Alcohol licensing attorneys for Gwinnett County restaurants, package stores, and wholesalers
Unincorporated Gwinnett County issues alcohol licenses through the Planning and Development Department's Licensing and Revenue Office in Lawrenceville, by appointment only, after every principal files a notarized Statement of Personal History and is fingerprinted. Miles Hansford Law Firm prepares the file, tracks the four-to-six-week review, and handles appeals before the Licensing and Revenue Board of Appeals.
Gwinnett's Chapter 6 ordinance makes licenses non-transferable under §6-13, so buying a restaurant means applying fresh, and a violation can bring revocation, a fine, jail time, and a one-year licensing bar. Businesses inside Lawrenceville, Duluth, Suwanee, Buford, Sugar Hill, Peachtree Corners, Norcross, or any other Gwinnett city license with the city instead. Our Alcohol Licensing practice, led by David Davidson, handles the county and state filings together.
How we help Gwinnett licensees
- Confirm the parcel is in unincorporated Gwinnett, not one of 17 cities
- Prepare the supplemental form, Statement of Personal History, and fingerprinting
- File the Georgia Tax Center application and pay county fees through the Business Tax Portal
- Calendar the November 30 renewal
- Appeal denials and suspensions to the Licensing and Revenue Board of Appeals
New County Licenses
Retail package, consumption on premises, brew pub, wholesale, private club, and special event licenses, filed by appointment with the Licensing and Revenue Office.
Principal Disclosures
Each principal files a notarized Statement of Personal History covering ten years of employment and residence, arrests, prior denials, and other alcohol interests.
Board of Appeals
The five-member Licensing and Revenue Board of Appeals hears denials and suspensions and must meet within 30 days of an appeal. We build the record and present the case.
An appointment-only office, a personal history for every principal, and a 30-day appeal board
Gwinnett County's Licensing and Revenue Office at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center takes alcohol applications by appointment. The applicant completes the county's supplemental information form, files the state application in the Georgia Tax Center, and pays the county fee through the Gwinnett Business Tax Portal. Each principal then submits a notarized Statement of Personal History and is fingerprinted. The county's stated processing time is four to six weeks.
Distance rules on the county application mirror state law: 100 yards from church buildings and 200 yards from school grounds, educational facilities, daycares with kindergarten, and college campuses, measured by the most direct route of travel on the ground from the main entrance. Licenses are non-transferable under §6-13, renewals are due November 30, and the Licensing and Revenue Board of Appeals hears denials and suspensions.
- Gwinnett supplemental information form
- Georgia Tax Center state application
- County fee paid through the Business Tax Portal
- Statement of Personal History, notarized, for each principal
- Fingerprinting by appointment at 678-377-4100
Alcohol licensing services in Gwinnett County
From the first appointment to the Board of Appeals.
Supplemental form, state filing, fee payment, and principal disclosures, prepared for the county appointment.
Reviewing each principal's ten-year history and arrest disclosures before the county sees them.
Structuring a sale around §6-13 non-transferability so the buyer is licensed at closing.
Sunday sales licenses and special event applications for qualifying operators and venues.
November 30 online renewals calendared and filed so a license never lapses.
Denials, suspensions, and revocations before the Board of Appeals, then superior court review under O.C.G.A. § 5-3-1.
Gwinnett County alcohol licensing at a glance
Figures come from the county's LRB-01 application and procedures documents; confirm the current-year fee sheet with the firm.
- Licensing authority
- Planning & Development – Licensing and Revenue Office, 75 Langley Drive, Lawrenceville; 678-377-4100, appointments required
- Who approves
- Licensing and Revenue Office; Licensing & Revenue Board of Appeals (5 members) hears denials, suspensions, and business license disputes
- Ordinance
- Gwinnett County Code, Part II, Chapter 6 – Alcoholic Beverages (§6-13 non-transferability; §6-18 hearings; §6-105 hours and days of sale)
- License types
- Retail package (beer, wine, Sunday sales); consumption on premises (beer, wine, brew pub, distilled spirits); wholesale; non-profit private club; special events
- Distance rules
- 100 yards from church buildings; 200 yards from school grounds, educational facilities, daycares with kindergarten, and college campuses; measured by the most direct route of travel from the main entrance
- Background checks
- Notarized Statement of Personal History for each principal (10-year employment and residence history, non-traffic arrests, prior denials within 2 years, other alcohol interests) plus fingerprinting
- Typical timeline
- Four to six weeks
- Renewal deadline
- November 30, filed online
- Meetings / hearings
- Board of Appeals meets as needed within 30 days of an appeal, 2:00 p.m., Innovation Square, Lawrenceville
Sources: Gwinnett County business license page; Gwinnett County LRB-01 Alcoholic Beverage License Application; Gwinnett County Alcohol Licensing Procedures; Licensing & Revenue Board of Appeals page; Gwinnett County Code Chapter 6; O.C.G.A. § 3-3-21
The Gwinnett County alcohol license process, step by step
The county's procedures are specific. Here is what decides the timeline.
Application and the county appointment
The Gwinnett process has three filings that must line up. The applicant completes the county's supplemental information form, files the state application in the Georgia Tax Center under O.C.G.A. § 3-2-7.1, and pays the county fee, $500 administrative and investigative plus the license fee for the type, through the Gwinnett Business Tax Portal. The Licensing and Revenue Office works by appointment at 678-377-4100. The county says four to six weeks for a complete file, and the state license does not finalize until the county issues.
Principals, personal histories, and fingerprints
Every principal files a notarized Statement of Personal History: ten years of employment and residence, every arrest other than traffic, any denial or suspension within the past two years, interests in other alcohol businesses, and a passport photo. Fingerprinting follows. The disclosures are cross-checked, so an omitted arrest is worse than a disclosed one. We review each principal's history before filing and address anything that could draw a denial.
Location, distance, and which jurisdiction
Gwinnett's application applies the state distances from O.C.G.A. § 3-3-21: 100 yards from church buildings and 200 yards from school grounds, educational facilities, daycares with kindergarten, and college campuses, measured by the most direct route of travel on the ground from the main entrance. The larger trap is jurisdiction. The county licenses only unincorporated Gwinnett; a business inside any of the county's 17 municipalities applies to that city. A mailing address does not settle it; the parcel does.
Non-transferability, renewals, penalties, and appeals
Under §6-13 a Gwinnett license cannot be transferred, so a buyer of a licensed restaurant files a new application and should time closing to it. Renewals are due November 30 and filed online. A violation can bring revocation, a fine of at least $300 and/or up to 30 days in jail, and a one-year bar on licensing. Denials and suspensions go to the five-member Licensing and Revenue Board of Appeals, which meets within 30 days of an appeal filed with the Licensing and Revenue Manager. A final county decision can be taken to Gwinnett County Superior Court by petition for review within 30 days under O.C.G.A. § 5-3-1.
Alpharetta counsel for Gwinnett County licensing
Miles Hansford Law Firm is based in Alpharetta, a short drive from Lawrenceville and the county's Peachtree Industrial and I-85 corridors. Our Regulatory and Government Law practice, led by David Davidson, prepares Gwinnett files for an appointment-driven office where an incomplete packet costs weeks.
The same attorneys handle land use and zoning in Gwinnett County, so a special use permit and an alcohol license for the same site move together.
Working with us on a Gwinnett County license
Four stages with clear deliverables.
Jurisdiction and site review
We confirm the parcel is in unincorporated Gwinnett and check the distance rules from the main entrance.
Filings and disclosures
We prepare the supplemental form, state application, fee payment, and each principal's Statement of Personal History.
Appointment and review
We coordinate the county appointment and fingerprinting and track the four-to-six-week review.
Renewal and compliance
We calendar the November 30 renewal and respond to any county notice or hearing.
Gwinnett County alcohol licensing questions
How long does a Gwinnett County alcohol license take?
The county states four to six weeks for a complete application. The clock depends on the county appointment, the Statement of Personal History for each principal, fingerprinting, and payment through the Business Tax Portal. The state license finalizes only after the county issues, so plan on two months before a target opening.
Who has to file a Statement of Personal History in Gwinnett?
Every principal of the applicant. The notarized statement covers ten years of employment and residence history, all arrests other than traffic, any license denial or suspension within the past two years, other alcohol business interests, and a passport photo. Fingerprinting follows. Omissions are a common reason for trouble, so we review each statement before filing.
Can I take over the alcohol license when I buy a Gwinnett restaurant?
No. Section 6-13 of the county code makes licenses non-transferable. The buyer files a new application with the $500 administrative fee, the license fee, and personal histories for each principal. A purchase agreement should be timed to the new license so the business can keep serving after closing.
My business is in Lawrenceville or Duluth. Do I apply with Gwinnett County?
No. The county licenses only businesses in unincorporated Gwinnett. A business inside Lawrenceville, Duluth, Suwanee, Buford, Sugar Hill, Peachtree Corners, Norcross, or any of the county's 17 municipalities applies to that city. The parcel's jurisdiction controls, not the mailing address, so confirm it before signing a lease.
When are Gwinnett County alcohol licenses renewed?
Renewals are due November 30 and are filed online. Because the state renewal window also closes December 31, a missed county renewal can leave a business without either license at the start of the year. We calendar the deadline for every client.
How do I appeal a Gwinnett County alcohol license denial?
File an appeal with the Licensing and Revenue Manager. The five-member Licensing and Revenue Board of Appeals meets as needed within 30 days of an appeal at 2:00 p.m. at Innovation Square in Lawrenceville and hears denials, suspensions, and business license disputes. A final county decision can be reviewed in superior court within 30 days under O.C.G.A. § 5-3-1.
What are the penalties for an alcohol violation in Gwinnett County?
The county application states that violations can lead to revocation, a fine of at least $300 and/or up to 30 days in jail, and a one-year bar on holding a license. Both the county and the Georgia Department of Revenue can act on the same incident, so a citation should be handled with both in mind.
Alcohol licensing in nearby North Metro jurisdictions
Gwinnett's cities and neighboring counties each license separately.
Start your Gwinnett County alcohol license with a complete file
Call 770-781-4100 or contact Miles Hansford Law Firm in Alpharetta before you book the county appointment, buy a licensed business, or answer a notice from Licensing and Revenue.
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.