Alcohol licensing attorneys for Sandy Springs restaurants, bars, hotels, and package stores
Sandy Springs takes every alcohol application to the City Council within 45 days, fingerprints every owner with a 20 percent stake, and charges the highest documented license fees in North Fulton. Miles Hansford prepares applications that clear the Permits and Revenue Office and the Council on the first pass.
From Perimeter Center hotels to the restaurants along Roswell Road and City Springs, Sandy Springs licenses alcohol through its Permits and Revenue Office at City Hall, 1 Galambos Way, with the City Council holding the hearing and deciding. For the zoning side, including the Development Code's rules for eateries in office districts, see our Sandy Springs land use and zoning page.
What we do for Sandy Springs applicants
- Commission the certified survey and confirm the site clears the distance rules
- Assemble the notarized application and every required document
- Request a temporary license so you can open while the Council decides
- Present the application at the City Council hearing
- Set up pouring permits, training, and exit signage
- Defend suspensions and revocations; appeal within 30 days
Council Hearing Within 45 Days
The Council hears every application, suspension, and revocation. We prepare the file so the hearing goes as the paperwork says it should.
Fingerprints and GCIC Checks
Every owner with 20 percent or more submits a GCIC consent form, driver's license copy, and fingerprints for a police investigation. We manage the disclosures.
Documents That Get Sent Back
Lease, food service inspection report, occupation tax certificate, certified survey, and state application copy. Missing one delays the Council date.
A document-heavy application, a police investigation, and a Council vote on a fixed clock
The Permits and Revenue Office accepts applications Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The notarized application is filed with proof of ownership or lease, a food service inspection report for on-premises licenses, an occupation tax certificate, a certified land survey, and a copy of the state application. Every owner with a 20 percent or greater interest submits a GCIC consent form, a driver's license copy, and fingerprints for a police criminal-history investigation. The City Council holds the initial hearing within 45 days and decides; the City Manager may issue a temporary license for up to 60 days, extendable to 120.
License classes cover package sales (malt beverage, wine, distilled spirits, growlers, tasting), consumption on-premises (full pouring, limited pouring, brewpub, farm-winery tasting room), wholesale, and temporary, caterer, and nonprofit permits. The city's 2021 application listed a $3,200 distilled-spirits package fee, a $4,500 full-pouring fee, and $1,200 in administrative fees, with applications received July 1 through December 31 paying half the license fee; we confirm the current schedule on every matter.
- Full and limited pouring licenses for restaurants, bars, and hotels
- Package licenses for beer, wine, spirits, and growlers
- Brewpub and farm-winery tasting-room licenses
- Caterer, temporary, and nonprofit permits
- Renewals, ownership changes, and license defense
Sandy Springs alcohol licensing services
The application is long, the fees are high, and the Council date is fixed.
We check the address against the city's distance rules and O.C.G.A. § 3-3-21 and commission the certified survey before you sign.
Notarized application, lease, food service report, occupation tax certificate, survey, and state application copy, assembled to avoid a return.
GCIC consent, identification, and fingerprints for every 20 percent owner.
A City Manager temporary license, up to 60 days and extendable to 120, so a new location can open on schedule.
Preparation and appearance at the City Council hearing.
Training within 30 days, pouring permits, exit signage, and the November 15 renewal with a notarized no-change statement.
Defense at the Council hearing and petitions for review in Fulton County Superior Court within 30 days.
Sandy Springs alcohol licensing at a glance
From the City of Sandy Springs alcohol sales page and its Alcoholic Beverage Application; fee amounts come from the 2021 form and must be confirmed with the firm.
- Licensing authority
- Permits and Revenue Office, City Hall, 1 Galambos Way, Sandy Springs, GA 30328; 770-730-5600; Monday to Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Who approves
- City Council, after a hearing held within 45 days of submission; City Manager may issue a temporary license.
- Ordinance
- Sandy Springs Code of Ordinances alcoholic beverage provisions, as applied in the city's Alcoholic Beverage Application; confirm current chapter with the firm.
- License types
- Package (malt beverage, wine, distilled spirits, growler, tasting); consumption on-premises (full pouring, limited pouring, brewpub, farm-winery tasting room); wholesale; temporary, caterer, and nonprofit permits.
- Distance rules
- Beer and wine package 100 yards from schools and colleges; distilled spirits package 100 yards from churches, 200 yards from schools and colleges, 500 yards from another spirits retailer; 200 feet from one- and two-family dwellings in certain zoning. Certified survey required.
- Background checks
- GCIC consent form, driver's license copy, and fingerprints for every owner with a 20 percent or greater interest; police criminal-history investigation.
- Typical timeline
- Council hearing within 45 days; temporary license up to 60 days, extendable to 120.
- Renewal deadline
- November 15; 10 percent late fee November 16 to December 15; after December 15 treated as a new application.
- Meetings / hearings
- City Council at City Springs, 1 Galambos Way.
Sources: City of Sandy Springs Alcohol Sales page; City of Sandy Springs Alcoholic Beverage Application (2021); O.C.G.A. § 3-3-2 and § 3-3-21.
What a Sandy Springs alcohol license requires
The city's published process, and where applicants lose time.
Step by step: filing to Council decision
The notarized application and exhibits go to the Permits and Revenue Office. Police run a criminal-history investigation on every 20 percent owner using the GCIC consent forms and fingerprints, and the fire inspection covered by the administrative fee takes place. The City Council holds the initial hearing within 45 days of submission and decides. Where the business is ready earlier, the City Manager may issue a temporary license for up to 60 days, extendable to 120. Once the city license issues, the Georgia Department of Revenue finalizes the state license.
Distance rules and the certified survey
Sandy Springs tracks the state distances for most categories and adds a spacing rule for spirits retailers. Beer and wine package stores must be 100 yards from schools and colleges. Distilled-spirits package stores must be 100 yards from churches, 200 yards from schools and colleges, and 500 yards from another distilled-spirits retailer, and in certain zoning 200 feet from one- and two-family dwellings. A certified land survey documenting each distance is part of the application, and the 500-yard spacing is the rule that most often eliminates a site along Roswell Road.
Training, permits, signage, and renewals
Licensees must complete alcohol awareness training within 30 days of issuance, and pouring-permit employees must do so within 30 days as well. On-premises licensees must post a notice at each exit, in letters at least one inch high, stating that removing alcohol from the premises violates the city code.
Renewals are due November 15. A 10 percent late fee applies from November 16 through December 15, and after December 15 the filing is treated as a new application. Renewal requires a notarized no-change statement or a full reapplication, so ownership changes should be reported before renewal season.
Suspensions, revocations, and appeals
The City Council hears suspensions and revocations as well as new applications. O.C.G.A. § 3-3-2 requires written reasons and a hearing with the right to present evidence and cross-examine witnesses. We build the record with training logs, ID-scanner data, and video. A petition for review under O.C.G.A. § 5-3-1 must be filed in Fulton County Superior Court within 30 days, and review is on the record.
Licensing counsel a short drive up GA-400
Miles Hansford is based at 1725 Windward Concourse in Alpharetta, a short drive up GA-400 from City Springs. Partner David Davidson leads the firm's Regulatory & Government Law practice, of which the alcohol licensing practice is a part.
Sandy Springs applications fail on paperwork more than on merit. We treat the document list, the survey, and the owner disclosures as the case.
Working with us on a Sandy Springs license
Four stages.
Site review
Distance rules, certified survey, and zoning before the lease.
Application package
Notarized application, exhibits, and owner fingerprinting, filed at 1 Galambos Way.
Temporary license and Council hearing
A City Manager temporary license where available, then the Council hearing within 45 days.
Compliance
Training within 30 days, pouring permits, exit signage, and the November 15 renewal.
Sandy Springs alcohol licensing questions
How long does it take to get an alcohol license in Sandy Springs?
The City Council holds the initial hearing within 45 days of submission and makes the final decision. While the application is pending, the City Manager may issue a temporary license for up to 60 days, extendable to 120, so a ready business can often open before the Council vote.
Who has to be fingerprinted for a Sandy Springs alcohol license?
Every owner with a 20 percent or greater interest in the applicant. Each submits a GCIC consent form, a copy of a driver's license, and fingerprints, and the Sandy Springs police conduct a criminal-history investigation before the City Council hearing. We coordinate the disclosures so no owner holds up the file.
What documents does Sandy Springs require with the application?
A notarized application, proof of ownership or lease, a food service inspection report for on-premises licenses, an occupation tax certificate, a certified land survey showing distances, and a copy of the state application. Missing items are the most common reason a Council date slips.
How far must a liquor store be from a church, school, or another liquor store in Sandy Springs?
Distilled-spirits package stores must be 100 yards from churches, 200 yards from schools and colleges, and 500 yards from another distilled-spirits retailer, and in certain zoning 200 feet from single- and two-family dwellings. Beer and wine package stores must be 100 yards from schools and colleges.
What does a Sandy Springs alcohol license cost?
The city's 2021 application listed a $3,200 distilled-spirits package fee, a $4,500 full-pouring fee, and $1,200 in new-application administrative fees, with applications received July 1 through December 31 paying half the license fee. We confirm the current schedule with the city before you file.
When do Sandy Springs alcohol licenses renew?
Renewals are due November 15. A 10 percent late fee applies from November 16 through December 15, and after December 15 the filing is treated as a new application with a new Council hearing. Renewal requires a notarized no-change statement or a full reapplication if ownership changed.
Do Sandy Springs restaurants have to post a sign about alcohol?
Yes. On-premises licensees must post a notice at each exit, in letters at least one inch high, stating that removing alcohol from the premises violates the city code. Licensees and pouring-permit employees must also complete alcohol awareness training within 30 days.
How do I appeal a Sandy Springs license denial or revocation?
The City Council hears suspensions and revocations, and Georgia law requires written reasons and a hearing with the right to present evidence. After the Council's final decision, a petition for review under O.C.G.A. § 5-3-1 must be filed in Fulton County Superior Court within 30 days, on the record.
Alcohol licensing in nearby North Metro jurisdictions
Sandy Springs borders Roswell, Cobb County, and Atlanta, with a different process in each.
Opening in Sandy Springs or defending a license there?
Call 770-781-4100 or contact Miles Hansford in Alpharetta. We will review the site, assemble the application, and prepare you for the Council hearing.
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.