then approved the license, and opponents took the approval to a Board of Commissioners hearing with sworn testimony and cross-examination. A final county decision can be challenged by petition for review in Cobb County Superior Court within 30 days under O.C.G.A. § 5-3-1, generally on the record, so the evidence must be presented at the county hearing.
Alpharetta licensing counsel for Cobb County's contested cases
Miles Hansford Law Firm is based in Alpharetta, a short drive from Marietta. Our Regulatory and Government Law practice, led by David Davidson, starts every Cobb application with the distance survey, because a location inside the 300-foot or 600-foot line changes the timeline, the decision-maker, and the evidence required.
The same attorneys handle land use and zoning in Cobb County, which matters where the distance exceptions depend on the parcel's commercial zoning.
Working with us on a Cobb County license
Four stages with clear deliverables.
Site and distance review
We confirm the parcel is in unincorporated Cobb, order the distance survey, and check zoning exceptions.
Application and appointment
We assemble consents, histories, and documents and file at the county appointment.
Investigation, notice, and decision
We track the police investigation and the notice period and present to the License Review Board if required.
Fees, state license, and compliance
We pay approval fees within 14 days, complete the state filing, and calendar renewals and work permits.
Cobb County alcohol licensing questions
How far must a Cobb County restaurant or store be from a house or a school?
Under §6-124, 300 feet from the property line of a private residence, with exceptions for certain commercial zonings and the Mableton form-based district. Under §6-125, 600 feet from the property line of a public school, park, library, church, or college. Applications within those distances must be approved by the License Review Board, which can grant a waiver.
How long does a Cobb County alcohol license take?
Four to six weeks for a standard application. If the location is within a protected distance or draws an objection, the case goes to the License Review Board and possibly the Board of Commissioners, and the county's estimate becomes twelve to sixteen weeks. Approval fees must then be paid within 14 days or the approval is void.
Who has to sign a background consent for a Cobb County license?
All owners, partners, and stockholders with a 20 percent interest, and their spouses, sign notarized criminal-history consents. The licensee is fingerprinted through GBI GAPS within seven days and provides a seven-year driving history. Non-citizens need a permanent resident card or naturalization certificate.
Can my bar sell alcohol on Sundays in Cobb County?
Sunday pouring requires a CPA affidavit that 50 percent of combined food and alcoholic beverage sales come from food, so a bar without meaningful food sales does not qualify. The Sunday sales fee on the March 2025 application is $1,000 for pouring and $500 for package, and Sunday hours are set by §6-222.
Does Cobb County advertise my alcohol application?
Yes. The county publishes the application in the Marietta Daily Journal on two consecutive Fridays and requires a notice sign at the site for two weeks. An objection during that period sends the case to the License Review Board instead of a staff decision.
My business is in Marietta or Smyrna. Do I apply with Cobb County?
No. A Cobb County license covers only unincorporated Cobb. Businesses inside Marietta, Smyrna, Kennesaw, Acworth, Austell, Powder Springs, or Mableton license with the city, and a mailing address does not determine jurisdiction. Mableton incorporated in 2023, so some formerly county addresses now belong to the city.
Can neighbors appeal a Cobb County alcohol license approval?
Yes. The Board of Commissioners may review a License Review Board decision within 30 days. In the 2022 East Cobb bottle shop case, opponents appealed the Board's approval to a Board of Commissioners hearing with sworn testimony and cross-examination. A final county decision can then go to superior court within 30 days under O.C.G.A. § 5-3-1.
Alcohol licensing in nearby North Metro jurisdictions
Cobb's cities and neighboring counties each license separately.
Clear your Cobb County location before you sign the lease
Call 770-781-4100 or contact Miles Hansford Law Firm in Alpharetta about a new license, a distance waiver, a License Review Board hearing, or an appeal.
Miles Hansford Law Firm
Phone: 770-781-4100
Address:
1725 Windward Concourse, Suite 150
Alpharetta, GA 30005
Consultations: Contact the firm online to get started.
This page is for general informational purposes and is not legal advice. Fees, deadlines, and ordinance provisions change; confirm current requirements with the relevant jurisdiction or with the firm. No attorney-client relationship is created by viewing this content or sending a message through the website.