Alcohol licensing attorneys for Roswell restaurants, Canton Street bars, package stores, and caterers
Roswell decides alcohol licenses through a staff-level Alcoholic Beverage License Board that meets the first Thursday of each month at 10 a.m., not through City Council, and renewals are due October 31. Miles Hansford, a short drive away in Alpharetta, handles the application, the board hearing, and everything after.
Canton Street, the Historic District, and the Highway 9 corridor make Roswell one of North Fulton's densest restaurant markets, and its licensing process is unlike its neighbors. Applications go to the City Attorney's Office under Chapter 3 of the Code of Ordinances, and pouring permits come from the Police Department. For the zoning side of the same project, see Roswell land use and zoning.
How we help Roswell licensees
- Choose the right class: full pouring, limited pouring, or package
- Prepare the Chapter 3 application for the Legal Department
- Present at the Alcoholic Beverage License Board hearing
- Coordinate Police Department pouring permits for staff
- Calendar the October 31 renewal and monthly excise return
New Licenses
Full pouring, limited pouring, package, wholesaler, and ancillary tasting licenses, from the $300 application through the board's grant.
Catering, Delivery & Renewals
Resident and non-resident catering permits, delivery authorization, the October 31 renewal, and the excise return due the 20th of each month.
Violations & Appeals
Show-cause hearings, suspensions, and the petition for review in Fulton County Superior Court within 30 days.
A license board of city staff, meeting monthly, decides your application
Roswell's alcohol licensing is administered by the City Attorney's Office at City Hall, 38 Hill Street. The decision belongs to the Alcoholic Beverage License Board, made up of designees of the City Administrator, Finance Director, and Community Development Director as voting members, with Police Chief and City Attorney designees sitting without a vote. The board meets the first Thursday of each month at 10 a.m. in Council Chambers and grants or denies each application after a published public hearing.
That structure changes how you prepare. Instead of persuading elected officials at an evening meeting, you are presenting to administrators who apply Chapter 3 to the facts.
- Full Pouring and Limited Pouring consumption licenses
- Package and Wholesaler licenses
- Ancillary beer, wine, and malt beverage tasting licenses
- Resident and non-resident catering permits
- Nonprofit temporary pouring and delivery authorization
Alcohol licensing services for Roswell businesses
Every matter starts with Chapter 3 and the board's calendar.
Full pouring versus limited pouring, package, or ancillary tasting, plus the state distance floor and any Chapter 3 distance rule for your address.
The completed Chapter 3 application to the Legal Department with the non-refundable fee, prepared to clear completeness review the first time.
The published legal notice and the first-Thursday 10 a.m. hearing before the Alcoholic Beverage License Board.
Roswell Police Department permits for every server, $50 per year, with photo and fingerprints by appointment.
Resident and non-resident catering permits and the $100 annual delivery authorization in place since December 2020.
The 3% excise tax on distilled spirits by the drink, filed monthly by the 20th, and the October 31 renewal.
Show-cause hearings, suspension and revocation defense, and petitions for review in Fulton County Superior Court.
Roswell alcohol licensing at a glance
Drawn from the city's licensing pages; fees and dates change, so confirm the current schedule with the firm.
- Licensing authority
- City Attorney's Office / Legal Department, City Hall, 38 Hill Street, Roswell, GA 30075
- Who approves
- Alcoholic Beverage License Board: City Administrator, Finance Director, and Community Development Director designees vote; Police Chief and City Attorney designees do not
- Ordinance
- Code of Ordinances Chapter 3, Alcoholic Beverages
- License types
- Ancillary tasting, Full Pouring, Limited Pouring, Package, Wholesaler, Nonprofit temporary pouring, catering permits, delivery authorization
- Distance rules
- O.C.G.A. § 3-3-21 statewide floor; Roswell's Chapter 3 distances are confirmed by the firm for your address
- Background checks
- Background review as part of the board process, with a Police Chief designee on the board; pouring permits require photo ID, a photo, and fingerprints by appointment
- Typical timeline
- Application and $300 fee, then the next available first-Thursday board hearing after legal notice
- Renewal deadline
- October 31; $250 per month late fee after November 15; licenses expire December 31; no renewal means a new application and hearing
- Meetings / hearings
- First Thursday of each month, 10 a.m., Council Chambers
Sources: City of Roswell Alcoholic Beverage Licenses and Catering Permits page; City of Roswell Alcohol Pouring and Handling Permits page; Roswell Code of Ordinances Chapter 3; Georgia Department of Revenue; O.C.G.A. § 3-3-21
What Roswell owners need to know before they apply
From the city's licensing pages and published notices; confirm with the firm.
The Roswell application and board path
The process has four steps: complete the Chapter 3 application; submit it to the Legal Department with the $300 non-refundable application fee; the city publishes a legal notice and the Alcoholic Beverage License Board holds a public hearing on the first Thursday at 10 a.m.; the board grants or denies. A Canton Street full-pouring application with Sunday sales, for example, was noticed for a 10 a.m. hearing at 38 Hill Street, Suite 215. Because the voting members are staff designees, the application is judged on Chapter 3 criteria, zoning compliance, and the background review, and we prepare it accordingly.
Distance rules and the state floor
O.C.G.A. § 3-3-21 bars distilled spirits sales within 100 yards of a church building or 200 yards of school grounds, and beer and wine within 100 yards of school grounds, and lets cities set their own distances for on-premises licenses. Roswell's Chapter 3 carries its own location provisions, and we confirm them against the current ordinance for every address, especially on Canton Street and in the Historic District where churches, parks, and homes sit close to restaurants.
Pouring permits, excise tax, and delivery
Every server and bartender needs an alcohol pouring and handling permit from the Roswell Police Department, $50 per year, with a government photo ID, a photo, and fingerprints by appointment. Licensees serving distilled spirits by the drink file a 3% excise tax return monthly by the 20th. Delivery authorization has been available since December 15, 2020 at $100 per year. Sunday sales licenses appear in published notices; exact hours are confirmed against the current ordinance.
Renewals, lapse, and appeals
Roswell renews earlier than its neighbors. For the 2026 license year, renewals were due October 31, 2025, a $250 per month late fee applied after November 15, and licenses expired December 31. A licensee who fails to renew starts over with a new application and a new board hearing. If a violation leads to a suspension or revocation, O.C.G.A. § 3-3-2 guarantees written reasons and a hearing with the right to present evidence and cross-examine witnesses, and the final city decision is reviewed in Fulton County Superior Court by petition for review under O.C.G.A. § 5-3-1, generally within 30 days.
A regulatory practice a short drive from Roswell City Hall
Miles Hansford is based at 1725 Windward Concourse in Alpharetta, a short drive down GA-400 or Highway 9 from 38 Hill Street. A 10 a.m. weekday board hearing is easy for us to attend.
The Regulatory and Government Law practice, led by partner David Davidson, sits inside a full-service firm, so the lease, the entity, and any Historic Preservation Commission approval for a Canton Street storefront are handled alongside the license. Our alcohol licensing team coordinates with our land use attorneys.
How a Roswell licensing matter moves
The board's monthly calendar sets the pace.
Feasibility
License class, zoning, distance rules, and whether the location sits in the Historic District.
Application
Chapter 3 forms and the $300 fee to the Legal Department, plus the Georgia Department of Revenue filing.
Board hearing
Legal notice, then the first-Thursday 10 a.m. hearing before the Alcoholic Beverage License Board.
Compliance
Police pouring permits, monthly excise returns, and the October 31 renewal, all calendared.
Roswell alcohol licensing FAQs
Who approves alcohol licenses in Roswell?
The Alcoholic Beverage License Board, not City Council. Its voting members are designees of the City Administrator, Finance Director, and Community Development Director; Police Chief and City Attorney designees sit without a vote. The board meets the first Thursday of each month at 10 a.m. in Council Chambers and grants or denies applications after a published public hearing.
How much is the Roswell alcohol license application fee?
The application is submitted to the Legal Department with a $300 non-refundable application fee. The annual license fee itself depends on the class and is set in the city's fee schedule; confirm the current amount with the firm before budgeting. Pouring permits are $50 per year and delivery authorization is $100 per year.
When are Roswell alcohol license renewals due?
October 31, earlier than Alpharetta, Johns Creek, or Sandy Springs. For the 2026 license year, renewals were due October 31, 2025. A $250 per month late fee applies after November 15, licenses expire December 31, and a licensee who fails to renew must file a new application and attend a new board hearing.
Do Roswell servers need a pouring permit?
Yes. Alcohol pouring and handling permits are issued by the Roswell Police Department for $50 per year. The applicant brings a government photo ID and sits for a photo and fingerprints by appointment. We help operators build the permit into hiring so no one serves without one.
What license classes does Roswell offer?
Roswell's classes are Ancillary beer, wine, and malt beverage tasting; Full Pouring; Limited Pouring; Package; Wholesaler; and Nonprofit temporary pouring, plus resident and non-resident catering permits and delivery authorization. Sunday sales appear in published notices as part of restaurant licenses. We match the class to your concept so a later change does not require a second application.
Does Roswell tax drinks?
Yes. Roswell imposes a 3% excise tax on distilled spirits sold by the drink, filed monthly by the 20th. Missed returns can surface at renewal or in a show-cause proceeding, so we calendar the monthly return alongside the license and the October 31 renewal.
Can I add catering or delivery to my Roswell license?
Yes. Roswell issues resident and non-resident catering permits, and delivery authorization has been available since December 15, 2020 for $100 per year. Each is a separate filing through the City Attorney's Office. Under Georgia law each catered event also needs a permit from the jurisdiction where it is held.
How do I appeal a Roswell license denial or suspension?
Georgia law requires written reasons and a hearing with the right to present evidence and cross-examine witnesses. After the final city decision, a petition for review is filed in Fulton County Superior Court under O.C.G.A. § 5-3-1, generally within 30 days. Review is on the record, so the board hearing must be prepared like a trial.
Alcohol licensing in nearby North Metro jurisdictions
Each nearby city runs a different process on a different calendar.
Talk with a Roswell alcohol licensing attorney
Opening, renewing, buying, or defending a licensed business in Roswell? Miles Hansford can tell you quickly what Chapter 3 and the board require.
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.